Testimonial by Yosmary Pestana

A Transformative Retreat: Nurturing Mind, Body, and Connection with Nature

My 6-Day Pause Listen & Reconnect With Yourself Dance Retreat, accompanied by Pingel and Peter, has proven to be one of the most enriching experiences I’ve ever had. The NIA practice focused on understanding sensations and emotions and served as an excellent foundation for the somatic therapy led by Pingel—a truly helpful and powerful combination. 

Beyond the formal aspects of the retreat, the atmosphere fostered a comfortable environment for sharing experiences, establishing meaningful connections, and gaining insights into Pingel and Peter’s lives. This not only provided a great source of inspiration but also revealed alternative lifestyles and mindsets centered around living in harmony with nature.

Credit is also due to Peter for his excellent culinary skills. He did a fantastic job cooking delicious vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients and generously shared tips for some of his recipes. Cooking together and introducing a dish from my home country was a great experience. I hope the addition of arepas to the menu is well-received by future visitors to the retreat. 🙂

Adding to the charm of the retreat were its lovely hosts—Noah, the dog, and the cats. Noah, in particular, is the most lovable canine soul, and I cherished spending breaks with these furry companions.

Accommodations at the guest house, situated adjacent to Pingel and Peter’s house, were both comfortable and cozy. The open-plan kitchen, complete with a lovely fireplace, became my favorite spot for reading during breaks. Clean and comfortable bedrooms and bathrooms, along with the option of a winter fireplace or a summer swim in the available pool, made the stay versatile and enjoyable.

The Finca also offers really nice walks, allowing you to literally pluck fruits from trees during your stroll, enhancing the overall experience. If you seek a deeper connection with nature and a more profound understanding of your mind and body, I totally recommend this retreat.

Yosmary Pestana

United Kingdom

Testimonial by Natalie Rose Roberts

An amazing transformative retreat!

I felt really stressed, over-whelmed and disconnected to myself and my loved ones. 

I wanted to specifically do a somatic retreat using dance and movement to reconnect with myself. When I saw that this was a Personal 1:1 retreat; diving into a deep transformational journey inwards, I knew I wanted to go.

Pingel’s detailed description of what the retreat would entail was really thorough which enticed me to go ahead and book this retreat.

I wanted to be in the mountains so this retreat in Andalucia was perfect, the location is stunning.

It is so peaceful and quiet, surrounded by the mountains, beautiful nature, orange trees, olive trees, almond trees and many more things that Pingel & Peter grow on their land.

Pingel is an incredible person with so much knowledge that I am very grateful for. She helped to calm my nervous system and feel a connection with my body, it was incredibly profound to feel this after so many years.

Pingel’s healing retreat is structured in a way that is relaxing, fun, and intense at times; every day being self-discovery. All of her sessions flow with ease and as time goes on a greater understanding of yourself happens. The varied sessions Pingel does work deep within and are transformative.

The NIA sessions were so much fun and emotional at times. I still dance every day, sometimes a few times a day!
There isn’t a day that has passed since the retreat that I don’t think about it, it is nice to look back at my journal of all the things I have learned from Pingel and what I did that week.

I learned that you carry so much ‘stuff’ in your body and by reconnecting and getting to know your body and sensations then past traumas/issues can be healed and released. I feel a sense of freedom now and an inner strength and love for myself.

The food cooked by Peter was outstanding, it was so delicious. He uses as much as he can from their land and creates healthy lunches and dinners.

His guacamole was the best I have tasted using the fresh avocados they grow. It was not a problem at all for Peter to provide me with vegan dishes, I have written down some of his recipes to cook at home as they were that tasty!

I really enjoyed sitting with Pingel and Peter at lunch and dinner times, it was always relaxing, fun, and great conversations were had between us.

They are a special couple with an adorable dog they rescued called Noah and many beautiful cats.

The accommodation was cozy and comfortable and I really enjoyed sitting outside the front in the shade and round the back in the sun with a springtime/summer pool and lovely views. I went in January and still a great place to sit outside to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

The retreat was an experience I will hold in my heart forever and I hope to return there one day.

Thank you, Peter, for everything, and Pingel for being authentically you and for being a great guide, coach, and teacher.

Natalie Rose Roberts

United Kingdom

Testimonial by Michelle Wigmans

Ready to get to know your body and take a deep dive.

I needed some time for myself, a break from work and daily life. 

The dancing part of the retreat attracted me. 

It was a deep dive in personal development. For me it opened up some patterns and things that are holding me back. It was good to get that insides. Your body has a lot of answers, this retreat makes them visible, I think that can be helpfull for everyone. 

Pingel and Peter are wonderfull hosts. They create a safe space where you can be yourself. The lovely house, lush garden and delicious food make the retreat complete.

Michelle Wigmans

The Netherlands

Testimonial by Sintija Kazaka

Me is real Me

I was just a bypasser of my own life. I needed to start to feel and be me again. 

I chose this offering as it was a 1:1 retreat with the word ‘freedom’ in a description of what I wanted, and it didn’t matter that it involved dancing.

The resistance in the head for changes is a real thing. Being able to overcome it, to participate, to want change was stronger than any small thought of I cannot, I am shy, and I don’t know how to do it.

Pingle was a fantastic guide into my secret world of myself. The connection she helped to create with my true inner self is an experience of a different kind and I value that very much.

Every session was like reading a new chapter and gaining a new part of myself. Not only sessions, Pingel and Peter gave me a safe place to be. Not to mention all the love I got from lovely animals there, especially Noah.

The biggest accomplishment was gaining myself back after 8 years of being a wallpaper in my own life and realising how much love I should give to myself just for being.

Oh, and the way how I feel my body and how I connect with it now… Wow.

I am truly grateful there are Pingel and Peter in this world.

And… I still keep dancing in mornings. It makes my day better 🙂

Sintija Kazaka

Latvia

Testimonial by Lori Briscoe

What a beautiful experience I was blessed with. Thank you so much. I look forward to the creation of my new life and can embrace I have lived my dreams.

Your retreat has and wil continue to have a profound effect in my life moving forward.

Thank you for helping me unlock the freedom to experience again with curiosity, love, joy, passion and even pain. You are amazing! Peter to! What a blessing the both of you are!!!🙏

Lori Briscoe

United States

Testimonial by Taima Sunde

10/10 retreat!

I had been feeling very low and had been struggling for a very long time with my self-image and self-esteem.

When winter arrives my struggles usually intensify so this year I decided to do something active about it. It is also the last month of the year and I really wanted to go into the new year with a fresher mindset.

I liked where it was located and I liked that it was a women’s one on one retreat.

Pingel’s description of the retreat and what it offered really spoke to me more than any other retreat I had looked into while researching, and it became pretty clear to me after speaking to her that that was a retreat I wanted to try out.

What I liked the most was all the incredible knowledge I got from speaking to Pingel and doing her workshops. It was exactly what I had needed and I am so happy and grateful I listened to my gut and went along with it.

I also liked how beautiful and idyllic the place was, and how good and at ease I felt all the time. Pingel and Peter really are a wonderful couple and both of them made it very easy for me to feel comfortable (when I usually feel uncomfortable in social settings).

They were incredibly easy to talk to and had a very comforting, joyful, and positive energy around them at all times. I also really loved the presence of the animals, particularly Noah the dog, and Luca the cat, the chickens were also really cool to be around! Another thing that was great was the food, not only was it healthy but it was very delicious (thank you Peter!).

All the conversations we had were easy and fun, there was never a dull moment. I truly liked every single thing about this retreat!

I have learned so much about myself in just one week, and I have so much more knowledge about everything related to the mind and body, and how much power they hold! I have had a very toxic relationship with myself, and I struggled a lot with doing everyday activities, everything felt like a burden.

The biggest thing I have gotten from this retreat is that I have been looking at the wrong places for answers, I have learned that many of the answers to my problems lie within myself. That the power is within me and that I have the ability to regain it and find joy in my life.

I feel like I have the tools now to restore my relationship with myself and to live life at my fullest potential. Although I still have a lot of work to do to get there, I feel very confident about the journey I am about to get on, because I now know what I need to focus on moving forward.

Right after the week (and during) I felt really good in my body, I had been eating very healthy food and sleeping very well which I felt the results of pretty quickly.

Also being surrounded by beautiful nature and experiencing what a peaceful environment was like had immediate effects on me. It felt really good!

I truly cannot put into words how life-changing this was for me.

I will forever carry with me all the knowledge I have gotten from Pingel and from the workshops we have done. It has opened my eyes in a way that has never happened before.

For someone who has struggled immensely with understanding her own self, this was very much needed. I can confidently say I am on a guaranteed road to healing and growing and finding joy in my life, and I have so much to look forward to!

If you are considering trying out this retreat, don’t second guess it! Do it! It’s so wonderful!

Taima Sunde

Latvia