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Come journey with us to...
'The Middle Place'
~ Ecuador 2024~
February 18-25, 2024
Journey, Connect & Find Your Center.
Journey to the 'middle of the world' ( 'Mitad del Mundo')
Connect with local artisans, healers, culture, and the land
Find Your Center in nature, traditional ceremony, and the surf
Join us for a transformational retreat to the 'middle of the world'. Trip highlights include;
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Time in authentic, northern mountain city of Quito, the 2nd highest capital in the world, where we'll visit the famous 'Mitad del Mundo' Monument at zero degrees latitude and meander through the artisan shops of Historic Old Town Center
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Delight your senses, and expand your awareness with a private Traditional Cocoa Ceremony and dinner at a mountainside property.
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Connect with local land conservationists at a farm tour and community gathering
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Surf, swim and soak up some sunshine on the coast
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Dive into your own center during a Conscious Connected Breathwork Journey
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Savor the fresh, local food and hospitality along the way
You don't want to miss this amazing opportunity. Here's what makes this trip unique...
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Balance of adventure and relaxation. This retreat is made for those who want to see a few different geographical areas of the country, be immersed in local culture, and enjoy some downtime.
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The people. Your hosts have a passion for connection, creating community and facilitating growth and healing. Expect meaningful experiences and intimate conversations. Our hosting team includes a local Ecuadorian holistic who will be with us the entire journey to assist with logistics, safety, translation, and depth of experience.
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A container for healing. You will be impacted by the unique energetics of the land, ancestral medicine ceremonies with 3 holistic hosts and trusted local healers. Expect a Traditional Cocoa and Ecstatic Dance Ceremony, Conscious Connected Breathwork Journey & more.
What's included:
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8 nights accommodations (Feb 17- 24) ~ Details TBA - expect quality, safety and comfort.
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Meals: 2 meals included per day 7 days (Feb 18-24).
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Ground Transportation for all scheduled group travel (private drivers/bus)
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Morning movement (somatics, yoga)
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Daily Connection Circles
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Traditional Cocoa Ceremony
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Conscious Connected Breathwork Journey with Joy
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Experiences in Sound with Sara
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Heart Chakra Activation with Rodrigo
Safety Considerations
We are co-hosting this trip with a local, lifetime resident (and friend of Sara's) who will be accompanying us for the duration of the retreat. Accommodations, events and transportation are being planned with safety as the priority. Vaccination for Yellow fever (spread by mosquitos) is recommended by Health Canada and is not a requirement for entry. Government of Canada travel precautions, recommendations & entry/exit requirements.
Logistics/Getting there
Transportation in & out of Quito, Ecuador
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Plan for Feb 17 arrival & Feb 25 departure UIO airport (unless you are extending your trip). Participants responsible for booking their own flights.
Registration opens May 30, 2023.
~Fees, Deposits & Early Bird Rates available soon.
Limited, space: We are only taking 12 guests on this 'journey to the center'. Be sure to get on the 'keep me in the loop' email list.
Get to know your fabulous hosts...
Meet Sara Clefstad
Sara fell in love with the diverse landscapes and rich culture of Ecuador while she lived there for 12 months in 2021 with her dog, Bear. She is excited to share her love of the land and people she connected with there.
Sara is passionate about holistic wellness and lives her teachings. Her own experience overcoming an auto-immune disease helps shape her heartful & artful offerings into unique growth-based experiences that harness the healing power of expression and inward felt sense. Open-hearted, curious-minded people will find an inspiring teacher in Sara, who is an educator by trade, holding university degrees in both Education and Music. A professional musician in her own right, she weaves concepts of musicality, pulse, expression, and even comedy into her presentations, delivered with a unique stage presence that always leaves you wanting more.
Meet Rodrigo Kauak Jarrin
Since obtaining his law degree, Rodrigo has been growing in a comprehensive and holistic way. His life has taught him that different tools are needed today to adapt to a constantly changing collective reality. There are two words that have made him understand human relationships better: interconnection and interdependence. Resilience is the way in which he has taken on the challenge of co-creating a more balanced society. He is a Yoga instructor, holder of the art of smudging, channeler, healer, planetary activator and a simple human sharing from the heart.
He is currently studying his Masters in Holistic Psychology.
'Rodri' is local to Ecuador, so in addition to offering his logistical planning skills and ancestral wisdom, he will be our main guide for the week.
Meet Joy Onyschak
Joy helps people get out of their heads and into their bodies, so they can find self-kindness, presence and connection in their lives. As a Trauma-Informed Somatic Integration Coach, she weaves movement, breathwork, nervous system literacy and the power of human connection into 1:1 client work, unique movement classes, group breathwork journeys, and intimate retreats. She is Certified Yoga Teacher, Holding Space Practitioner, Numa Breathwork Facilitator, Somatic Movement Guide, and Circle Way Host. Joy's favorite things include plane tickets, great food, and heartfelt authentic connections so she is pretty darn thrilled to be co-creating this adventure with Sara and Rodrigo for you. She'll be leading daily circle check-ins, mindful movement to care for your travelling body, and a conscious connected breathwork journey somewhere unique and fabulous.
Learn more about Joy
Positive Reviews for
Joy & Sara's retreat hosting & facilitation
" co-created a beautifully safe, supportive, and caring environment"
"in awe at the internal shift I felt"
"...filled with authentic and meaningful connections"
"knowledgeable, compassionate, genuine facilitators"
"Joy provides a safe supportive environment to allow a deep, healing connection to self through somatic breathwork. I feel a bit transformed after each session."~ Danielle McLarty, M. A. Clinical Psychology
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