Practicing reverence allows us to see the sacred in the mundane and our interconnectedness beyond time and space.  It’s an awakening of deep gratitude and intrinsic joy that enriches our experience of life.

- Michelle Chua

Deepen your relationship with Mother Earth (Pachamama), our ancestors, each other, universal life energy and your inner nature.  Foster mindful daily practices to nurture a conscious joyful lifestyle.
 

We’ll rekindle the inner knowing of sacredness and interconnectedness by immersing in the local culture, forest-bathing, hiking, physical Yoga, pranayama, meditation, authentic Quechua rituals of gratitude and purification, play, dance, Reiki energy healing, personal and group mindfulness practices and reflection.

 Calling diverse people ready to…

• Appreciate the benevolent energy of Life.
• Awaken joy in their everyday lives.
• Travel mindfully and connect authentically with local Peruvian culture.
• Learn from the indigenous wisdom and traditions of the Quechua people.
• Explore Inkan culture and sacred sites with respectfulness.
• Balance learning, practice, reflection and play.
• Dive into a regular physical Yoga practice with Pranayama and Meditation, guided by Michelle Chua.
• Receive support in deep relaxation to promote healing through Reiki.
• Stay in comfortable and luxury accommodations and go on hiking adventures.
• Engage respectfully with people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
• Immerse in a physically active lifestyle, with hiking and nature walks to sacred sites.
• Expand their heart-minds.

Enjoy a time-tested itinerary that balances guided nature excursions, cultural immersion and authentic trauma-informed Yoga practices with experienced facilitators, such as Michelle Chua, your Peruvian Guide and indigenous healers, who share their passion and soul-inspired purpose with love.

Travel worry-free from your arrival to departure from Cusco airport throughout the retreat to all included group activities with transportation, lodging, most meals and logistics taken care of for you by a well-established local travel company.

Connect meaningfully with other open-minded conscious travelers and Andean locals, as you visit various villages and towns engaging local activities, not only with your fellow retreat participants, thus experiencing the bigger meaning of Yoga as "union" of different cultures.

Learn from indigenous spiritual elders and healers about how to live in harmony with Pachamama (Mother Earth) through the Andean concept of ayni (reciprocity) by participating in various rituals and ceremonies of the Andean and Inkan people.

Come home each day after your adventures to a gorgeous wellness-focused sanctuary, where you can opt to receive bodywork treatments (at additional cost), such as private Reiki sessions with Michelle, solar baths under the night sky, massage and much more.

Our first night will be at a 3-star hotel in Cusco, walking distance to sacred Inkan sites, restaurants and markets.  The rest of our stay will be at an award-winning luxury wellness retreat and boutique hotel in Peru’s Sacred Valley surrounded by renowned gardens, built from sustainable materials, staffed by a Quechua extended family, serving organic farm-to-table meals and offering spa services.  Your stay at the retreat center contributes to a children’s fund that supports an isolated mountain school, which we’ll visit during the retreat.

Choose to stay in a single or shared room (double or triple occupancy) at both accommodations.  If you choose a shared room, please secure your roommate(s) prior to requesting an application to join the retreat.  If you would like to connect with other people seeking roommates, please email Michelle. 

"Global travel has been my catalyst for personal discovery and transformation.  I love immersing in down-to-earth cultures that can teach me about open-mindedness, humility, loving nature, the joy of simplicity, living from the heart and respect for diversity.  Ultimately, my adventures abroad have been teachers of conscious wholehearted living, which I continue to learn.

During my past visits to the Peruvian Amazon and Andes, the native Shipibo and Q'ero healers' daily practices of gratitude and reverence deeply impacted me, even years after.  To share in rituals in their homeland with humans who live so consciously connected to Mother Earth and ancient wisdom profoundly shifted my perspective and appreciation of daily life.

Through hosting this retreat in historically and culturally rich parts of Peru steeped in indigenous reverence for nature and humanity, I humbly hope to share ways to enhance your enjoyment of daily life and promote harmony with our planet, each other and yourself."

​​- Michelle Chua

Visit: Frequently Asked Questions about Peru Retreat 2025 - Root 2 Rise Yoga with Michelle Chua 

Read what past participants of our Peru Retreat have to say here.

$500 non-refundable and non-transferable deposit holds your space until you submit half of your remaining amount due by February 10, 2025 and the other half by April 10, 2025.

Cancellation Policy:

Your initial $500 deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable.  Participant cancellations received via email at Root2RiseYoga@gmail.com by April 10, 2025 are refundable minus $950 of the total retreat investment. For any participant cancellations after April 10, 2025, no amount is refundable or transferable.  It is highly recommended to purchase travel insurance to protect your travel investment.  

Our retreat begins with one transfer from the Cusco airport to our 3-star hotel conveniently situated in the historic center. Plan to arrive in Cusco by 11am to acclimate to the altitude. 

3:00 pm:  Meet your retreat facilitator, Michelle Chua, and your guide in the hotel lobby for a group orientation meeting & Opening Ritual with intention-setting and meditation. Enjoy a grounding afternoon walk through the cobblestone streets of San Blas, where your guide will point out fascinating Inkan stonework en route to the Korikancha Temple, the holiest site during Inkan times.

6:30 pm: Get to know your retreat community over a delicious Peruvian dinner at a local restaurant. 

After breakfast and check-out at the hotel, visit the Inkan site of Saksaywaman overlooking the city of Cusco. By these majestic ruins, learn the ritual of the traditional K’intu blessing to reverently connect with Pachamama, or Mother Earth.  Enjoy a picnic lunch, and enjoy the ride to our wellness retreat center in the Sacred Valley through spectacular Andean mountain scenery. The Quechua staff will welcome you to the retreat center and help you schedule time for Andean spa services you might choose to book at additional cost. Explore the renowned Seven Chakra Gardens with a walking tour and guided Forest-bathing.  After dinner and brief rest, meet in the Yoga shala for a grounding somatic practice of Soul Movement before winding down with Yin Yoga and Reiki.

After breakfast, ride a private van up the Pumahuanca Valley and hike to Pumahuanca River.  Meet our pakko, a very special Q’ero healer, visiting from the high Andes.   Our Cusqueña guide and the pakko will lead the group in a Yaku water ceremony, connecting in gratitude with the sacred river that provides life to the local  community of Rumichaka. After walking for 1-2 hours, and guided Forest-bathing, enjoy a picnic lunch on the shore of the river.

Return to our retreat center for free time before Flow and Restore Yoga, a practice of half Vinyasa Flow half Yin and Restorative Yoga, in the shala. After dinner, the pakko will facilitate coca leaf blessings, a sacred “Despacho” ceremony and an authentic and transformative Andean fire ceremony to honor Pachamama, yourself and your loved ones. The ceremony will realign us with our intention for this retreat and prepare our mind, body and spirit to visit the sacred Inkan site of Machu Picchu.

Practice the Andean tradition of reciprocity, called ayni.  Drive through the Sacred Valley to a Quechua mountain school supported by the retreat center's nonprofit children’s fund, to which your retreat investment contributes.  Since 1995, the center has supported high mountain communities where few tourists are privileged to visit. In a reciprocal ayni exchange, we will connect with the children through dance and music. The  heart-warming joy of the children and their openness in bringing guests into their daily lives are special moments not easily forgotten. Afterward, enjoy a riverside bag lunch.

​Continue to the spectacular ruins of P’isaq, overlooking impressive Inkan terraces. Hike up the ruins or silently practice mindful walking. Return to the main square of P’isaq by bus and visit the famous, colorful market filled with woven goods, jewelry, wall hangings and hand-painted beadwork. Enjoy café or tea in the market square. P’isaq is a photographer’s dream. Return to our retreat center for a late afternoon session of Forest-bathing and Yin Yoga and Reiki in the Chakra Gardens by the 1,000-year-old Lucuma tree before dinner. 

Rise early for breakfast to depart on the tourist train to Aguas Calientes. Tea, coffee and snacks are served on the train. A bus takes you to the sunlit terraces of Machu Picchu, a world natural and cultural heritage site. Enjoy a fabulous guided tour of the ancient “City of Light.” Experience a journey through the masculine energy temples of political and spiritual power, followed by a deep reconnection to feminine earth energies.

​In the afternoon, enjoy free time exploring the quaint town with lunch on your own at one of the restaurants within walking distance. We'll ride the late afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo where you will transfer to the retreat center in time for a late, light dinner and deeply relax with Yin Yoga and Reiki in the shala.

After breakfast at the retreat center, visit the ceremonial site of Ollantaytambo and its famous Sun Temple. Explore the quaint picturesque town by foot with lunch on your own.  We'll transfer to the nearby Maras Salt Flats and visit the ancient salt mines still operational today, and hike back downhill to our retreat center. Cap your day with Forest-bathing, Yin Yoga and Reiki in the Crown Chakra Garden before dinner.

Get an early start with Vinyasa Flow Yoga in the shala before breakfast.  Then, ride our private group transport to the trailhead for a guided hike to Perolniyoc Waterfall with Forest-bathing, followed by picnic lunch.  Return to our retreat center for free time before a heart-opening group cacao ceremony with our shaman.  After our farewell dinner, surrender into creative flow with a somatic practice of Soul Movement, dancing around the fire.

​Wake up to Vinyasa Flow Yoga in the shala, brief Forest-bathing and our Closing Ritual by the ancient Lucuma tree.  Enjoy a wholesome breakfast before your 10:00 a.m. check-out.  Ride our group transport to the Cusco airport for your departure flight, which is best to schedule between 2 pm-5 p.m. From the retreat center, allow 3 ½ hours before your Cusco flight. (Additional costs apply for an individual transfer for guests with earlier/later departures and can be arranged onsite.)  Journey onward integrating personal insights, new friendships and blessings from your retreat experience.