In September 2027, Retreat Maia is going to Peru, and we'd love for you to join us.

"Down to Earth" means two things to us.
We're down to get our hands dirty: to eat a feast cooked in the ground, taste chocolate grown in the valley, and walk the land with our feet on the earth.

And we're down-to-earth ~ grounded, humble, and here to learn from a culture that isn't our own. On one of our first evenings, we'll gather by the fire with our friend and guest facilitator, Sarah Rooney, to talk honestly about how we can educate ourselves and be better guests when we travel, especially in places with deep Indigenous roots like Peru.

Our home for the week.
El Verde sits in the Sacred Valley, about 90 minutes from Cusco. Jyl, our host, will get us settled over a tasting of Peruvian craft chocolate.

We begin the week with gratitude.
A local practitioner will lead us in an Andean despacho ceremony at the foot of the mountains. It's an offering of flowers, seeds, and coca leaves to the earth, and our way of saying thank you, and asking permission, before we spend a week on this land.

Then we go out and meet the valley.
We'll spend a day in a high Andean village with a family of weavers who raise their own alpaca. They'll show us how raw fiber becomes plant-dyed textile, and we'll share lunch with them. We'll ride horses through the countryside, walk the circular terraces of Moray, and stand above the salt pools of Maras, harvested by local families for centuries. And at Laguna Huaypo, you can paddleboard or kayak on a glacier-fed lake that feels amazing under the mountain sun.

On the equinox, we eat from the earth.
Back home, it's the first days of fall. Here, it's the start of spring. We'll mark the turn of the season with a pachamanca, a traditional feast slow-cooked underground to honor Pachamama. Then we'll share cacao from this land and name what we're leaving behind and what we're walking toward.

Reflection is at the heart of the week.
Think back to the spring equinox in March. Where were you? Now think about where you want to be a year from now. We'll give those questions real time and space through journaling, quiet mornings, walking meditation, and sharing circles. Away from your routines, you'll have room to hear yourself think. You might leave with an intention for the year ahead, or just a little more compassion for yourself, exactly as you are.

Yoga is our anchor.
Accessible for all levels. The goal is simple: connect breath and movement, and let that be the way in. We'll also have workshops in meditation and Authentic Relating, a guided practice that helps a group of near-strangers talk honestly with each other.

And at the end of the road, Machu Picchu.
On our last full day, we leave before sunrise for a full day at the site with an English-speaking guide. After a week of learning from this place, you'll see it differently.

You'll be among friends.
Our community is kind, open-hearted, and non-judgmental. We look out for each other, whether that means a quiet moment, a hug, or a cup of tea.

We hope you'll join us in Peru!

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