Women-Only Somatic Movement & Dance Retreat in the Alpujarra Mountains, Spain

Jardin de Luz sits among olive and citrus groves near Lanjarón, on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada in the Alpujarra. There are three rooms in the guesthouse — a spacious room with en-suite bathroom and a smaller room with a garden view sharing a hallway bathroom — plus a wooden cabana in the grounds and a bell tent pitched in a secluded corner of the grove. The pool is set among the olive trees. There is an outdoor dance floor with a wooden surface facing the pine forest and the mountains, and an indoor studio for when it is too hot or too cold.

A typical day starts with breakfast, then a session in the morning, lunch, free time in the early afternoon, a second session, and dinner in the evening. Wednesday is kept free of sessions — that is the day for the trip to Órgiva and its hippie market, or the walk in the Sierra Nevada national park, depending on how the week is arranged. Sessions might be a Nia class, a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson, an Organic Intelligence® coaching conversation, or a guided dance and creativity session; which one happens when depends on what you bring to the week. Pingel adapts pace and content daily.

What makes this different from a group dance retreat is that there is no group. You get Pingel's full attention for the whole week, and she reads how your system is responding before deciding what to do next. That means it suits people who would find a room full of strangers difficult, or who have tried group retreats and found them too fast or too much. It also means the week can go slower than a scheduled programme would allow.

The approach draws on several methods. Feldenkrais is taught through slow, curiosity-led movement explorations rather than stretching or repetition. Organic Intelligence® is a trauma-informed coaching method that works with sensations, images and small movements rather than talking through problems. Nia blends dance, martial arts and yoga into a sensory workout. Pingel also uses MAMA — Map, Anchor, Move, Align — a four-part framework she developed herself, and embodied creativity sessions that can involve voice, imagery, writing or movement.

The setting is quiet and rural. Lanjarón is a 30-minute walk away and has bars, shops and a spa bathhouse. Órgiva, a larger market town with a long-standing alternative community, is a short drive. The nearest beach is about 30 minutes by car. Most guests fly into Málaga (90 minutes by road) and take a shared pickup arranged through Jardin de Luz, or fly to Granada (60 minutes) and come by bus to Lanjarón, where you are collected from the stop.

What's included

- 7 days and 6 nights accommodation in the guesthouse, cabana or bell tent - 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Fresh fruits and nuts from the land during the day - Spring water, herbal infusions, coffee and tea - Two sessions a day (except Wednesday) - Check-in session on arrival day - Trip to the Sierra Nevada National Park - Visit to the bohemian town of Órgiva and its hippie market - Pickup from the bus stop in Lanjarón

What's not included

- Flights - Travel expenses - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Airport transfer / travel to and from the airport - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional sessions not included in the itinerary