Rio de Janeiro Retreat
Rio déjà vu - jamais vu !
Juxtaposing Yoga and Brazilian Design with attention to detail.
No separation between art and yoga.
It was inevitable that a Rio retreat would appear in our vision sooner or later.
Rio has been a love-at-first-sight experience and a recurrent place of high energy, inspiration, and breakthroughs over the past 3 years.
It is like one of these unique places on earth that have this very rare, precise, and perceptible depth of energy you can’t explain but unconditionally connect with.
The idea and purpose of the Rio de Janeiro retreat was to create a time and space for people to discover this incredible city through our lenses.
The retreat juxtaposes art, design, yoga, and sound meditation for a 6-night experience in carefully curated Brazilian homes.
Effectively, Chez George was a big inspiration to bring the retreat together. After discovering this family-owned Brazilian Modernist house in 2022 and staying there for quite some time, we knew this was a place to be shared and enjoyed as a group.
Living around the warm and authentic vibes of Rio, the week will bring us around daily yoga and sound bath sessions, visits to designer houses, Niteroì Museum of Contemporary Art, local artist galleries and workshops, beach days at non-negotiable, incredible Ipanema beach, walks around unavoidable neighbors and lot of hanging time at the Villa to read, sleep, talk, think or even enjoy a fresh homemade Caïpirinha along the pool or in one of Chez George amazing lounge chairs.
As for meals, because food is quite essential, breakfast and most dinners will be cooked by Chez George Carioca’s talented Chef and served daily after sunrise and sunset.
A couple of dinners/nights out are planned to make the group experience our favorite local botecos.
Lunch is open to each personal appreciation of time and taste, and we will be happy to share all our recommendations for quality and soulful experience of Brazilian food.
Let us just add that the culinary scene in Brazil is impressive from tasty local dishes, to the freshest fruits, to unique açai bowls to japanese food (there is a big Japanese community in Brazil and japanese restaurants could actually be considered local as well).
Last but not least, yoga and sound meditation will be the core elements of this Brazilian week, practicing daily in a multidisciplinary approach between vinyasa, Katonah, Ashtanga, and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) based flow.
Sound healing could not be held in a better place than Chez George, a regular musician at Residence.
With the kindness of people, the dramatic scene of mountains ending into the ocean, the music, design, and art, and extremely rich culture, Rio de Janeiro is like the heart of creativity in this perfect, lush, and inspiring weather.
Visiting Rio changed my life, and I could only imagine sharing this magical feeling with the help of the local artistic community.
SCHEDULE
Day 1 // Saturday March 8, 2025
- Arrival between 3 pm and 4 pm
- 4.30 pm, villas tour
- 5.30 pm-6.30 pm post-travel yoga class
- 7 pm welcome drink + dinner at Chez George
- 8.30 pm-9.30 pm welcome sound bath + discussion
Day 2 // Ipanema-Leblon beach day
- 6.30 am-7am sunrise meditation
- 7 am-9am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 11 am departure for the beach
- 12 pm departure for a beach day at Ipanema and Leblon, walk around the neighborhood, the recommendation to have lunch at our favorite locals, Botecos.
- 5 pm-6 pm beach Sunset
- 6.30 pm back to the house
- 7.30 pm Dinner at the house
- 9 pm-10 pm Sound bath + talks
Day 3 // Open day // Funk dance workshop, hang at Chez George.
- 6.30 am-7am sunrise meditation
- 7am-9am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 10.30 am- 12pm Funk dance workshop at George with Rio pro dancer.
- 12 pm - 5 pm free time
- 5 pm-6.30 pm evening yoga class
- 7.30 pm dinner + Samba night
Day 4 // Museum Day MAC
- 6.30 am-7am sunrise meditation
- 7 am-9 am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.3 0am breakfast at Chez George
- 10.30 am departure for museum
- 11.30 am- 5 pm museum + local beach
- 5 pm back to the house
- 5.30 pm-6.30 pm evening yoga class
- 7 pm dinner at the house
- 8 pm -9.30 pm sound bath + talks
Day 5 // Vidigal Favela hike, Oscar Niemeyer house visit + Leblon beach suggested
- 6.30 am-7 am sunrise meditation
- 7 am-9 am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 10.30 am- departure for Vidigal Favela hike with a local guide
- 1.30 pm- 5.30 pm free time (beach or house visit)
- 5.30 pm - 6 pm beach journaling and ocean ceremony
- 6.30 pm diner at Rainha, local Boteco, Leblond.
- 7 pm-9 pm dinner out
- Night out!
Day 6 // Open day // Massages, Ipanema/ Santa Teresa art tour, or hang at Chez George
- 6.30 am-7am sunrise meditation
- 7am-9am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 10.30 am- 5pm Denise Art Gallery visit, Atelier Ricardo Fasanello visit, or free time.
- 5 pm-6.30 pm evening yoga class
- 7.30 pm dinner + Samba night
Day 7 // Leblon beach day
- 6.30 am-7 am sunrise meditation
- 7 am-9 am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 11 am departure for the beach
- 11 am-4 pm each day at Ipanema and Leblon, walk around the neighborhood; the recommendation is to have lunch at our favorite locals, Botecos.
- 4 pm departure back to the house
- 5 pm -6.30 pm evening yoga class
- 7-8 pm last night: sound bath, dinner, and party at the house!
Day 8 // Departure day
- 6.30 am-7 am sunrise meditation
- 7 am-9 am morning pranayama and asana practice
- 9.30 am breakfast at Chez George
- 11 am, no one wants to fucking leave
Chez George
A unique seven-suite house owned by Pierre Bident-Moldeva and his family. Chez George is considered as an exclusive Design Hotel but really is a welcoming place for people to stay and relax in Rio.
A recognized architect of Brazilian Modernism, alongside Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, Wladimir Alves de Souza marked his era. He designed and built Villa Chez Georges, which is one of the villas classified as Urban Heritage in Rio de Janeiro.
This wide, open and unique style home has an impressive collection of vintage furniture from the 50s to the 70s all around the kitchen, living room and 7 suites.
The lower part of the villa hosts a state-of-the-art music recording studio located underneath the 15m long swimming-pool and facing the sensuous green jungle.
Chez George is this one of a kind place giving importance to preserve of this intangible heritage of Brazilian design and art. With constant attention to detail, this villa is truly an inspiring place and a home for everyone who visit Brazil.
“Chez Georges is an open house, a house of harmony and diversity where people from distinct backgrounds can meet, exchange, organize concerts or cultural events, and play music.” - Open House
“Probably one of the most breathtaking views of the ‘Marvelous City’, this stunning 1000m2 villa encapsulates Brazilian modernism and brutalism through its minimalist but expressive interplay of of raw concrete and exotic wood. “ - Open House
“The protected forest around the house hosts families of toucans that visit us daily, as much as little monkeys.“ - Open House
“I love to have people over and my homes have always been open to friends with music as an energy vector. I truly think that if architecture is well designed enough, it does trigger this kind of togetherness. And that’s probably what I am most proud of at Chez Georges.” - Pierre Bident-Moldeva, owner
“I’ve always associated Brazil not only with sand beaches but with music, sounds, beats and rhythms. I love dance and music, I’ve been surrounded by musicians all my life so music is vital to me. Chez Georges is definitely a music house where we love to have people, styles, and origins mixed together”. An Amazonian indigenous musician singing with rappers from NYC is the kind of encounter that can happen at Chez Georges – and that one can listen to on their Youtube page. “That’s who I am, that’s the way I live.“ - Pierre Bident-Moldeva, owner
Modernistas Hospedagem e Arte
We selected Modertista as our second villa for this retreat.
Modernista is an art studio and boutique hotel right next door to Chez George. It offers 5 quiet and beautiful suites. The whole villa has a terrace in front of the art gallery where you can drink coffee, write, and take a pause.
The gallery exhibitions are mostly local Brazilian artists and the art is pretty incredible, how amazing it is to wake up everyday with a nice cup of coffee and an art gallery to walk around with your inspiration.
This villa is an excellent option if you wish to be part of this unique Brazil experience for a smaller investment.
For those seeking a more affordable option without compromising on quality, our secondary accommodations offer a convenient and cost-effective choice. Located just a 5-minute walk away from the main villa, you can still enjoy all the amenities and activities of our retreat while staying within budget.
Chez George
Single room
Design suite with king-size bed and private bathroom
Single room early bird 3600 euros
Single room regular full payment now 3800 euros
Single room regular deposit: 800 euros deposit. Pay the rest by July 1st, 2024.
Double room
Design suite with king-size bed and private bathroom
Double room early bird 3400 euros
Double room regular full payment now 3200 euros
Double room regular deposit: 800 euros deposit. Pay the rest by July 1st, 2024.
Each suite includes:
- King size bed
- 2 Shelves and hanging closets
- Working desk with Wi-Fi
- Sitting area with armchairs and coffee table
- Private bathroom with spacious shower
- Balcony overlooking Sugar Loaf and ocean, the pool, or the library
- In-room cable patch link to the recording studio
- Free amenities
Santa Teresa Hotel
Single room
Superior Room
Single room early bird 3800 euros
Single room regular full payment now 4100 euros
Single room regular deposit: 800 euros deposit. Pay the rest by July 1st, 2024.
Double room
Superior Room
Double room early bird 3200 euros
Double room regular full payment now 3400 euros
Double room regular deposit: 500 euros deposit. Pay the rest by July 1st, 2024
Each suite includes:
- Queen size bed
- 2 Shelves and hanging closets
- Working desk with Wi-Fi
- Air conditioner
- Private bathroom with spacious shower
- Fridge
- Free amenities
Two payment options
- Pay the early bird price before June 1st, 2024.
- Pay a non-refundable deposit of 800 euros when registering, and the rest of the amount (regular price) must be paid by July 1st, 2024, by credit card or bank transfer. If we do not receive your payment on time, your place will be made available to those on the waiting list, and you will lose your deposit.
What is included
- 6 nights at Chez George or Santa Teresa Hotel
- 4 diners at Chez George cooked by the villa’s chef
- 6 open sunrise meditations overseeing the Pao de Acucar from Chez George garden
- 11 yoga classes
- 6 Vision and self enquiry workshops
- 4 sound bath ceremonies
- 2 full beach days at Ipanema and Leblon beach, on the house Caïpirinha and fresh coconut water from the coconut at the beach, beach volley and/or long talks about the amazingness of life in the eye of Rio de Janeiro’s most iconic beach
- 1 Santa Teresa tour around locals art galleries and artists studios
- 1 afternoon at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) at Niterói.
- 1 Niterói beach hang out and swim post MAC
- 1 diner out at one of our favorite Rio address
- 1 night out !
- 1 welcome drink at Chez George
- Clo’s gift bag from local friends & family brands
What is not included
- Flights and transport to/from Chez George and Modernista
- Extra activities, massages, surfing, however, it is possible to help you organize them.
- Lunches
- Tijani
Cancelation Policy
Deposits secure your spot on the trip and are not refundable.
Payments are also non-refundable and non-transferable. It is your responsibility to ensure you can attend the program before signing up. It is also your responsibility to purchase travel cancellation insurance.
Sorry but no refunds given, no exceptions. Nobody books a retreat with the intention of canceling it, but unexpected events do occur, so please consider purchasing travel insurance. Exceptions cannot be made for any reason, including weather, injury/illness, or personal emergencies. No refunds or credits will be granted for failure to attend, complete or for arriving late or leaving early.
Insurance
It is your responsibility to read and understand our cancellation policy before making a reservation. Naturally, no one books with the intention of canceling or postponing their retreat or training, but unexpected things do happen, some of which are beyond your control. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel cancellation insurance to cover any possible loss. Depending on the policy and conditions, travel cancellation insurance will pay for some or all cancellation fees. With most agencies, insurance must be purchased within 14 days of making your reservation.