Pause Into Presence

A Yoga & Medicine Retreat
-> Cusco, Peru
december 16 - 21

This retreat is a sacred offering — a ceremony of life itself.
High in the sacred mountains of Peru, we invite you into a space of deep remembering and meaningful connection. Through yoga, dance, nature, and guided ceremonies with cacao and other sacred plant medicines, you’ll be guided back into your body, back to your essence, and back into alignment with the natural cycles of life.This journey is for those who are ready to reconnect — with themselves, with nature, and with Spirit. It is for the ones who have been longing for a safe and sacred space to be held, to heal, and to feel. Together, we will move, breathe, dance, and shed the old skins of who we thought we had to be, awakening the soul’s deepest truths through ceremony, community, and conscious presence.Guided by the wisdom of the Andes, we will work with the three worlds of Andean cosmology — the lower world of healing and shadow, the middle world of the human experience, and the upper world of vision and connection to Spirit. This year, under the sign of the serpent — a symbol of shedding and renewal — we honor the medicine of letting go. We celebrate life, death, and everything in between, dancing with the cycles rather than resisting them.

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Workshops & Offerings

- We will be exploring a range of movement and meditation with daily classes and workshops such as yoga, dance, meditation and singing
- Hayhuariqui (Despacho) Ceremony: Andean offering ceremony led by a Q’ero Andean wisdom keeper with translator
- 2 cacao ceremonies
- An optional Ayahuasca ceremony, connecting and learning with this sacred plant medicine from the Amazon
- Learning about alter creation, prayer and manifestation practices
- Working with the three worlds of Andean cosmology, helping us connect with spirit and the cycles of nature
- Hikes to nearby ancient Incan ruin sites
- Fire circles and ceremonies
- Pre-retreat and post-retreat support: Benefit from preparation calls before the retreat and integration calls afterward, ensuring a seamless experience
- Noble silence each morning, an invitation to go inward and practice starting your day with deep listening

* Please note: The Ayahuasca ceremony is optional and with an additonal cost of $80. This includes pre-retreat and post-retreat support with preparation and integration calls, ensuring a safe and healthy integration.

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Where We Will Be:

Pachānanda retreat center
cusco, peru

Nestled in the hills just above the city of Cusco, Pachānanda Retreat Center is a serene and powerful sanctuary surrounded by peaceful nature, mountains, hidden waterfalls, and ancient ruins. Pachānanda offers a space for deep healing, reflection and connection.We will be spending a lot of time in the beautiful Temple/Yoga Shala, practicing our daily yoga and meditation and where we will be working together with most of the workshops and ceremonies.
You can enjoy the rooftop and which looks out to Apu Ausengate and bathe in the sun, or relax in the cosy garden space, where we will be spending some nights around the fire.
There are plenty of cozy, quiet, and communal spaces both indoors and outdoors for socializing and relaxing.Rooms are communal with two shared bathrooms, each with three hot showers.The Saqsayhuaman Archaeological Park among other ancient ruins sites are just next to Pachānanda, creating a magical atmosphere full of mystery and power. You will be surrounded by plenty of shorter and longer hikes to ruins, temples, and waterfalls, where we will be visiting together, and where you are also free to explore in your free time.
Within hours of Pachānanda are many other cultural and historic sites also including Cusco, Apu Ausangate, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, the Sacred Valley, Urubamba, and more. Perfect for spending some time before the retreat to acclimatize, or after the retreat to integrate and connect deeper to this magic land.

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What's Included:

- Accommodation (6 nights, 5 days at Pachānanda)
- Meals: 3 healthy vegetarian/vegan meals daily
- Daily yoga and meditation practice
- 2 cacao ceremonies
- Hayhuariqui (Despacho) Ceremony: Andean offering ceremony led by a Q’ero Andean wisdom keeper with translator
- Alter creation, journalling and other manifestation practices
- Dance workshop
- Coca fire circle
- Kirtan/singing circle
- Hikes to nearby sacred ruins
- Delicious and healthy food
- Dance workshop

What's Not Included:

- Optional Ayahuasca ceremony (an additional $80, (includes pre and post ceremony integration calls)
- Airfare
- Ground transport to Pachānanda
- Visa (if applicable)
- Travel Insurance

Example of Daily Schedule:

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Your Host:

Vida Joy Polakov

Vida is a passionate guide and student of movement, nature and the human spirit. Growing up on the coast of New Zealand in the forest, a deep sense of wonder and gratitude for the natural world was born, instilling a lasting sense of wonder, gratitude and curiosity that continues to guide her journey today.Her path began with classical ballet, studying full-time in Australia and performing professionally with the West Australian Ballet Company. Yet despite the structure and success of city life, Vida felt the call to return to something deeper — to her own natural rhythm, to freedom, and to the wild beauty that first shaped her.Following her heart, she shifted paths and immersed herself in outdoor education and yoga, completing a Certificate in Outdoor Adventure Education in New Zealand and her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with the Kula Collective in Guatemala. These experiences sparked a clear vision: to create spaces where movement, nature, and inner exploration come together - offering others the chance to reconnect with themselves, and remember the truth that lives within.For the past few years, Vida has been traveling and learning throughout Central and South America, deepening her practice and expanding her offerings to include yoga, meditation, cacao ceremony, and music. Her work is rooted in the desire to help others listen to the quiet wisdom of their hearts, and to support people in honoring their own creative, intuitive paths.She is honored and grateful to be co-creating this retreat in the sacred mountains of Peru — a space for deep healing, reflection, celebration, and reconnection.

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