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Forrest Yoga Mentorship Program with Ilias Kousis, September 2025-2026 at Vale de Moses, Portugal


  • Vale De Moses Portugal (map)

I am thrilled to announce my Forrest Yoga Mentorship Program taking place at beautiful Vale de Moses, Portugal

This 1-year long program is ideal for certified yoga teachers (of all styles) who wish to further develop personally as well as refine their teaching skills. The program includes:

  • 6-Day in-person training, September 8-13, 2025

  • 6-Day in-person training, September 7-12, 2026

  • In-person training schedule 9:00-11:30 (2,5 hr) & 13:30-18:00 (4,5 hr)

  • Four bridge online group meetings between the in-person trainings

  • Homework in addition to the online meetings

  • One individual online session per trainee

This program aspires to help you:

  • Overcome stagnation and plateaus in your teaching career

  • Overcome burn-out, pain and injuries due to teaching or practicing unsustainably

  • Overcome dysfunctional patterns of behaviour on and off the mat

  • Transition from part-time to full-time teaching

  • Facilitate further development of your teaching skills and self-growth

  • Create an intimate group community of teachers based on the ideals of cooperation and lifting each other up

This Mentorship program will offer you advanced and highly applicable education on:

  • Breath and correct applications of breathing techniques (Pranayama)

  • Therapeutic Hands-on assists

  • Teaching skills, discovering and utilising your authentic voice and unique gifts

  • Sequencing for all categories of students, from beginner/injured to advanced

  • Practicing sustainably: maintain your passion and physical health while teaching full-time

  • Seeing energy and empathise your students

  • Ceremony and how to apply it in your daily life and teachings

About me:

Hi, I am Ilias, a Forrest Yoga Guardian (Level 5 - handpicked by Ana Forrest & Jose Calarco), Energy Medicine Practitioner (Four Winds) and Certified Breath Coach (YogaBody & Dan Brulé). I am formally educated as Geologist and Climate Scientist (MSc), which has been a result of my early passion to study Earth and Life in general to satisfy my own thirst for knowledge as well as to serve humanity. After realising what my life’s purpose is, I decided to make a radical change: I quit my PhD 90% before completion and dedicated myself to transitioning in teaching yoga full-time. I never looked back since then and my life is full of blessings one coming after the other. I know what it feels to be scared of standing up for yourself, disobeying your fear, stepping into your own power and daring to chase after your dreams. I did it for myself, still do it and will continue doing it until I die. I can help you find the courage to dream your life into being; you know, that “life” that YOU authentically desire living, not the ones others expect you to live. Learn more about me by navigating my website and IG profile.

Your investment:

  • Early Bird until March 1st, 2025 from 2,250 to 2,650 €

  • Regular price from 2,550 to 2,950€

This price includes:

  • Food and accommodation for 12 days (for both in-person trainings) including breakfast, lunch, dinner and access to fruits, tea and coffee all-day, at one of the most prestigious retreat centres in Europe: Vale de Moses (featured in Forbes, Yoga Journal, The Guardian, The Telegraph, National Geographic Traveler, OmYoga)

  • 8x in-person Forrest Yoga morning intensives (2,5 hr)

  • 2x in-person Forrest Yoga evening practices (1,5 hr)

  • 4x online 60 min sessions*

  • 1x online or in-person if possible individual coaching session*

  • 25% discount for unlimited access to my online channel, featuring yoga and breathwork practices of various durations*

  • 70-hr Yoga Alliance Certification part of 300 hr certification

  • Coaching and support for your level 2 Forrest Yoga Homework for certification

*During the Mentorship program period

What’s not included:

  • Transport to and from Oleiros (Vale de Moses staff will give you a free 15-min ride to the retreat center)

  • Individual feedback and approval for your Forrest Yoga Level 2 - Homework Thesis. That will cost an extra of 250 €.

Why Vale de Moses and how to get there?

  • Located approximately equally far from both Lisbon and Porto and accessible by car (2.5 hrs) and public bus transport (3.5 hrs), Vale de Moses is situated deep in the Portuguese forest and relatively high elevated (~790 m a.s.l.) and serves as an excellent location for connection to nature, self-reflection and deep cleansing physically and energetically. It offers a unique blend between freshness of mountain air and cooler temperatures in the morning and evening and more elevated warm temperatures during midday. The water you will be drinking comes from local wells (properly tested to be safe), the air you breathe will be clean and straight from the exhalations of the plants surrounding you, the land will welcome you and support your healing journey, and your body will enjoy reduced radiation exposure time, which will mend your energy field.

  • Usually, Forrest Yoga Teacher Trainings are held in urban environments for practical reasons, but I deliberately choose a pure location that will boost the deep, rewarding work you will be putting and help you distance yourself from urban lifestyle distractions.

  • You can get to Vale de Moses either by renting a car from Lisbon or Porto (2,5 hr) or if you travel by public transport, it is recommended to travel via Lisbon with regular Rede Expressos bus services to the local town of Oleiros, where Vale de Moses staff will pick you up for the short drive to the retreat without additional cost.

  • Read more about the unique beauty of Vale de Moses here.

Questions?