Recently, I visited the venue we will be staying in for The Recovery Advantage Retreat and had the opportunity to explore the local cultural spaces we’ll be visiting during the five-day immersion. From the Livraria Lello (one of the oldest bookstores in the world) to the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, botanical gardens that also house an art gallery, where I found an exhibition by Kelly Santos, “Gestures of Love,” which had already travelled to Mexico City and New York.
Inside the Livraria Lello was Dua Lipa’s exhibition of books banned around the world. I spent a good hour leafing through the volumes, lingering over the ones that piqued my curiosity, before finally selecting Beloved by Toni Morrison (banned in schools and libraries for its unflinching portrayal of slavery, Black resistance, and racial trauma) and There There by Tommy Orange, which has been challenged in some school districts for its depictions of violence, addiction, identity, and race.
I could have spent hours (literally) in that library, so I’m thrilled to be returning in under two months for The Recovery Advantage experience.
This visit truly illuminated the richness of Porto’s culture and art, and reminded me why I chose this city (absolutely brimming with art) for this creative immersion. Simply wandering the streets left me feeling inspired, a wellspring of creativity ready to flow from my fingertips and mind. It’s remarkable what disrupting a routine can do for the creative faculties. A single afternoon immersed in architecture, art, and sunshine left my mind instantly clearer, ready to sit down and focus on my writing.
On my last visit to Porto, we cycled to one of the city’s finest beaches, working up a sweat and basking in the sun like lizards on a rock, meditating as the waves lapped at our feet. I’ll never tire of a life that blends the beach and the city when the two complement each other so beautifully.
Alongside exploring the local cultural spaces, I had the chance to fully immerse myself in the Rebello Hotel. I woke in one of its spacious duplex apartments, indulged in a morning stretch on my private terrace, and nourished my gut with a meal at the Pot&Pan Restaurant. The retreat’s cuisine will focus primarily on gut health, so I used this visit to sample a preview, choosing live yogurts, smoked salmon, capers, and sourdough bread, alongside vitamin C–rich foods like papaya and orange.
After a closer look at the hotel’s other rooms (each one is unique, as the hotel preserves the building’s traditional layout) including stepping onto balconies overlooking the river, we soaked up some vitamin D on the rooftop before heading to the private, Roman-inspired spa. There, I was treated to a deep-tissue massage by one of the ten massage therapists on-site. To say I was floating would be an understatement. I was even offered an energy ball and lemon balm tea afterward, reclining in a chair to ensure I didn’t rush out of the space and could let my body fully absorb the treatment.
As I sat back in the chair, I reflected on how readily we rush off after yoga practice, treatments, or massages, and back into daily life, but how essential it is to linger, even briefly, and remain present with how the experience has left the body feeling. All of this is as integral to the practice as the sixty-minute session itself.
Before leaving The Rebello, I taught an online yoga class in one of the very rooms we’ll be using for workshops and creative sessions during the immersion. I caught the 8pm bus back and was in my own bed by 11:30pm, just in time to catch the optimal window for sleep, between midnight and 3am, when melatonin peaks and the body reaches its lowest core temperature. After all, we might as well work with our body’s natural circadian rhythm rather than against it.
During The Recovery Advantage retreat, we’ll have a fountain of time to explore these local spaces, and even more to languish by the pool, in the spa, on the rooftop, and along the river.
Several spots are still open to join us. Please register here if you’re considering joining us, so we can get chat over zoom and see whether it’s the right fit for you.
Sending love,
Niamh
Dua Lipa's banned book library must be a powerful collection of dopeness.