Retreats

About this Retreat

Art making and creative expression are practices in listening deeply to who we are and deepening our relationship with ourselves. Each day we will experiment and play with a variety of creative practices including mixed media art making, journaling, and movement exploration/dance. Throughout the week we will be creating an artist’s journal of our inner and outer journeys in Guatemala overflowing with color, texture, creativity, play, mystery, and our personal symbolic imagery.

Daily yoga and meditation will nurture our bodies and spirits and support our creative unfolding. Some days we will do our yoga in our beautiful group room with panoramic views overlooking the lake and other days we will be outdoors in the fresh air and beauty of the lush grounds. The practice of yoga, the joining of body and mind, can open pathways into the feelings, memories, stories and images embedded in our bodies. Combining yoga, artmaking and journaling, this retreat is designed to help us shift our awareness and create from deeper levels of consciousness. On this retreat, the yoga will be gentle, deep and mindful hatha yoga, designed to take you further into your inner experience and deeper into your body and heart. We will use simple meditation practices to slow the mind and connect us to an experience of the sacred.
No yoga, art or writing experience is needed, only a sense of adventure and a desire to explore your creativity and your inner world. This retreat will include people with a wide range of art, writing and yoga experience, from beginners to “experts”. We each have a unique contribution to offer and we will all be enriched by the diversity in the group. Beginners remind us of the gift of seeing with “beginner’s mind”, and those with more experience share what they’ve learned on their creative journeys and inspire us with new creative ideas.

Beginning and experienced artists and writers alike will find a supportive, encouraging environment in which to create from their deepest selves. There will be guided art and writing experiences everyday, however, you always have the option to disregard the planned activities and instead follow your own muse and creative promptings. Pick and choose from organized activities to create your own schedule. Take as much time each day as you’d like to set off on your own or with others. A beautiful veranda offers handmade hammocks for resting and reading. Swimming and kayaking in Lake Atitlan are beautiful and renewing. Explore a nearby traditional Maya village or hike the magnificent lake basin. Villa Sumaya offers an outdoor hot tub and sauna, as well as exceptional Thai, Swedish and Deep Tissue massage treatments upon request.

About Villa Sumaya

Villa Sumaya, perched on the shores of Lake Atitlan with panoramic views of the lake and three majestic volcanoes, is an unforgettable sanctuary for those in search of rest, reflection and natural beauty. This unpretentious, exquisite, thatch roofed complex, with comfortable rooms, spacious gardens, restaurant, hot tub, sauna, and outdoor pergolas, is hidden in the lush natural beauty of the highlands of Guatemala. Colorful Guatemalan textiles and handcrafts are used throughout the retreat center adding vibrancy and warmth to its inviting atmosphere. Villa Sumaya’s world-class yoga hall and group room boasts a lake front location, full panoramic views, hardwood floors, a pyramid sky light and cascading garden waterfall. The restaurant at Villa Sumaya caters to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. The cuisine is exceptional and created largely from fresh produce grown on the property. www.villasumaya.com

About Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan was described by Aldous Huxley as the most beautiful lake in the world. Lago de Atitlán, as the Guatemalan’s call it, is surrounded by craggy mountains and three majestic volcanoes. Formed by a collapsed volcano cone, the lake is 45 square miles and 320 meters deep, the deepest lake in Central America. Approximately fifteen villages lie on its perimeter, mainly inhabited by traditional Mayan peoples with a sprinkling of foreign settlers. The word "atitlan" is a Mayan word that translates as "the place where the rainbow gets its colors".

In the highlands of Guatemala, especially around Lake Atitlan, the Mayan culture still thrives. The spirit it invokes is the hidden gem of Guatemala, and makes this among the most interesting of destinations in the world. The Mayans are known for being friendly, funny, deeply connected to their earth-based spirituality, welcoming of strangers, and shy. Visiting among them is an enchanting experience.

Cost

$1,475 until February 1, 2008
$1,600 after February 1, 2008
What's Included?

Lodging for 8 days, 7 nights, Shared Occupancy. Single accommodations are available
for $210 extra for the week, space permitting
Delicious vegetarian meals: Complete traditional or Guatemalan buffet breakfasts,
international lunches, and lavish family style dinners each night.
Chicken or fish are available for an extra $6 per meal
Transportation from Antigua to Villa Sumaya and back again via private mini van and boat
One complimentary evening hot tub and one sauna during the week
Garden fresh tea and purified water is available all day

What's Not Included In The Price?

Airfare to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
You will land in Guatemala City and be responsible for getting yourself to Antigua about 30 minutes away. Public transportation is available for about $8.00; a private taxi is about $30 and may be shared.
If you arrive in Guatemala on Friday, you will be responsible for your hotel in Antigua on Friday night. Moderate hotel rates start around $50 a night.
A van will be taking our group from Antigua to Villa Sumaya around 3pm on Saturday afternoon. If you choose to arrive in Antigua later than Saturday afternoon, you will need to arrange and pay for your own ground transportation from Antigua to Villa Sumaya via private mini van. The cost ranges from $30 to $80 depending on number of people travelling together.
Massages, energy work and other healing modalities are available at the retreat center by highly qualified professionals. Prices range from $45 to $55 per hour, plus 10 to 15% gratuity.
Optional excrusions at Lake Atitlán.

How do I register?

To reserve your space send a $350.00 non-refundable deposit to:
Laura Hansen 4560 Ladera Street San Diego, CA 92107

What if I need to cancel?

Cancel before February 1 - 75% refund
Cancel between February 1 – March 1 - 50% refund
Cancel after March 1 - no refund (Unless we can fill your place, then 50% refund)

How many people will be on the retreat?

This retreat will be limited to 15 participants, and spaces are already filling.

Retreat Schedule

The retreat begins at dinner on Saturday, March 22 and ends the following Saturday, March 29 with an early breakfast and goodbyes from 7 to 8:30 am.

Tentative Daily Schedule
This will give a rough idea of the flow our activities, though changes may happen daily to accommodate weather, special activities, and the creative spirit!

Morning:
7:15 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am – 11:15 am Art Making and Journaling
11:15 am – 12:30 pm Yoga
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Lunch

Afternoon:
2:00 – 5:30 Art Making, Journaling, Activities in Nature, Free Time

(one afternoon there will be an optional trip to a Mayan market villages around the lake, and another day we will visit a traditional Mayan village and the school that has been built there)

Evening:
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm – 10:00 Art Making, Journaling, Surprise Activities
9:30 – 10:00 Moonlight Meditation

Logistics & Other Info

We want to help make your travel to and from Guatemala as easeful and safe as possible. Please contact us with any questions, comments or concerns you may have at: laura@artandsoul.us.com

Air Transportation

Airlines flying to Guatemala from U.S.A.: Mexicana, American Airlines, UAL, Continental, Delta
Flight Prices: As of October 2007, flights ranged from $477 to $800
If you have frequent flyer air miles, this might be a good time to use them.

When To Arrive

We recommend arriving no later than Friday December 7, 2007, and staying Friday night in historic Antigua (about 30 minutes from the airport). You will land at Guatemala City airport and be responsible for getting yourself to Antigua. In a letter to follow, we will recommend a moderately-priced hotel for you to stay overnight, if you wish.

Those who arrive on Saturday should land at the Guatemala City Airport no later than 12:30 on Saturday and go straight to the designated hotel in Antigua. Our driver will pick us up there at 3:30 to transportation us to the retreat center.

Assistance with Travel Plans

Please call Isaac Hilpman at Exito Travel 1-800-655-4053, ext 8507 and tell him you are with Laura Hansen’s retreat group. He can help you find a good flight and book you in a hotel in Antigua (where other retreat folks will be staying) for the Friday night before the retreat where.

Transport from Antigua to Villa Sumaya

Our driver will meet us at a designated hotel at about 3:30 on Saturday. We will board a private bus for Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, about 2 hours away.. A private boat will then take us across the lake to Villa Sumaya. (Details will follow in a letter you will receive after registration)

Departing

You may want to consider staying one or more extra nights at Villa Sumaya or Antigua after the retreat. Most participants choose to spend their last night in Antigua so that they are closer to the airport for their departing flight the next day. If you have to fly out on Saturday, the day the retreat ends, we suggest a departure time after 1 p.m. but later is better, to give you plenty of time to get back to the airport. On Saturday morning, we will arrange private transportation for the group to return to the hotel in Antigua. For anyone choosing to stay extra nights at Villa Sumaya, private transportation from Panajachel to Guatemala City or Antigua costs about $62; public transportation is about $20.

Weather

Cool, in the 60s, in the morning and evenings, going up to the 80’s in the afternoons. Perfect for swimming in the lake!

Contact: laura@artandsoul.us.com