OAXACA, MEXICO : PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART - January 20 - 27, 2024

Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-ha-ka) is known throughout the world for its exquisite cuisine. We will nourish our senses and our bodies with delectable Oaxacan food and drink as well as participate in making chocolate and other edible delights.

the Heart is the center of the whole body/mind system. In order to thrive, we need to have a healthy Heart. This means not only moving our body and keeping our energy circulating, but also attending to the healthy flow and expression of our emotions and the longings of our soul.

The emotion associated with Heart health is joy, and the energy of joy, both quiet and exuberant, infuses life in Oaxaca. Chocolate, which also permeates Oaxacan existence, is bitter in nature (although sweetened for our consumption!), and the bitter taste is "medicine" for the Heart, filling its needs for joy, connection, and healthy emotional expression.

During our time in Oaxaca, therefore, we will steep in excellent "medicine" for our Hearts. We will allow the burdens we have been carrying to dissolve in the light of this special place, and we will allow the Oaxacan medicine of love, kindness and joy to permeate every cell of our bodies. ❤️

Regenerative travel is an exciting new approach in tourism that involves carefully and intentionally choosing where we travel, where we stay, who we visit and why. By so doing, we intentionally connect with local people and use our tourist dollars to directly enhance their lives. We create authentic connections by learning about locals' lives and culture directly from them and help them earn a living wage. Our experiences are less "extractive" (i.e, simply taking without knowing the people who are creating the goods or services, also called "transactional") and more "regenerative" (i.e., respecting the place and its inhabitants, and consciously striving to be a force for good).

Regenerative travel experiences involve connecting with nature, honoring the history and wisdom of the places we visit and the locals we interact with, and directly supporting local ventures and families.

Another integral part of the regenerative travel experience is inner exploration in tandem with the outer journey. Along with nourishing our bodies and our senses, we nourish our spirits by reflecting upon what we are experiencing and thereby watching our inner selves grow and thrive.

As a lifelong explorer, I am passionate about supporting travelers in connecting authentically with diverse people, places and cultures. As a longtime healer, I love helping others venture safely out of comfort zones in order to expand our brains through curiosity and newness while nourishing our hearts through authentic connections. I lovingly curate every aspect of my trips so that you feel wonderfully taken care of and are able to relax into the flow of the experience as we explore the world together. And, since this is your trip, you are welcome to sit out any of the group activities should you wish.

For more about my work as a travel advisor, which includes leading small groups trips since 2017, click here.

Click here for more information about regenerative travel.

Journey from your home to the warm, welcoming town of Oaxaca. Our gem of a hotel in the center of Oaxaca is called El Diablo Y Sandia, a relaxing and comfortable home away from home that is close to everything and yet quiet. 

Our group will come together for an afternoon welcome circle at the hotel and group dinner at one of Oaxaca's amazing restaurants.

After a delicious breakfast, we will gather in our first morning circle to bring our energies together and orient to the day. 

We will spend the morning on a guided walk through Oaxaca town, ending at a local market, where we will nourish our senses with the sights, sounds and aromas before sitting down to a group lunch.

In the afternoon, we will visit special galleries and museums that highlight the diversity of Oaxacan art and craft. 

We will travel outside of the Centro today, stopping first at a 2000 year old ancient Zapotec archaeological site called Dainzu. Our Once guide will guide us in the ceremony of making offerings of our intentions for this pilgrimage.

We will continue to the village of Teotitlan del Valle, where we will visit the Vida Nueva women's cooperative. (Check out their colorful Instagram.) We will learn about the villagers' time-honored tradition of using dyes from nature to color textiles, and we will have the opportunity to dye a small piece of our own cloth.

Next we will visit local chef Trini, where we will learn how to make chocolate and be treated to a traditional Oaxacan meal.

Enjoy the morning at your leisure. In the afternoon, we will leave for the village of Santa Catarina Lachatao in the Sierra Norte. Lachatao is one of the eight villages that comprise the Pueblos Mancomunados, literally "commonwealth villages," that have joined together to create a communal ecotourism project to generate a sustainable source of income for their communities. They have built an extensive network of hiking, cycling, and horseback riding trails that connect all of the villages. All of the profits remain right in the community, helping to build schools, homes, or better infrastructure.

We will be staying in a large house that has rooms sleeping two or three people, each with its own access and a bathroom with running water and flush toilets.

All meals during our time in Lachatao are included.

In the morning, we will take a guided hike on the land around the village and forage for medicinal plants. 

The afternoon will include a traditional bread or molé-making workshop.

After breakfast, we will bid adios to Lachatao, making our way to Tierra del Sol, a beautiful permaculture farm devoted to sustainable living. We will be treated to a tour of the property and will be able to have a swim before lunch there with produce grown on their land.

In the afternoon, we will revisit our intentions for the pilgrimage as we participate in a sacred cacao ceremony.

The day is yours to spend as you wish.

The trip will officially conclude with our last Council/sharing circle in the late afternoon, followed by our  farewell group dinner.

We will enjoy one last breakfast at El Diablo Y Sandia before heading off to our next destination. Home? Mexico City? another place? 

Wherever your journey takes you, may you hold the warmth of Oaxaca in your heart and soul. Buen viaje!