Oaxaca City is one of the great living cities of the Americas — a UNESCO World Heritage center where Zapotec civilization, colonial history, extraordinary cuisine, and contemporary indigenous art exist synergistically.

This 5-day retreat utilizes the Spirit of Oaxaca City as the source of the experience...She is radiant, abundant and vitalizing! By moving you through her sacred sites, living food traditions, markets, curated daily yoga/meditation practices and healing ceremonies, you will digest Oaxaca at a pace that allows for genuine presence, engagement, appreciation and transformation.

This retreat is accompanied by FONCET — Fondo de Conservación El Triunfo — a Chiapas-based conservation organization whose work protects the cloud forests, watersheds, and communities of Southern Mexico. A portion of retreat proceeds will support this mission directly.

“The Spirit of the Land in Oaxaca, Mexico called to me long before I was able to plant my feet on her rich and biodiverse soil....

She enticed me with her welcoming arms and gently nudged me to lean into her, so I could discover a newfound appreciation for the fullness of life. I came to her feeling ‘hungry’ for more…joy, laughter, pleasure, satiation…and left feeling utterly nourished and contented by how she poured herself into my yearning.

Throughout my journey with her, she revitalized my Mind, Body and Spirit. During my stay, I was filled with an internal sense of ‘enough-ness’, comfort, gratitude and inspiration for how to cultivate more of what brings myself and others the ‘rich stuff’ in life. I returned with an enhanced sense of clarity, trust, direction and purpose.

The Spirit of the Land in Oaxaca showers the culture, cuisine and artisan scenes with a palpable frequency of prosperity. Whether it be through harvesting and indulging in the locally grown, luxurious cacao…or the discovery of the nixtamalization of corn into edible masa…or the exuberant tastes and types of flavors infused into the traditional moles…or the robust colors of the woven artisanal creations…or the vibrant Day of the Dead celebration…the energy in Oaxaca lives and breathes what I call ‘sustainable plenty’, aliveness, and an honor and livelihood for all.

The Spirit of Oaxaca conveyed to me ~

*How to create space for greater abundance through alchemical (positive) change

*The importance of a community that coexists in reciprocity and reverence

*The beauty of innovation

*The gift of creation itself

I’m honored to transmit these teachings to you through a diverse spread of enriching experiences in this retreat. Throughout your trip, you will bathe in the Oaxacan essence of beauty and bounty by blending nature-based, indigenous and cultural experiences with curated daily wellness practices, including yoga (flow, yin, restore + nidra), breathwork, guided meditation, self-discovery prompts, journaling and energetic and shamanic healing modalities.

Hosted by Spirit of Alchemy ~ Travels that Transforms, a portion of retreat proceeds directly benefit the long-term conservation of nature efforts in Oaxaca, Mexico.

I hope you will consider joining me for this incredible trip!”

-Shanin Weisberg, Your Retreat Leader

Oaxaca City rewards a slow arrival. Allow the city to land within your senses — the smoke of copal on the air, the colors of the textiles, the sound of the zócalo (central square) at dusk. Tonight is about meeting your fellow travelers and feeling the city welcome you wholeheartedly.

On Arrival

Airport Transfer → Casa Divina Boutique Hotel

Transportation included. Check in, settle in, breathe.

12:00 – 6:00 PM

Early Arrivals: Sensory Orientation Walk — El Centro + Mercado

A mindful arrival practice (not a guided tour). Notice the colors, smells, and sounds. Visit the zócalo, the Basílica de la Soledad, the Macedonio Alcalá pedestrian street.

7:45 – 8:00 PM

Walk to Welcome Dinner

8:00 – 9:30 PM

Welcome Dinner @ Casa Taviche Restaurant

A chance to meet your fellow retreat-goers over the flavors of Oaxaca. Casa Taviche is known for its modern interpretation of traditional Oaxacan cuisine — a perfect first taste. Receive a brief introduction and overview of the retreat ahead.

Today we open the retreat circle and root ourselves in the living food traditions of Oaxaca — traditions inseparable from the land. Quinta Bravo is a working organic farm where heirloom corn, chiles, and herbs grow as they have for generations, connecting modern cuisine to ancient Mesoamerican foodways.

7:00 – 7:30 AM

Coffee, Tea + Snacks @ Casa Divina

Fruit, yogurt, granola, pan dulce / pastries.

7:30 – 9:30 AM

Opening Ceremony + Yoga Flow @ Casa Divina Terrace Studio

We open the retreat with a ceremony that honors the land we are on and sets the tone for the days ahead - through sacred presence, reflection and inspired action in a curated yoga-flow practice.

9:30– 10:30 AM

Breakfast @ Casa Divina

10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

FREE TIME — Walk, Explore, Eat, Shop, Rest

Optional guided orientation walk to Mercado Benito Juárez or the Ethnobotanical Garden.

Lunch on your own (cost not included).

2:30 – 3:30 PM

Transfer to Quinta Bravo Organic Farm

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Cooking Class: Salsas, Masa, Tortillas, Empanadas + Mole Tasting

Quinta Bravo grows its own ingredients using traditional Zapotec farming practices. As you tour the farm and cook its fresh ingredients, you will learn how these flavors connect Oaxacan cuisine to the ecology of this region.

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Hora Feliz — Fresh Juices and/or Mezcal

5:30 – 7:00 PM

Dinner @ Quinta Bravo

Green + Yellow Mole (Chicken + Vegetarian Option).

7:00 – 8:00 PM

Community Firepit — Dessert + Hot Cacao

A grounded introduction to the history and cosmology of Monte Albán — what we will encounter tomorrow morning. The Zapotec who built Monte Albán were extraordinary astronomers and ecologists who oriented their civilization around celestial cycles and natural rhythms. Arriving with this context will transform your experience of the site.

8:00 – 8:30 PM

Transfer back to Casa Divina

Monte Albán is one of the most sacred sites in the Americas — a city built on a mountaintop, leveled by hand, and aligned with the stars. Walking its plazas at sunrise, before the day's heat and crowds arrive, is an experience that stays with you. This afternoon, we enter the world of Oaxacan cacao — a plant with deep ceremonial roots and a direct, living connection to the forests FONCET works to protect.

6:00 – 7:00 AM

Coffee/Tea + Light Breakfast @ Casa Divina

7:00 – 7:30 AM

Transfer to Monte Albán Trailhead

Option to skip the hike and be dropped at the site entrance.

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Hike to Monte Albán Archaeological Site

Approx. 1 mile / 300 ft elevation gain.

8:00 – 10:00 AM

Free Exploration of Monte Albán

Wander the grand plaza, the observatory, the ball court, and the tomb galleries. This civilization flourished for over 500 years — their engineering, astronomy, and ecological knowledge were remarkable.

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Optional: Silent Group Meditation at the Summit

Monte Albán was built in precise alignment with solar and stellar cycles. A meditation here — on the same stones where Zapotec priests once tracked the heavens — is an invitation to feel yourself as part of something much older than your individual story. We will gather at the north platform for a guided silent sit, open to all.

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Return to Casa Divina

11:30 AM – 4:30 PM

FREE TIME — Walk, Explore, Eat, Shop, Rest

Suggested: Explore Santo Domingo Cultural Center and Ethnobotanical Garden, Mercado de Artesanías, mezcalerías, artisanal goods or chocolate shops of the Centro Histórico.

Lunch on your own (cost not included).

4:30 – 4:45 PM

Walk to Dinner

4:45 – 6:15 PM

Dinner @ Mayordomo

6:15 – 6:30 PM

Walk to Cacao Experience

6:30 – 8:00 PM

Oaxacan Chocolate Experience @ Chimalapa Cacao con Origen

Chimalapa works with indigenous cacao farmers in the Sierra de Santa Catarina Chimalapa — one of the last great intact tropical forests in Mexico. Cacao is a forest crop: it grows beneath a canopy of shade trees, making cacao farmers de facto forest stewards. Tonight you will taste and learn how this sacred plant connects wellness, ceremony, community, and conservation in a single elegant cup.

8:00 – 9:00 PM

Evening Yin + Yoga Nidra Practice @ Casa Divina Terrace Studio

A restorative practice to unwind and anchor from the lushness of the day. Allow everything to settle.

9:00 PM

Return to rooms

Your final day blends practice, space and ceremony — designed to intentionally replenish your energy and give you time to pursue what and where you’re called before departing tomorrow. Embody the retreat's core rhythm of prosperity, beauty, renewal and connection to the land.

7:00 – 7:30 AM

Coffee, Tea + Snacks @ Casa Divina

Fruit, yogurt, granola, pan dulce / pastries.

7:30 – 9:30 AM

Morning Yoga + Breathwork Practice @ Casa Divina Terrace Studio

Breathe is prana; breathe is life. Awaken your lifeforce and ‘sustainable plenty’ in this curated yoga and breathwork practice to inspire and prepare you for the Temescal ceremony on the final day in Oaxaca City.

9:30 – 10:30 AM

Breakfast @ Casa Divina

10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

FREE TIME — Walk, Explore, Eat, Shop, Rest

Lunch on your own (cost not included).

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Transfer to Temescal Ceremony

3:00 – 5:00 PM

Temescal Ceremony

Experience a traditional Temescal ceremony facilitated by a local Temescalero — the pre-Hispanic steam bath using volcanic rocks, medicinal herbs, and guided breathwork for physical and spiritual purification.

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Transfer to Casa Divina

5:30 – 6:30 PM

Shower or Rest

6:30 – 8:30 PM

Farewell Dinner

We close with celebration and reflection. A guided conversation will draw together the threads of the retreat: What has Oaxaca City revealed to you? How does wellness inspire your path? What is one thing you will carry home? We will introduce FONCET's current conservation priorities in Chiapas and share how participants can stay connected after returning home — whether through donation, advocacy, or simply telling the story of what you witnessed here.

8:45 – 9:30 PM

Evening Guided Meditation + Journaling @ Casa Divina Terrace Studio

A contemplative meditation that blends guided healing techniques with journaling prompts to support the richness you cultivated in Oaxaca City.

9:30 PM

Return to rooms

Every journey of transformation requires a threshold to return back from - Day 5 is that threshold. We will close with intention and gratitude, carrying what was cultivated at the retreat back into our everyday lives.

7:30 – 8:30 AM

Breakfast @ Casa Divina

8:30 – 9:30 AM

FREE TIME — Digest + Pack

9:30 – 11:00 AM

Closing Circle + Yoga @ Casa Divina Terrace Studio

A gentle, celebratory closing circle with a yoga practice to inspire awareness, gratitude and release. Return to your intentions and contemplate how you will apply what has shifted in Oaxaca as you transition back into your everyday life.

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

FREE TIME — Final Shopping, Café, Walk

Last opportunity to visit favorite spots, pick up final gifts, sit in the zócalo one more time.

Departing

Airport Transfers — Oaxaca International Airport (OAX)

Transportation included. Participants departing at different times coordinate individually.