🌿 Connect with Mother Nature in the heart of the land of the Quetzal.

Join Michelle Fajkus and Ash Fletcher for a grounding, heart-opening retreat that invites you to slow down, connect with nature, and remember your place in the web of life. Set against the ancient volcanic landscape of Lake Atitlán’s sacred waters cradled by towering mountains in the highland heart of Guatemala, this retreat is an invitation to come home to the Earth and to yourself.

This land is alive with magic. The forests breathe, the lake shimmers, and the volcanoes hold ancient wisdom. This week, we open ourselves to receive it all.

🌎 What We'll Explore Together

This retreat is woven around a simple yet profound truth: when we reconnect with the natural world, we reconnect with ourselves. We'll move, breathe, listen, and feel our way back into belonging, to this earth, this body, and this moment.

We begin our gathering on 13 K'at, a powerful day in the sacred Mayan calendar—the energy of the net, gathering, harvest, and holding abundance together. Our first full day opens on 1 Kan, the start of the Kan trecena: a 13-day cycle of inner lightning, serpent energy, and creative life force and expansion of consciousness.

🧘 Practices to Root and Rise

Our days will be shaped by practices that honor stillness and vitality, inner wisdom and the natural beauty of the world around us:

• Daily yoga and meditation: Grounding, breath-led practice for all levels, weaving movement with presence and intention

• Sunrise cloud forest birdwatching hike: Awaken your senses in the misty highland forest, listening for the calls of birds of many feathers

• Tour of Pasajcap gardens: Visit Michelle and Ash's homes and gardens

• Community service at Wellkind: Get your hands in the dirt and learn regenerative practices for tending land and life

• Cacao ceremony: Open the heart with the ancient, sacred medicine of Mesoamerica

• Mayan fire ceremony and personal Mayan readings: Honor the sacred count of days, offer your prayers, and connect with the deep ancestral wisdom of this land

🌟 The Gift of This Land

Guatemala is a teacher. The volcanoes, the cornfields, the cloud forests, the lake. All of it is alive and speaking. This week, we practice the radical act of listening. Whether you arrive seeking healing, inspiration, deep rest, or adventure, you'll find it here. You'll be held in warm community, nourished by wholesome food, and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.

You'll leave with a full heart and a renewed sense of your place in the living world.

Thursday, January 21, 2027

Your retreat begins with arrival in Antigua, where you'll check into our hotel and have free time to settle in and explore this charming colonial town. In the evening, we'll gather for our Opening Circle, followed by a Welcome Dinner. The rest of the evening is yours to relax and prepare for the journey ahead.

Friday, January 22, 2027

Enjoy a leisurely morning with breakfast on your own in Antigua before we depart at 11:00 AM for the scenic 3-hour shuttle ride to Lake Atitlán (lunch will be provided in the shuttle).

Upon arrival, we'll participate in a Water Blessing ceremony at the lake shore, followed by check-in and orientation at Bambu. As the day winds down, join us for Sunset Yoga at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM. The evening concludes with a deeply restorative Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation) session at 7:30 PM.

Saturday, January 23, 2027

Begin your day with morning yoga at 8:00 AM, followed by breakfast at 9:30 AM.

At 11:00 AM, experience the traditional Sauna Ceremony, a purifying practice that honors ancient healing traditions. After lunch at 1:30 PM, the afternoon is yours to rest, explore, or simply be.

Reconnect with the group for Sunset Yoga at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM, with the evening free for personal reflection or connection.

Sunday, January 24, 2027

Rise early for a magical 5:00 AM Sunrise Cloud Forest Birdwatching Hike with Vinnie, followed by breakfast and shopping time in the vibrant town of Santiago Atitlán.

We'll return for lunch at 1:30 PM, after which you'll have free time to integrate the morning's experiences. Join us for Sunset Yoga at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM.

At 7:30 PM, gather for an Introduction to the Sacred Mayan Calendar, where you'll begin to understand the profound wisdom of this ancient timekeeping system.

Monday, January 25, 2027

The day begins with a sacred Mayan Fire Ceremony at 7:30 AM, followed by breakfast at 9:30 AM.

From 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, we'll embark on a field trip to Pasajcap, including a picnic lunch in nature.

The afternoon offers free time to rest and absorb the day's powerful experiences. After Sunset Yoga at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM, we'll gather at 7:30 PM for a Fire Circle and Dance, connecting through movement and community.

Tuesday, January 26, 2027

Morning yoga at 8:00 AM and breakfast at 9:30 AM prepare us for the Wellkind Service Project from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, where we'll give back to the local community.

Lunch follows at 1:30 PM, with the afternoon free for personal time. Come together again for Sunset Yoga at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM, with the evening open for rest and integration.

Wednesday, January 27, 2027

After morning yoga at 8:00 AM and breakfast at 9:30 AM, this full free day is yours to create your own adventure or simply rest at the retreat center.

In the afternoon, we'll gather for our Closing Circle, a sacred ceremony featuring cacao, heartfelt sharing, and a sound bath to honor our journey together.

Farewell dinner at 6:30 PM.

Thursday, January 28, 2027

Enjoy a final morning of free time and breakfast before departures. Carry the earth wisdom and heart connections of this retreat back into your daily life.