We'll wake up to nature's bliss with some meditation and mindful movement in a hatha vinyasa flow class from 7:00a-8:15a. We'll enjoy a fresh breakfast and then have a free day to soak up the view, journal, hike to a nearby waterfall, or whatever your heart desires. At around 4:00 p.m., you'll have the option to participate in a Despacho Ceremony, a traditional shamanic ritual to bring us into harmony and balance with the natural world. From 6:00p-7:30p, Melissa will guide a gentle yoga class to nourish the body and soul as we embody the essence of the ceremony. This will be followed by a divine dinner at 7:30.

We'll come together for a morning meditation and yoga flow before breakfast. After eating, we'll head out with local guide, Valentin, to visit some of the sacred sites of the region. We'll drive through mystical mountains to the town of Chinchero where we'll visit several temples and a women's weaving cooperative to see how they use traditional Inca patterns and dyes. We'll then visit Moray, an Inca agricultural site to contemplate the ancient concentric circles. Finally, we'll visit Maras, a collection of salt mines that have been used since pre-Inca times to evaporate salt from an underground stream. We'll arrive back to Yoga Mandala at around 4:30 and convene for a group discussion from 6:00-7:30. Dinner will follow our discussion circle.

After meditation, yoga, and breakfast, we'll pack our bags for an overnight near Machu Picchu. You may leave your other belongings in your room. We'll take a packed lunch from Yoga Mandala and travel to Ollantaytambo. There we'll visit the town and Incan ruins before taking a train to Aguas Calientes for the night before visiting the amazing Machu Picchu! We will have a discussion at the hotel if space and time permit followed by dinner.

Our day starts bright and early at 6:00 to arrive at the mystical Machu Picchu. If we're lucky, we will find a place to hold a short meditation. Valentin will give us a tour of Machu Picchu from 6:00-9:00. Those who want to climb the precipitous steps of Huayna Picchu, will visit from 10:00-12:00. After this we'll have lunch before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo at 2:55 p.m. We estimate arriving back to Yoga Mandala between 6:00 and 6:30. Since it is unlikely we will have time for a discussion this evening, we will take an informal discussion to the dinner table at 7:30.

Before we part ways, we'll come together for one last meditation and yoga session. After breakfast (mid-morning), a private group shuttle will take us to Cusco. Our official retreat terminates here, but you're encouraged to discover Cusco for a day or two before returning home. It's a magnificent city, so please make time to explore it!