top of page
Come journey with us to...
'The Middle Place'
~ Ecuador 2025~
February 16-24, 2025
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;
​
-
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
-
Delight your senses, and expand your awareness with a private Traditional Cocoa Ceremony and dinner at a private mountainside property.
-
Learn from land conservationists and regenerative farmers
-
Guided sound meditations
-
Be in reverence of The Ancestral Lands of Tulipe
-
Heart Activation Ceremony
-
Surf, swim and soak up some sunshine on the coast
-
Dive into your own center during a Conscious Connected Breathwork Journey
-
Connection with local land stewards, healers and teachers.
-
Savor the fresh, local food, music and hospitality along the way
Video courtesy of Nankamu (aka Mateo), who will be providing the tour of the Ancestral Lands of Tulipe.
You don't want to miss this amazing opportunity. Here's what makes this trip unique...
​
-
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.
-
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. This retreat is also designed to support community-based, local entrepreneurs, land stewards, and guides.
-
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, teachers and guides.
What's included:
-
10 nights accommodations. In general, expect;
-
Comfortable, private rooms in the city (4 nights),
-
Quaint, shared spaces (your own bed) in the rural areas (4 nights - 2 locations)
-
Luxury, private rooms on the coast (2 nights).
-
-
9 days of tours, activities and ceremonies.
-
2 group meals/day. Expect to purchase your own daily lunches (approx. $5 US/day)
-
All tours and scheduled group activities/ceremonies and admissions
-
Ground Transportation for scheduled group travel (private drivers/bus)
-
Morning movement (somatics, yoga) ​
-
Daily Connection Circles
-
Traditional Cocoa Ceremony
-
Conscious Connected Breathwork Journey with Joy
-
Experiences in Sound with Sara
-
Bee & Regenerative Farm tour & Education
-
Ancestral Lands of Tulipe (2 day tour)
-
Heart Chakra Activation with Rodrigo
-
Private concert by local musicians
Safety Considerations
We are co-hosting this trip with a local, lifetime resident who will be accompanying us for the duration of the retreat. Accommodations, events and transportation are being planned with safety as the priority. We will be travelling in the North-East part of the country (not the jungle). 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
-
Plan for Feb 15 arrival & Feb 25 departure UIO airport.
-
Participants responsible for scheduling their own flights.
-
The retreat schedule is Feb 16- 24
Registration is now open!
$2222 USD per person total cost.
$444 USD deposit required to reserve your seat.
​
Note that fees are posted in USD (currency in Ecuador). For technical reasons, this website collects fees in Canadian dollars.
​
Limited, space: We are only taking 12 guests on this 'journey to the center'.
​
This retreat supports ethical, community-based farmers, guides, healers, transportation and tour companies who have been hand-picked to be a part of this unique, once-in-a-lifetime tour.
​
Send your inquiries to joy@joysomatics.ca
.png)
Gabi's family bee farm will light up your senses (and get your hands in the dirt!)
Visit her website to see why we included this particular farm in our tour.
Tulipe Ancestral Lands of the Yumbo People Video courtesy of Nankamu (Mateo). Visit his IG page to get to know him, preview the lands we'll be respectfully exploring and people we will connect with.
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 retreats
​
" 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
bottom of page