When we don’t take care of ourselves in the present, it is impossible to be the person we want to be. If we are exhausted, overwhelmed or don’t take time out for ourselves, we are just a shell of who we are and it is challenging to find ways to regulate ourselves and stay calm in triggering moments. The more we push our own needs aside, the harder it is to be in relationships with others without resentment bubbling to the surface from feeling so overloaded and unanchored. 

In the process, we may need to release what doesn’t serve us: stress and tension, dysregulation, overwhelm, exhaustion, a sense that we have to do it all, and our conditioning from childhood. In losing some of these “toxic” aspects of life, we can find the space to come back to who we truly are through well-deserved self-care and attention to ourselves. When we offer ourselves permission to find moments for ourselves to re-energize and reconnect with ourselves, we can show up and respond to life and others in our life with more intention, feeling more like ourselves. When we feel more connected to who we are, it is easier to engage our compassionate, patient, and kinder self with our interactions with both ourselves and others.

In this retreat, we will journal, workshop, practice yoga, breathe and meditate, hike, eat nourishing plant-based food, and immerse ourselves in nature. This is an opportunity to reset, find awareness about our needs and how to fulfill them, and to connect more deeply with our true self, so that we can show up in life from a space of more heart-centeredness. 

Tentative schedule:

Friday: A Focus on the Physical Body
3pm Check-in 
4pm Opening Circle – an overview of the Koshas and how they can help us
6pm Dinner 
7.30pm Workshop on the Physical Body – learning to accept and love the vessel that we live in
8.30pm Slow Yoga Flow 

Saturday: A Focus on the Energetic Body (Breathing, Thinking, and Emotional Layers)
8am Yoga with a Focus on Our Breath – using out breath to guide our energy
9.15am Breakfast
10.30am Workshop on the Ego – understanding our thinking mind and cultivating a healthy relationship with it
11.30 Hike to the River/Waterfall 
1pm Lunch
6pm Dinner
7.30pm Bonfire and Movement – burning away what no longer serves us
8.30pm Breathwork – witness, understand, and experience our emotions 

Sunday: A Focus on our Wisdom and Soul
8am Laughter Yoga – finding joy in being in the present and connecting with our silliness
9.15am Breakfast (in silence*)
10.30am Hike (in silence*)
11.30am Free time with ourselves (in silence without cell phones*)
1pm Lunch
2pm Workshop on How to Live from the Heart 
3pm Closing Circle and Meditation
4/5pm Depart

*We will engage in a few hours of silence to practice connecting with ourselves and to get comfortable being with and accepting ourselves as we are.

Location
Casa Grande is located on 125 acres in the beautiful mountains of Utuado, a 90 minute drive from San Juan. It is nestled into a valley with views of the mountains that are covered in lush tropical vegetation. Bordered by a lovely river, it is possible to hike on the property as well as to the river, where there are waterfalls and swimming holes. Casa Grande is fully equipped with an airy yoga studio and an outdoor salt-water pool. For those without transportation, we usually find ways to carpool to and from San Juan.

Accommodation
Casitas are built on stilts and are surrounded by lush vegetation, fruit trees, and the sounds of nature. Each room comes with an en suite bathroom as well as a private porch and hammock. Rooms are tastefully decorated and boast comfortable beds with hypo-allergenic, organic bedding. Both single and double occupancy rooms are available. 

Meals
The retreat includes all meals from dinner on Friday night to lunch on Sunday.  All meals are plant-based with much of the ingredients sourced from local farms. Our communal meals will be enjoyed in a covered outdoor space, overlooking the pool area and the mountains. Tea, coffee, infusions, and snacks are also included. Please note that alcohol will not be served during the retreat. 

Early Bird Pricing (until end of August 2024):

• Double occupancy – $795 per person (bring a partner, or a friend. Alternatively, we can pair you up with another attendee)
• Single occupancy – $1,045 per person

From September 1, 2024 pricing will increase by $50 per person. Tickets are non-refundable, but they are transferable (you can find someone to replace you). Payment plans and part scholarships are available.