3-Day Wellness Escape: Yoga, Breathwork & Sound Healing in Brazil's Atlantic Forest

Your days at Mama Shanti settle into a gentle rhythm. Each morning begins with the forest already awake—birds, light through the canopy, cool mountain air. The first session of the day is 90 minutes of movement: some days a vinyasa flow to wake the body up, other days a slower, more restorative practice, depending on what the group needs. Your teacher Rie has been practicing for over a decade, and she leads every session personally, adjusting on the fly rather than sticking to a plan. There is no rigid syllabus here; the practice follows the energy in the room.

After breakfast—a spread of fresh fruit, warm dishes, local artisan cheeses, and milk from a nearby producer—the middle of the day is deliberately open. You might join a guided hike along Atlantic Forest trails to a waterfall that few tourists ever reach, or you might stay close to the house, swim in the natural pool, lie in a hammock, or do absolutely nothing. Some guests use the time to journal or read. Others wander the forest and follow their curiosity. The openness is the point. It gives the experience space to accumulate—not because the program is intense, but because the environment does its own quiet work.

The second 90-minute session of the day arrives in the late afternoon or early evening, anchoring the day as it draws inward. One day it might be a breathwork practice, another a sound bath where Rie plays crystal singing bowls. Other evenings bring a deep yin practice or a guided meditation. Dinner follows, warm and unhurried, and the evening settles into quiet. Over the course of your stay, the layers add up—not from intensity, but from the rare feeling of being somewhere that asks nothing of you except to arrive.

What sets Mama Shanti apart is the land itself and the history embedded in it. The forest surrounding you was planted tree by tree by your host's great-grandfather, who called it his paradise on Earth. In 2009, it became part of the Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park. You're not visiting a pleasant property—you're stepping into a protected, living ecosystem that has been cared for across three generations. And because there are never more than four guests at a time, the retreat shapes itself around you. Your teacher and your chef are fully present, using organic ingredients harvested locally. Nothing here is at scale, and nothing is outsourced. The intimacy is structural, not incidental.

What's included

- 2 nights accommodation in shared or private room - 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals - Water, tea, coffee served throughout the day - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - Hike to Pedra Alpina in the Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park with a trusted guide - Hike to waterfalls in Serra dos Órgãos National Park - Parking - Wi-Fi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Visa fee - Travel insurance - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Shuttle pick-up from Rio de Janeiro (can be arranged with our trusted driver for an additional cost)