A Shamanic Yoga - Soul Journey

Are you looking to experience more shamanic practices and wisdom into your life?  How about incorporating it into your yogic and meditation teachings and practices? Then please consider joining us on this transformational Soul Journey to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. 

Few places in the world are more conducive to bring presence, awe and wonder like Lake Atitlan.  We auspiciously timed it so that the retreat leads up to the Winter Solstice, a time where Yogic and Mayan traditions consider to be the most potent times of the year for ceremony and spiritual practices.  

Is this Soul Journey for You?

Over this week, you will be exposed to a living indigenous and shamanic culture that dates back over 4,000 years.   You will experience fire and cacao ceremonies from Mayan shamans trained in age old lineages.  In addition, we will be sharing mantra chanting, Kundalini Yoga, and our own version of a cacao ceremony.  We will also share ways in which you can integrate the ancient with the modern, the shamanic with the yogic.  

This retreat with help deepen your love and practice of chanting, bhakti, kundalini yoga, and ceremony in a majestic and elevating environment.  We will sing and dance our hearts open, rejuvenate, relax, and explore yoga as a practice of embodying spirit in a heart opening and devotional way.  Through daily meditation and chanting you will refine your perspective of these practices and yourself. 

The retreat is open to all people and of all levels of yoga and kirtan experience.  Each participant will practice according to their individual needs guided by Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda. Loving care, attention and support for your experience will always be available.  This retreat is truly a gift to yourself!

This will be our second time returning after an absolutely phenomenal first retreat in 2016.  Please check out this video that was made from this same retreat two years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=kWJoykxa75E&feature=youtu.be

*If you want to bring your family (children), we would love that!  Please contact us to arrange that and for pricing discounts. 

What a prior retreat participant said about our retreats: Click Here.

What to expect?
-Stunning retreat center and spa set on the lake
-Daily Kundalini Yoga (All Levels) with live music by us. One of us will lead while the other serenades.
-Evening chant circles
-Cacao Ceremony led by us.
-Mayan Ceremonies led by local shamans
-Outings to various towns on the lake by boat
-Natural Hot Springs in beautiful hotel 
-Mayan arts and crafts shopping 
-Daily swims in the lake
-Volunteering at a local woman's collective

*To take a yoga class with us or just get a feel, click here.  
*To see live videos of our music, click here. 

Villa Sumaya

We will be staying at the beautiful Villa Sumaya Retreat Center in a small village called Santa Cruz.  Villa Sumaya is right on the lake with absolutely stunning views of the three volcanoes that tower over the lake.  Check out this video of the location, click here. The rooms are beautiful and tastefully decorated.  For more on the center, visit: VillaSumaya.com.  You will be held in a nurturing and healing environment by Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda as well as the loving and supportive staff at Villa Sumaya.
Sample day at the Altar of Love Retreat:
-7am-9am: Yoga led by Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda (daily offerings of Kundalini Yoga and meditation as well as a few Anusara and Vinyasa Flow influenced classes)
-9am: Breakfast
-10am-1pm: Free time
-1pm: Lunch
-4pm-6pm: Afternoon activities (cacao ceremony, Chanting workshop, yoga, or meditation)
-6:30pm: Dinner 
-8pm-9pm: Chant Circles/Free Time
All Inclusive Program Offers the Following:

Lodging
Three delicious vegetarian meals a day.  {The restaurant offers a variety of Guatemalan, American and European Cuisine.}
Transportation on outings.
Mayan Fire Ceremony led by local shaman

Outings Include boat trip visits to these lake towns:

Panajachel: Natural Hot Springs in a beautiful hotel and incredible shopping/crafts
San Marcos: Beautiful park on the lake with a jumping platform and beautiful swimming.  Also the hub of the Yoga culture on the lake.  
Santiago: The largest purely indigenous city in the world (over 50,000 people) with site seeing and shopping in traditional Mayan markets. 

*Pricing goes up $75/person after Sept. 1st.  and again $75 more after Nov. 1st. 
Travel and Flight Details:
 *Passport must be valid for entry into Guatemala. Please be aware that the retreat does not include transportation to and from airport to Villa Sumaya.  We recommend you fly into Guatemala City which is the closest airport. Airfare ranges in price throughout the year. You will need to book a shuttle or private van (a little more expensive but worth it!) to get to Panajachel which is the main town on the Lake.  From there you will take a ‘taxi boat’ to get to Santa Cruz, where Villa Sumaya is located.  Please take a look at Villa Sumaya's Welcome Kit.  It has much of the information you may need in order to book this trip.  To view it, click here.
Insurance:
We strongly recommend our guests to purchase Travel Health Insurance. We will ensure your stay is peaceful, safe, and lovingly guided, however it is wise that should you need immediate attention you have insurance for your own personal well being.
Hope you can join us!!
What people said about the retreat three years ago:

It's hard to find the right words to describe the experience I had with Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda at their retreat in Guatemala, but I'll take a stab at it: 'amazing,' 'divine,' and 'blissful' come to mind. Nestled upon the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, the setting was like paradise, and in addition to our daily yoga practice, we were treated to delicious, organic, locally-produced vegetarian/vegan meals, daily excursions to explore the nearby places of interest, music, storytelling, a cacao ceremony, did I leave anything out? We all bonded as a group and formed lasting friendships in a way that is truly rare. Can't recommend this adventure highly enough!  -Bob MacColl ~Long Beach, CA

'I’m so grateful for the time I’ve spent on retreat with Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda. These experiences have profoundly impacted my journey – deepening my connection with sacred sound, mantra, and yoga, as well as the land and local culture. I felt nourished and held in a space where it was easy to relax, practice living a healthy and intentional lifestyle, and simply enjoy the beauty of my surroundings and the connections that were forming – some of which have turned into life-long friendships!' Maggie Taurick