Founding owners

  • Founder of sagres hub, space holder and community catalyst

    Harmke is the founder of Sagres Hub and the creative force behind the hub and Mekayoga Retreats —two expressions of her deep commitment to healing, connection and conscious living. While she no longer teaches yoga for several years, Harmke continues to hold space in powerful ways—guiding ice baths, mentoring others and nurturing a community built on authenticity and growth.

    With a natural gift for seeing potential in people and ideas, she supports those around her in launching projects, finding clarity and stepping into their purpose. Sagres Hub is an extension of her heart: a place where health, creativity and soul meet.

    Through her presence, Harmke quietly empowers others to trust their path, breathe deeper and root into a life that feels true.

  • Breathwork, Movement & Meditation Teacher

    Michael Bijker is an internationally renowned breathwork teacher, movement facilitator and meditation guide. With over a decade of experience and students across the globe, Michael brings depth, clarity and presence to every class he leads. He is the founder of Yogalap, a platform that has empowered thousands through breath mastery, mindset training and somatic practices.

    At Sagres Hub, Michael offers breathwork, movement and meditation sessions that help people connect to their inner strength, regulate their nervous system and unlock greater clarity and vitality. He also guides powerful ice bath sessions, holding space with calm confidence and deep knowledge of the body’s capacity to adapt and thrive.

    Michael’s approach blends ancient wisdom with modern science, creating experiences that are both transformative and deeply grounding.

hosts

  • Jana Tonat is a seasoned retreat host from Germany who brings warmth, attentiveness, and a welcoming spirit to every experience she curates. Having called the Algarve home for several years, Jana is deeply connected to the local community and landscape. Her passion lies in creating spaces where guests feel seen, supported, and at ease. Whether she's greeting you with a smile, offering insightful local tips, or ensuring the smooth flow of behind-the-scenes operations, Jana's presence adds a touch of heartfelt hospitality to the hub.

  • Tygra Konings brings a grounded and intuitive presence to the Sagres Hub team. With a background in hosting retreats and a passion for creating welcoming environments, Tygra ensures that every guest feels at home. Whether she's coordinating events or handling behind-the-scenes operations, her attention to detail and genuine care foster a space where community and personal growth can flourish.

kickboxing & movement

  • Martial Arts & Surf Coach

    Miguel Garcia, from Nicaragua, grew up immersed in boxing, kickboxing and combat sports. His life has been defined by discipline and mental focus. With over a decade of experience, Miguel is known for his sharp technique and patient teaching, pushing students to exceed their limits while making it enjoyable.

    Besides martial arts, he grew up next to the ocean and has been passionately surfing for many years, finding flow and balance in the ocean. Now based in Sagres, Portugal, Miguel offers energetic kickboxing and surf coaching that blend skill with soul, helping people challenge their bodies, sharpen their minds and reconnect with nature

    Based in Portugal, Lucia (Chia) leads yoga retreats in destinations like Bocas del Toro, the Canary Islands and her home country. Her classes offer a safe and soulful space for students to reconnect with themselves and the natural world.

  • U.Natural Mobility for Surfers and Surf Coach

    Our Brazilian coach João Muniz is a movement specialist and ocean lover whose approach to training is rooted in nature, presence and play. As a certified U.Natural Method coach, João helps people reconnect with their innate physical intelligence through primal movement, breath, mobility and mindfulness. His sessions are not just workouts—they’re a return to what it means to move like a human, in harmony with body and environment.

    Growing up by the sea, João also developed a deep bond with surfing. As a surf coach, he brings the same grounded, body-aware approach to the water, teaching technique, flow and a deep respect for the ocean’s rhythms.

    Now based in Sagres, João offers classes that awaken your body, sharpen your senses and help you move—and live—with more freedom and joy.

yoga, breathwork and meditation

  • Yoga Teacher & Retreat Leader

    Lucia is a 700-hour certified Vinyasa yoga teacher whose practice is, as a passionate surfer, deeply inspired by the rhythms of the ocean and the cycles of nature. With a passion for sharing yoga's transformative power, she guides students through practices that blend mindful movement, breathwork and spiritual connection. Her teachings are rooted in presence, embodiment and surrender.​

    Based in Portugal, Lucia (Chia) leads yoga retreats in destinations like Bocas del Toro, the Canary Islands and her home country. Her classes offer a safe and soulful space for students to reconnect with themselves and the natural world.

  • Yoga Teacher & Nature Enthusiast

    Meet Marilina, a passionate and certified yoga instructor from the picturesque lands of Italy, now thriving in the embrace of Sagres, Portugal. Marilina invites you to her Hatha based Yang and Yin yoga classes, thoughtfully crafted for practitioners of all skill levels. Each session is a journey where breath and movement dance together, guided by her inspiring mantra: "Breath is life dancing within us."

    As an ocean lover and a devoted nature enthusiast, Marilina effortlessly weaves the tranquil beauty of Sagres into her practice. She encourages her students to cultivate a profound connection between their inner serenity and the stunning natural world around them. Navigate the waves of your breath, find your rhythm and embrace the harmony that awaits you in her classes – where the spirit of nature meets the art of yoga. Join Marilina on this transformative path to inner peace and joyful living.

  • Raquel Dobato is a 700hr RYT international yoga teacher with 4 years of teaching experience across Spain and Portugal. Specialized in the Ghoṣ lineage and the Aṣṭāṅga Vinyāsa system, she integrates traditional discipline with mindful, heart-centered practice. She trained under Talia Sutra through the Love and All Is Coming school, bringing depth, clarity, and devotion to each class.

  • Carola is a British-Italian yoga therapist, yoga teacher, neuroscientist, and Thai yoga massage practitioner based between London and Sagres, Portugal. Her group classes and private sessions blend somatic intelligence, ancient wisdom, and cutting-edge science to support deep regulation, vitality, and emotional repair.

    With over 2,000 hours of clinical experience and a background in rhythmic gymnastics, diving, bouldering, and judo, Carola brings more than three decades of movement practice to her work. Her approach weaves together somatics—including Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Gaga Dance, and Somatic Experiencing—with vinyasa, yin, restorative yoga, breathwork, and meditative stillness. All her work is anchored in nervous system science, embodied psychotherapy, and trauma-sensitive awareness.

    Carola is currently completing a PhD in Neuroimaging at King’s College London, where she researches the psychoneuroimmunology of Yoga Nidra for chronic stress and depression. Her work explores how contemplative practices reshape the brain, regulate the immune system, and foster neuroplasticity, particularly in individuals with treatment-resistant symptoms. Her passion lies in bridging science and somatics to bring integrative therapies into mainstream mental healthcare.

    Her classes in Sagres are soulful, intelligent, and deeply embodied. With a style that is both structured and fluid, Carola creates a space where strength and softness coexist, where curiosity is encouraged, and where the body becomes a source of insight and restoration. Her sessions often introduce novel movement patterns designed to stimulate neuroplasticity and recalibrate the nervous system.

    She also offers Thai yoga massage sessions that combine therapeutic touch, assisted stretching, and intuitive energetic work, supporting emotional release and trauma integration.

    Originally from Italy, Carola has lived, studied, and worked across four continents—including the UK, China, the US, and Rwanda. Her global path informs her teaching with cultural richness, psychological depth, and a warm, grounded presence. She meets each person where they are—with clarity, humour, and a fierce commitment to their unfolding.

personal training

  • Paul Birgoleit is a personal trainer from Germany known for his calm presence, deep listening, and results-driven approach. With over five years of experience coaching clients in Sagres, Paul combines functional training, personalized nutrition, and mindful support to help individuals achieve their goals efficiently and sustainably. His sessions are tailored to each person's needs, fostering strength, balance, and confidence. Whether you're aiming to build resilience, improve performance, or simply feel better in your body, Paul offers grounded, holistic guidance every step of the way.

coaching, counselling and therapy

  • Systemic counselor & relationship coach

    Katherina Blank is a systemic counselor and relationship coach who guides individuals and couples toward deeper clarity, connection, and healing. Through family constellation work and embodied coaching, she helps unravel unconscious patterns and relational dynamics that hold us back. With warmth and grounded presence, Katherina creates space for honest exploration, insight, and meaningful change.

  • Life purpose and happiness coach

    Chaz is a happiness and life purpose coach who supports others in aligning with their truth and creating meaningful change. After building a successful corporate career in law and finance, she began questioning the deeper purpose behind her achievements. In 2020, her journey took a turn—through yoga, mindset work, and personal coaching, she uncovered limiting beliefs that had kept her stuck. Taking a bold step, she left the corporate path to pursue her passion for personal development and holistic wellbeing. Today, Chaz helps clients move through fear and self-doubt to design lives rooted in joy, purpose, and authenticity.

massage

  • Saskya offers deeply restorative massages that invite your body to soften and reset. With a gentle yet intuitive touch, her treatments combine Swedish, relaxing, and post-surf techniques to release tension, support recovery, and calm the nervous system. Whether you're easing into stillness or unwinding after a long day in the waves, Saskya creates a grounded space where your body can truly let go.

  • San Pindsle is a Portuguese-Norwegian who grew up in the Algarve, where the rhythm of the ocean and thrill of downhill skating shaped his deep love for movement and nature. A highly skilled surfer with a grounded presence, San has traveled the world to chase waves across every continent—an experience that refined both his technique and his calm, attentive way of being. He shares his passion through surf coaching and therapeutic massage sessions. Whether offering CBD oil massages, deep tissue treatments, or relaxing bodywork, San brings a blend of precision, intuition, and genuine care that helps clients release tension and reconnect with themselves.