Experience the mystical energy and natural beauty of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, with Spirit of Atitlán, a transformative yoga, sound, and wellness retreat held in the heart of one of the world’s most sacred landscapes. Surrounded by towering volcanoes, shimmering waters, and the gentle stillness of the forest, this journey invites you to reconnect with your essence through deep presence and luminous reflection.

Immerse yourself in daily yoga and meditation, be transported by the resonance of sound journeys with Settle Into Stillness, explore local culture and sacred sites, nourish yourself with fresh, local cuisine, and rest into the rhythm of nature.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll be held in a space designed for embodiment, awakening, and soulful connection with an unforgettable experience in one of Guatemala’s most energetically potent destinations.

Lake Atitlán, often called one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, lies cradled in the highlands of Guatemala, surrounded by towering volcanoes and traditional Mayan villages. Its deep, shimmering waters hold a powerful, magnetic energy that has drawn seekers, artists, and healers for generations. With breathtaking sunrises, rich indigenous culture, and a palpable sense of stillness and mystery, Lake Atitlán is a sacred landscape that invites deep reflection, transformation, and connection to the natural world.

Our love story with Guatemala began on a whim in 2022, when we spontaneously booked flights after nearly a decade of dreaming about Lake Atitlán. From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the warmth of the people, the vibrant culture, the beauty of the textiles and handcrafts, and the nourishing simplicity of the local cuisine. We explored many villages around the lake in search of the perfect retreat location, from the artistic energy of San Marcos to the charm of San Juan and the quiet beauty of Jaibalito. The area's peaceful stillness, strong connection to the land, and abundance of permaculture and organic food projects made it the perfect fit. The mountaintop views took our breath away, and the kindness of the villagers grounded us. Since then, we’ve deepened our connection by collaborating with local artisan families, bringing their beautiful handmade crafts to the U.S. and helping support their work. Guatemala, and Lake Atitlán quickly became one of our favorite countries in all of our extensive global travels and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Villa Sumaya is a retreat and wellness center located in Santa Cruz la Laguna, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. They are dedicated to rejuvenating holistic practices and healing modalities as well as preserving Mayan traditions and facilitating outdoor adventure in the heart of the Altiplano. Majestically located on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Villa Sumaya is a community-rooted, spiritually radiant place, designed to uplift guests and honor local culture through wellness practices, fire ceremonies, massages, and curated tours throughout the sacred highlands of Guatemala.

All accommodations are at Villa Sumaya. We currently have reserved the Maya Rose, Skyline and Jaguar Bungalows, Junior Suites, and Ginger Suites.

Click here to see the rooms, view video tours of each room, and see all of the amenities for each room.

Bookings are available on a single occupancy or double occupancy basis. If you do not have a roommate, you may book double occupancy and we will pair you with a roommate.

Note, when pairing roommates, we only pair solo travelers with same gendered roommates for safety and comfort. All rooms are listed as single occupancy and double occupancy and are listed twice due to the nature of the WeTravel booking platform. If a room is booked, we must remove the other occupancy package manually. In the event of a double booking of a room before we're able to manually remove it from the system, the first person to book will receive the room and we will move the second booking to a room in the equivalent category, and notify you of the change.

Estimated Group Size: 1-25 people, plus our facilitation team.

For us, there would be no life without music. Music pervades all areas of our life, and our purpose is to share it with others to enrich your life and provide beauty to the world. When you join us on the Spirit of Atitlán  - Yoga, Sound, and Wellness Retreat in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, you can expect that your journey will be infused with beautiful music from start to finish.

Settle Into Stillness stands apart from the ever-growing landscape of mindfulness-based musical offerings. By seamlessly weaving together diverse world music instrumentation, such as the mesmerizing handpan, the enchanting didgeridoo, the gentle resonance of gongs, the ethereal tones of crystal singing bowls and setting it all to the backbeat of an eclectic variety of world instruments, Settle Into Stillness has crafted a truly extraordinary experience. Each element is carefully chosen and delivered with intention, creating a symphony of soothing vibrations that nurture the mind, body, and soul. Their offerings create an immersive experience that transports participants towards a state of deep inner calm. Through carefully curated sessions, individuals are invited to release stress, let go of tension, and embark on a profound journey of self-exploration.

Each Sound Journey is a unique tapestry of sonic landscapes, woven together with love and a deep commitment to the individual's well-being. The purity of sound permeates every cell, evoking a sense of harmony that soothes the spirit and opens doors to personal transformation.  Settle Into Stillness invites you to come experience one of their Sound Journeys, where the transformative fusion of these enchanting instruments and mindfulness practices will open doors to your innermost self. 

About Nancy Grzeszak: 

Nancy is inspired by the deep well of knowledge that exists within our own being. Since 2004, she has been exploring this internal wisdom through Yoga, meditation, and sound. Her love of Yoga and pursuit of inspiration has taken her across the world to 22 different countries.

Her passions within the timeless practice of Yoga include Gentle Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. She finds that the mind and body’s innate wisdom most often reveal themselves when residing in stillness. She completed her 200 hour Yoga teacher training certification with Prairie Yoga, based in Lisle (Chicago), Illinois in 2014, Relax and Renew® Level 1 Certification with Judith Hanson Lasater in 2017, and Lizzie Lasater’s 30 hour Restorative Yoga Training in 2019.

As one of the founders of Settle Into Stillness, Nancy shares the transcendent vibrations of Gongs, Crystal Singing Bowls, and more. She approaches these powerful vibrational instruments with a graceful mastery and deep listening, creating a soothing atmosphere that allows the listener to reconnect with themselves, their breath, and their true essence.

It is her deepest desire to create more love in this world by revealing the gift of stillness, and creating a soothing and nurturing space which facilitates healing for all.  

About Jane Bloom: 

Jane Bloom is the Director and Teacher at Dwellyoga Collective in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is a dedicated yoga teacher with a background that combines a master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology with 17 years of experience as a therapist. She founded Dwellyoga nine years ago to unite her interests in healing and movement. With 14 years of teaching experience and two 200-hour registered yoga teacher certifications, Jane is passionate about fostering an inclusive community through her yoga studio. Her teaching style integrates creative sequencing, alignment, and embodied practices to enhance students’ awareness and personal growth. Jane also enjoys traveling and co-leading yoga retreats around the globe with Settle Into Stillness, this will be their fifth international retreat together. 

About Elizabeth McNeil:

Elizabeth's yoga journey began in Memphis, TN, where she first discovered the transformative power of the practice. After relocating to Elizabethtown, KY, she deepened her studies under Cheryl Bennett, who introduced her to Yoga East in Louisville — a pivotal connection that led her to her beloved teacher, Laura Spaulding, and the disciplined art of Ashtanga Yoga. Driven by a deep commitment to growth, Elizabeth has traveled extensively to study with world-renowned master teachers including David Swenson, Tias Little, Richard Freeman, François Raoult, and Doug Keller — completing both her RYT-200 and RYT-500 certifications along the way. For over two decades, Elizabeth has shared her passion for yoga with children, adults, and seniors throughout Elizabethtown. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in meeting each student exactly where they are — blending the wisdom of multiple yoga traditions to create classes that are safe, creative, and joyful. What truly sets Elizabeth apart is her background as a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, a credential that deepens her ability to guide students toward mindful, alignment-based practice — helping every body move with greater ease, confidence, and awareness. Whether you're stepping onto the mat for the first time or returning to deepen your practice, Elizabeth's classes offer a welcoming space to explore, heal, and thrive.

Nancy and Jeremy, the founders of Settle Into Stillness, have been traveling the world together since 2011, and before that, Jeremy was traveling solo since 2009. Our travel philosophy has always been to immerse ourselves in the local cultures as much as possible, to deeply connect with the local people and ways of life. In order to do so, we have committed to long-term, slow travel over the years, which involves traveling in the ways the locals do as much as possible. This includes taking local transportation when possible, eating the way the locals do, learning as much language as possible, and respecting the local customs as much as we can. In doing so, we have had amazing and deeply personal travel experiences that have taught us that no matter where you go in the world, we all hold similar goals, dreams, and desires of life, and share common values. In a little over a decade, we have each spent a cumulative 5+ years immersed in local cultures around the world, in Africa, India, Indonesia, SE Asia, Central America, South America, Australia, and Europe. This has given us a unique perspective on travel and what it can do for humanity. When we organize our retreats, we do our best to immerse you in authentic, local experiences as much as possible, and to organize our travel experiences in ways that enable you to respect local culture and customs, learn as much as possible, and connect with humans across the world on a deep, personal level, while doing so comfortable and safely. You may not have the time to immerse into another culture for months at a time like we have, but when you travel with us, you can expect a journey that will take you beyond the surface level of typical tourism and into the heart of a faraway land.

On our retreats, we aim to make sure you are taken care of every step of the way. We offer travel advice free of charge to our retreat guests at any time during your booking process and retreat, to help you organize the journey of a lifetime. We also include services in our retreat packages that are not often included or are an extra charge on other retreats, such as your airport transfers, to ensure you get to your destination safely and reliably. Our excursions are designed to allow you to immerse and connect with the local customs, cultures, and landscapes in a deeply meaningful way. All activities on our retreats are optional, so if you want to take time away from group activities for your own personal reflection or a personal adventure, you are welcome to do so at any time. All participants will be invited to our retreat WhatsApp groups for communication before, during, and after the retreat, and to our private online community of adventurous travelers, to remain connected long after the jet lag disappears after your journey home.

About our offerings:

Yoga classes will be led by Jane Bloom of Dwell Yoga, Elizabeth McNeil of KARMA Yoga, and Nancy Grzeszak of Settle Into Stillness.

We strive to make our retreats accessible and supportive of everyone, regardless of where you are in your practice or in your life. On past retreats, we have had students ranging from complete beginners to seasoned, experienced teachers. Our teachers, Nancy and Jane have years of experience with the practice and teaching working with students of all ages, skill levels, and body types. Yoga practices offered on this retreat will include invigorating, all levels morning classes, deeply rejuvenating Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Yin Yoga. They are an extension of the offerings from our Sound Journey events worldwide, as well as the classes found at Jane’s studio, Dwell Yoga, in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Elizabeth's studio, KARMA Yoga, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. At our retreats, you are invited to practice at your pace, along with the guidance of our teachers, and grow from where you are in this moment. We also feel that this is your journey. You’re traveling all the way across the world to spend your time with us, and we like to remain flexible with our schedule. Activities are always optional, so if you want to slip away for a solo adventure, rest and recovery in your room, etc., you are free to do as you need.

If you have any questions about whether our retreat is right for you, please send us a message using the contact form at the bottom of the page!

To enter Guatemala, you need a U.S. passport that is valid when you arrive with at least one blank page for an entry and exit stamp. There is no required minimum validity period for a U.S. passport, and U.S. citizens do not need a visa.

For up to date information about travel to Guatemala from the US State Department, visit:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Guatemala.html

Please note, there is currently a travel advisory in place by the US government for Guatemala due to crime in Zone 18 Guatemala City and Villa Nueva, Huehuetenango Department, and San Marcos Department. San Marcos Department is not the same region as San Marcos La Laguna in Lake Atitlán and there are currently no advisories against travel in or around Lake Atitlán. The area is heavily touristed and generally considered safe, although it is always a good idea to practice certain travel precautions in a foreign place such as not traveling alone at night, being discreet with jewelry and not flaunting wealth, sticking to areas recommended as safe by locals and experienced travelers, etc.

For attendees from other countries, please visit your local embassy or consulate site for traveling to Guatemala.

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Settle Into Stillness Retreats are non-refundable and exceptions cannot be made.  

All payments are non-refundable. Payment reminders will be sent for each monthly payment. If a payment is 7 business days late without prior authorization, the package is subject to a $50 admin fee. Should a payment be more than 10 days late, the organizer has the right to cancel the package. If you need to adjust a payment date, please speak with the organizer one week or more before the payment due date.   

By confirming this spot, you have agreed and confirmed that the payment is non-refundable. Package may only be transferred to another name. You are also confirming that the terms and conditions have been read. If for any reason you believe there may be a circumstance that might affect your ability to attend after purchasing your package please purchase travel insurance. We are unable to refund package under any circumstance.

You will be prompted to sign our travel agreement/contract upon sign up. This contract must be signed in order for you to attend the retreat. If you wish to see our travel contract prior to signing up, please send us a message.  

Settle Into Stillness Retreats will not be held responsible for any costs or lost days due to travel delays. Settle Into Stillness Retreats will also not able to refund packages related to illness or injury prior to travel. Travel insurance protects against financial loss. Should the retreat not be able to take place due to travel restrictions, the retreat will be moved and all packages will be transferred to a new date. No refunds will be issued.  

We recommend that all guests travel with health insurance and travel insurance (or travel insurance with health coverage), be well informed of their coverage and also know their 24hr contact line. Settle Into Stillness will not be liable for any medical costs.