+ When is the next retreat?

Our first retreat was a massive success and the women who came had an amazing experience with us. The success of this retreat and the value provided to these women demonstrated the importance of continuing to offer this once-in-a-lifetime growth experience to others. Therefore we will be hosting another retreat, however we do not have a date for 2022 selected yet. If you would like to start preparing NOW for the future retreat, then we recommend you start saving up AND get your passport in order. From her own travel adventure experience, Erica recommends opening an online savings account through www.allybank.com and start squirreling away your nuts. A good amount to aim for is around $3500-5000. The next retreat tuition will be around $2500, so the extra funds will go towards your flights, travel insurance, shopping expenses, and also give you the option to extend your stay longer beyond the retreat. Per your passport, make sure you have one, it's up-to-date, and you have enough blank pages for the Guatemalan immigration stamp. Passports can be applied for at any US Post Office. For further information, do your own research and due diligence. You got this!

+ What can you look forward to on this retreat?

• Hanging out with Erica and Luke!
• Daily yoga
• Group meditations
• Tours of Karuna, Granja Tz’ikin farm, and Erica’s land
• Poetea at Karuna
• Sharing circles
• Cacao ceremony led by Mat Chandler of Holy Wow Cacao
• Temezcal Sauna with healing herbs
• How to Make Cacao lesson
• Talks on the Mayan Calendar and info on your Mayan sign with Mark Elmy
• Outdoor activities includes hiking to waterfalls
• Dinner at the Persian Rose Garden in Jaibalito
• Xmas shopping village tours
• Community service activities planting trees together
• Free time for relaxation, reflection, and inner & outer exploration
• Hiking through the Cloud Forest near Antigua
• Visit to the Integral Heart Family school
• Shopping in Antigua
• Dinner together overlooking the beautiful colonial city
• A visit to the “Greatest Spa on Earth” in Antigua to wrap up the trip :)
• A 1lb brick of 100% cacao to take home with you and share with your loved ones

+ Is it safe to travel?

Even in your own home, there are countless ways you could get injured or even die. Whenever you leave your house, that risk multiplies, especially if you get into a car. There is an inherent risk in anything you do. When it comes to travel, of course, there is a risk, but there’s also a reward. That’s what makes it an adventure!

Due to the current global Covid situation, we are offering this trip only to vaccinated individuals. Your facilitators will be vaccinated, and we are requiring negative covid tests for all shuttle drivers and tour providers with whom you’ll have contact during the retreat.

While Guatemala has protocols in place to combat the spread, these are not closely followed outside of major urban areas. As a group of vaccinated individuals, we will still be doing our best to offer Covid safety protocols including regular use of hand sanitizer, disinfectants for shared surfaces, and the use of face masks in public places.

We also encourage you to research the Guatemala entry requirments for your country you'll be coming from.

PLEASE NOTE: Guatemala is currently not allowing entry to people who have been in the UK within 14 days prior to arriving in Gautemala. More information for UK citizens is here.

+ Can men come too?

Our first retreat was only offered to women, however in the future we will open them up to co-ed groups.

+ Do I have to be vaccinated to come?

Due to the nature of the pandemic and bringing people together for this experience, at this time to ensure everyone's safety we are requiring participants to be vaccinated. If that's not something you're comfortable with - and we respect your choice - then we encourage you to wait until future times when Covid is no longer a consideration...which will be amazing.

+ What’s included?

Retreat tuition. Private transportation from the Guatemala City or Antigua to Hummingbird Valley. Accommodation for 6 nights at a gorgeous lake house in Hummingbird Valley, which also includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Hummingbird Valley. Travel to and 2 nights accommodation in Antigua. More details will be listed on the product page at checkout.

+ What’s not included?

What’s not covered are your flights to and from Guatemala, personal shopping expenses, travel insurance, as well as food on the last two days in Antigua, because there will be more meal options participants will make their own food choices there.

+ Where will we stay?

You’ll be staying 6 nights at a gorgeous lakeside house on Lake Atitlan in Hummingbird Valley. This will be our homebase from where we'll explore the valley - it's about a 5 min tuk tuk ride to Karuna. You'll also have plenty of time to relax and enjoy being at the lake! There are two room types in this house - the dorm room with bunk beds and two rooms with twin and double beds.

For the final two nights of the retreat, you will stay in your own private room at a lovely boutique hotel in the colonial city of Antigua. On the last morning, we will arrange for a private shuttle to take you to the airport in Guatemala City. You can also delay your return and spend more time enjoying the city of Antigua (which we highly recommend).

+ How can I pay?

You can pay through this site by credit card or Paypal.

+ How do I get there?

Your job is to arrive in Guatemala City or Anigua and our drivers will pick you up from the airport or hotel and bring you directly to Hummingbird Valley.

+ What should I pack?

We ask that you leave home products with chemicals as everything you use goes directly into the land, so we prefer that you bring only natural products, including natural bug repellent (no DEET please).

Bring a bathing suit for our trip to the spa, thermal pools, and of course a dip in the lake!

Make sure you bring your own refillable water bottle as single plastic bottles are frowned upon.

Guatemala at this time of year can get quite chilly at night, so be sure you bring some warm layers. Bring clothes you’ll be comfortable in doing yoga, as well as hiking in nature. We recommend bringing both flip-flops and close-toed shoes that will feel good during walking and hiking up a mountain. Bring a bathing suit if you’d like to swim in the lake. If you want to bring some dog treats, you’ll make a lot of friends on the street.

Bring a journal as we’ll be prompting you to write during this experience.

Stickers are always a good idea.

If you’d like to bring some arts and crafts items to donate to the local kids community center we would also really appreciate that! The community center has a wishlist for the kids on Amazon [here]2.

+ Do I have to hike?

No, you don't. We encourage you to listen to your body and do what feels right for you, therefore you are welcome to do what you like. If you’d rather stay at the lakehouse or at Karuna (which is on the way to the waterfall) and journal while we go hiking to the waterfall, that’s your choice. We want this to be a fun and easeful experience for you, but moreso we want you to honor the limits of your body. While we have designed an itinerary of fun activities, you are welcome to participate (or not) in the way that feels best for you. We encourage you to always take responsibility for your wellbeing in this and every moment of your life.

+ Can I bring my kids?

We are offering you to take this time for yourself, so we encourage you to leave the kids at home. If, however, your child is over 15 years old and really really really wants to come for themselves, then we are open to it, however they would need to pay a separate tuition and accommodation fee. Young people under 15 are not able to be included in this experience at this time.

+ What's your cancellation policy?

We want you to be sure you are making a full commitment to this experience when you sign up, just as we are making a commitment to you to hold this space for you to come and have this adventure. Therefore, with the exception of emergencies, we do not offer refunds if you change your mind and decide not to come, except in the instance we are able to find someone to take your place (at which point we can offer you a refund minus a $200 administrative fee). In the instance of an emergency, we reserve the right to offer refunds at our discretion. In some cases, we will offer you a %50 refund with a remaining credit that can be used towards future retreats and offerings.

+ Expectations of participants

We want people to come on this retreat who are flexible, adaptive, and willing to grow through all experiences. We encourage you to take responsibility for your experience, take care of yourself, directly communicate your needs, do your part to make sure you have what you need to make the most of this experience, and to put in your best effort in each moment. You will be sharing time, space, and energy with others, so we ask you to leave the drama at home and come with an open mind and heart to what this experience has to offer us. We are creating this experience together, and it's going to be amazing. Sometimes there will be challenges - that’s the nature of an adventure - so we ask you to be ready to grow through each moment, knowing and trusting that everything is perfect and happening for our benefit. There is no magic pill and we are not here to save you, but we are here to care about you and create a container for you to step up, step out of your normal life and way of living, and have an extraordinary experience here with us in Hummingbird Valley.

Also, please note that there will likely be bugs. The spider can look scary, but that's just Wally and he's cool. We ask you to be cool too and not try to kill or poison our friend Wally. So please leave the DEET at home and if you want to use bug repellent we ask you to opt for the natural alternatives. Thank you for your willingness and understanding!