WHEN WILL THE RETREAT BE HELD EXACTLY?

The retreat starts Sunday, March 9th, 2025, with check-in starting at 3PM. We have planned to have our first dinner together as a group, so we encourage you to arrive close to check-in time so you have plenty of time to get settled—you can arrive earlier that day, too—the retreat staff will have a place to store your belongings until the bungalows are ready for check-in. We will wrap up after our group breakfast the morning of Saturday, March 15th, 2025. Check-out is at 11AM.

WHAT IF I DON’T SPEAK SPANISH or I AM NOT FLUENT IN SPANISH?

This retreat will be a trilingual retreat: English, Spanish, and Ingleñol/Spanglish, so no worries—besides, many of our ancestors didn’t speak Spanish either!

WHERE IS THE RETREAT CENTER LOCATED?

Barbarenas Retreat Center, Calle Conejos, Brisas de Zicatela, 70934 Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. The retreat center is gated, with no public access to the grounds, and a short walk to the beach. The center will be staffed and reserved in its entirety for us during our stay. The center is an eco-friendly environment, minimizing waste and the impact on la tierra. We recommend checking out their website and social media pages to learn more.  https://barbarenas.mx/

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

We recommend flying into Puerto Escondido Airport (PMX). Volaris airlines flies out of most major U.S. cities and tends to offer the best airfare prices. The retreat center is about a 15 minute ride from the airport. Shuttles and taxis can be taken from the airport—should you arrive around the time others do, it may be possible to organize carpool transportation—we can help facilitate this process. We also recommend having pesos on hand to pay drivers; the airport is small, and there may not be a way to get money exchanged or make a withdrawal from the ATM on-site.

WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE?

March is typically warm, with temperatures ranging from the mid 80s to the high 90s (degrees Farenheit). So it’ll be warm!

WHAT ARE THE SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS?

Mujerxs will stay in shared bungalows at the retreat center—rooms accomodate up to 4 persons (4 single beds per room), and there are also 4 nook beds with private terraces (there will be a full moon our last night there!). NOTE: Showers are solar heated and no hot water is piped into the bungalows. There are pictures of rooms on their site,  https://barbarenas.mx/ , and we will create the sleeping arrangements beforehand with your input and preference in mind.

WHAT IF I HAVE DIETARY NEEDS?

The center has a chef who will prepare all our meals during our stay. Meals are farm-to-table homemade vegan meals and include breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. We can accommodate gluten-free and other dietary restrictions upon request.

DO I HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES?

We will engage in physical activities, including walking, climbing stairs, hiking, and a temazcal (traditional sweat lodge). If you have any health issues or concerns that could limit your participation in activities like these, we encourage you to decide what is best for your health and body, and choose what activities you would like to participate in.  

WHAT IS A TEMAZCAL?

The word “Temazcal” itself comes from the Nahuatl language, meaning “house of heat” or “sweat lodge”, and originated with pre-Hispanic indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The practice of sweating in a little space was to cleanse the body, purify the soul, and restore balance to the individual and the community. The Temazcal is a representation of the womb of Mother Earth; the people participating in this ceremony enter it as a representation of entering the womb of Mother Earth and therefore has the shape of a “dome.” Heat, herbs, singing, and offerings can all be a part of the Temazcal ceremony.

Source: https://www.miabacalar.com/blog/temazcal-ceremony-benefits-to-the-body

WHAT IS MEXICA SPIRITUALITY?

We will be offering wisdom and activities grounded in the spirituality of the Mexica, centering the Sacred Directions. Each region of México has spiritual beliefs rooted in their cultural values and beliefs. We opted to center Mexica because it can encompass beliefs and wisdom shared by many different regions.

WHAT IS THE MEXICAN DIASPORA?

We acknowledge that a diaspora can be both physical, when people are widely dispersed from their homeland, as well as mental and spiritual, when we are disconnected from the teachings and wisdom that were held by our people. Many Chicanes have shared that even though they have strong ties to their families and/or to the land of México, they may know little about the wisdom and beliefs once held by their ancestors, and may not know which state(s) or tribes or peoples they are descendant from. We view Madre Tierra/Mother Earth as a living, breathing connection that can help us bridge those gaps and reconnect to our roots and raíces.

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS?

There will be the option of bodywork (massage and reiki) with Jessica Flores, as well as limpias (spiritual energetic cleansings) with Tlazoltiani as additional offerings. The retreat center also offers additional services (massage, sound bath, etc.), and these will need to be arranged with the center staff—we can help facilitate this process. Check out their site to learn more. https://barbarenas.mx/

WILL CEs/CEUs OR A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION BE OFFERED ?

We will provide a Certificate of Completion from the Institute of Chicanx Psychology & Community Wellness; this could be especially helpful to those seeking reimbursement from their employer or to write-off as a “business expense.” No CEs/CEUs will be provided. To learn more about the institute and its offerings, visit https://www.razapsych.org/

WHAT IS THE PAYMENT PLAN OPTION?

Once you submit the $500 deposit to hold your spot, you will have the option to break up the remaining balance of $1525 into as many payments as you'd like (ex: monthly, bimonthly), as long as the total exchange of $2025 is received by February 1st, 2025. You are welcome to put down a larger deposit if you'd like, and the payment amounts can vary too--we are flexible. 

We can issue you invoices/receipts for each payment made, and payments can be made through Zelle or Venmo--we are asking that any Venmo transactions not be tagged as a good or service so that we can make sure no percentages are taken out, and we can pay the retreat center staff in full.

WHAT DO I NEED TO PACK?

We will be reaching out to participants periodically as we get closer to the date, and will share what is recommended to pack and bring for your stay.

I’M INTERESTED. WHAT’S NEXT?

If you’re interested in participating, please click the button to the top right. This will automatically generate an email to us. From there, you will receive a review of our offering along with a link to a questionnaire to get you started. NOTE: If the button to “Get started” doesn’t work with your device, feel free to send an email to jessicadominguezlmft@gmail.com directly. If you don’t have a default email application selected on your device, then it may not launch, but no worries!

I CAN’T MAKE IT. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER OFFERING LIKE THIS?

We anticipate there will be a lot of interest. If you’re unable to join us this time, please submit your information—we can add you to a waitlist for the next retreat, and reach out to you when the next offering is confirmed.

CONTACT jessicadominguezlmft@gmail.com with any additional questions.