PrairieSol "Dia De Los Muertos" Mayan Retreat - October 28 - November 4 2022
Contact us at info@prairiesol.ca or 204-887-4572
Testimonials
"Eight months prior to the PrairieSol retreat in Cancun, my life partner suddenly & unexpectedly passed away due to a massive stroke, and then my mother passed away not long after due to a concussion from a bad fall.
My misgivings about travelling alone & living with women I hardly knew in a place I never visited were outweighed by my need for healing & connection brought on by my losses. So with the encouragement of a good friend, I took the plunge & signed up.
The two orientations prior to the retreat were very helpful to address my misgivings. It was easy to tell that many months of planning and lots of attention to detail had been invested by the facilitators.
Seven women in total, we stayed in a beautiful clean and spacious house with a pool in a gated neighbourhood of Cancun. It was lovely for walking and getting to restaurants, banks, and shops. A talented cook served delicious meals (catering to all of our various food allergies) for breakfast and lunch and provided ready-made healthy snacks to take along on our excursions.
This was a wellness retreat and the facilitators were “up for the task” of spending a week with women carrying deep emotional pain of all kinds. Barbara and Eugenia are skilled trained therapists unafraid to care & share from their extensive experience.... at the same time deeply respecting where each person is coming from.
Healing activities, all optional, included early-morning roof-top yoga with a skilled & gentle instructor, meditation sessions, guided journaling, and creating personal vision boards. We also attended traditional Mayan ceremonies including a cacao ceremony and a sweatlodge. These were new cultural experiences but we entered them together, realizing our need & the opportunities for healing and fresh starts.
We also spent time on the beach & in the ocean, swam in underground rivers (cenotes), shopped, visited Mayan ruins and attended a breathtaking cultural show at Xcaret. An excellent driver took us everywhere we needed to go with no hitches at all. The videographer was discreet & respectful. The mosquitoes were less respectful but nothing a few doses of antihistamine couldn't remedy.
Thank you to Barbara and Eugenia for dreaming large and following their hearts to create this retreat for people who crave deep healing. I made new friends who are courageously facing the truths of their lives and encourage me to do the same even after the retreat has ended! - Liz Plett "
"I was walking through the park when I saw the poster for PairieSol Retreats. I was very intrigued because 6 months ago I had told my family that I was going to go someplace warm for my birthday and the date of the retreat was one day after my birthday. I had never traveled alone or participated in a retreat before so I was glad there was a presentation where we could meet and see what happens at retreats. I found that the itinerary for this week was what I would envision I would need and enjoy.
I loved starting each morning with gentle yoga on the rooftop with the sun coming up with the tropical birds greeting us and then to the kitchen to see Teresa’s warm smile and coffee already made and a beautiful breakfast. She also spoiled us with authentic Mexican dishes for lunch. It felt so nice to have someone cook for me and also to experience the Mexican food. After breakfast we would take time to discuss the day ahead and set an intention to think about during planned activities. I loved walking around the neighbourhood in the evenings and feeling very safe.
I enjoyed going on the excursions and learning about the Mexican culture and history. We went to two different healing ceremonies that were very interesting and I always appreciated to see John our driver to bring us to and from these destinations and to keep us all together when we were at the any outings.
Thank You for taking into consideration the needs that I had expressed and finding ways to accommodate me for this week. The house is gorgeous, clean, spacious and situated in a safe neighbourhood which I enjoyed walking through to get a fish taco or pick up something at Walmart.
I am honored to be included in your first retreat and to experience with my Sol Sisters who shared true authentic parts of themselves and listened while I shared mine. I have learned new tools to aid me on my path and incite and deeper understanding of others through your planned activities, understanding and support. Thank You Eugenia and Barbara for everything! Please save a spot for me next year! Love Corrine "
PRAIRIESOL Testimonial for November 2019
" I was looking to elevate my spiritual practice. After reading the self-help books, the books about awakenings, and many genres of spiritual books, the “PRAIRIESOL” retreat was presented to me. I was in need of healing from a betrayal and decided at the last minute, on a whim, to give myself permission to take one week for myself, away from my life to attend. How was I to know it would change my life? I knew only one of the participants (one of the therapists), but I met some of the most amazing women who would become my sisterhood of like-minded seekers and teachers. We were there for different reasons, but soon discovered that we were more alike than what our first impressions decided.
Mind, body, soul is what we worked on. Our Days started with Yoga on the rooftop as the sun rose and the birds sang. Meditation, setting intentions, group teachings and sharing is how we spent our days. We did this on the beach, at the river, at the pool and at the dinner table, among other places. We learned and performed ancestral rituals and ceremonies, helping us to honor our planet, and our spirits within. There was time for creating the lives we wanted and there was time for sharing our personal and collective challenges. We were careful to honor the precious hearts of our sisterhood, only sharing what was comfortable and supportive. We learned that crying is cathartic not only for those who allow themselves to be vulnerable but also for those who witness with whole hearts.
Our accommodations were fantastic. Our delicious meals were prepared for us. All the activities were organized. We had a kind driver who assured our safety. This enabled us to be wholly present and we all benefited from it. I am so thankful to have stumbled on to this retreat.
A healthy mind is what many of us seek. Sisterhood is helpful. My life is better for meeting these women and doing the work. My life is better because I attended the PRAIRIESOL retreat in Cancun, Mexico, 2019.
Lizanne Laurin"
"The PrairieSol Wellness retreat was an amazing experience. Barbara and Eugenia are very skilled in thoughtfully designing the workshop exercises for the participants to engage in. There were group experiences and time to reflect on our own. The day trips were planned to further enhance the work we did during the day. I experienced personal growth to move forward along my life journey. I had just retired at the beginning of the year and this retreat helped me to be in this different place in my life.
I also enjoyed the cultural experiences that were planned.
The accomodations were very comfortable and inviting. We had delicious homemade meals for breakfast and lunch. All outings and transportation was arranged, we just had to go along.
I felt blessed to teach morning yoga on the rooftop of the home we stayed in. It was a wonderful way to be in a place of quiet reflection to start off the day.
I would highly recommend this retreat!
Gail "
" Eugenia and Barbara lead a heart-centered, loving retreat in a beautiful home in a peaceful neighborhood in Cancun. They pushed me to go out of my comfort zone to grow and explore new ideas. We experienced a combination of wonderful cultural experiences with downtime making vision boards and having girly time as a group chatting and dipping into the pool. A great way to see the Yucatan on a first trip, or to try new adventures if returning to the area. Highly recommend. xoxo Leigh "