Yes! When you register, you can pay in full or make payments. I don’t charge extra for payment plans.

After you register, I’ll set up a recurring payment plan dividing the balance equally by the number of months left before the trip. The balance must be fully paid by March 21, 2025.

Here are two examples of how payment plans work:

Book in November

• Lisa books a ticket at the $1995 rate on November 20, 2024. $1995 – $500 deposit = $1495 balance
• $1495 will be divided into 4 payments (December 20, January 20, February 20, March 20) of $373.75.

Book in January

• Andrea books a ticket at the $1995 rate January 15, 2025. After her deposit, the balance is $1495
• $1495 divided into 2 payments (February 15, March 15) of $747.50
  

Remember that the $500 deposit is non-refundable so I strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment.

• Daily yoga workshops: yoga classes, dry land surfing prep workshop, yoga pose troubleshooting, Headstand Party, yoga nidra
• Surfing lessons: Amber’s in-water prep class, plus a surf lesson with professional instructors (board and rash guard included)
• Silent disco dance party (if you’ve never tried silent disco, you are gonna LOVE it)
• Body image and self-acceptance workshops
• Jungle night hike to a secret beach
• Daily sharing circles to celebrate your wins and cheer on your new besties
• Your chosen accommodation at our beautiful, lush hotel home for the week
• Welcome dinner our first evening together
• Fresh, delicious breakfast buffet every morning
• Lunch at Chumuk, a truly unforgettable, sustainable, farm-to-table restaurant just outside town (transportation included)
• Professional photograph of your surfing adventure
• Limited edition t-shirt to commemorate the event
• Private, safe transportation to and from the Puerto Vallarta airport to our hotel in Sayulita

• Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
• Airfare to Puerto Vallarta
• Lunches or dinners (except our welcome dinner and lunch at Chumuk) – check out the FAQ question “Tell me about the food” for more info
• Additional excursions
• Golf carts, scooters, bicycles, or other optional transportation
• Alcohol
• Gratuities

Yes. I strongly advise everyone to purchase travel insurance in connection with all bookings. While the coverage provided by travel insurance varies based on the policy you purchase, as a general rule, this type of insurance may provide coverage for a variety of losses which you may incur relating to a booking, including losses relating to trip cancellation, illness, injury, theft, lost or damaged property, etc.

Be aware that, except for the limited refund rights in the cancellation policy, you are 100% responsible for any losses, penalties, fees, or other financial consequences arising out of any booking or trip, or the cancellation or interruption of any booking or trip (including, by way of example, costs related to airline tickets and fees, passport fees, visa fees, medical expenses, etc.).

For all of these reasons, I urge you to purchase travel insurance promptly following booking.

Please fly into the Puerto Vallarta airport (PVR). Transfers will be arranged from the airport only.

Arrival transfers will only be offered for flights arriving between the hours of 12pm and 5pm on arrival day and flights departing between 10am and 4pm on the departure date.

It’s about 45 minutes to 1 hour drive from the airport to Sayulita, depending on traffic.

In order to take advantage of transfers to our hotel, please note: arrival transfers will only be offered for flights arriving between the hours of 12pm and 5pm on arrival day and flights departing between 10am and 4pm on the departure date.

This retreat is for women and gender minorities. It is not a space for cisgender men.

Let me try my best to be clear. Women (and people of other gender identities who grew up socialized as women) share certain lived experiences in our patriarchal culture. We receive implicit and explicit messages about “our place in things” that men don’t. We’ll be untangling the ways that cultural conditioning about womanhood overlaps with our sense of self, especially with regards to body image.

This retreat is a space for women as well as anyone who was raised or socialized as a woman. Trans women are welcome, as well as transmasc and non-binary folks who were socialized as women (regardless of how they identify). It is not a space for cisgender men.

If you have questions about whether you should attend, please contact me and we can discuss!

Meals included in this retreat:

• Welcome dinner at our hotel
• Breakfast buffet every morning at our hotel
• Lunch at Chumuk, a local farm-to-table restaurant

All other meals, you will get yourself, dining out in town. Catering group meals at the hotel is quite expensive, so I structured it this way to keep costs down.

I also wanted to give you the chance to experience the amazing Mexican food and culture of Sayulita by eating in its many local restaurants.

The food is fresh, affordable, and lovingly prepared. I have never had a bad meal in this town! I ate almost exclusively vegetarian when I was there, many restaurants have good vegan and gluten-free options.

When you register, you’ll have a chance to tell me about any dietary restrictions so I can make sure the hotel caterers take good care of you.

Yes! If you book into a shared room and are coming alone, we will pair you with another retreat participant who’s requesting the same room type.

You’re also welcome to book shared accommodations with a friend. Let me know you’re booking together when you register.

If you’re traveling in a group of 3 or 4, let me know when you register. I may be able to shift you to a more suitable room within the hotel (2 queen beds, or a small suite with 3 beds). Booking availability is subject to change at any time, so book early to ensure your desired arrangement!

I’ll send you a complete packing list before the retreat, but you don’t need any complicated or fancy items. Sayulita is a beach town and extremely casual.

I’ll be bringing comfortable, casual clothing, a couple bathing suits, cover-ups for the beach and pool, comfortable walking shoes, and stuff like sunscreen and bug repellant.

Reach out to me and let’s talk!

I am planning for us to be a group of 12-15, depending how folks book into the rooms.

Meals included in this retreat:

• Welcome dinner at our hotel
• Breakfast buffet every morning at our hotel
• Lunch at Chumuk, a local farm-to-table restaurant

All other meals, you will get yourself, dining out in town. Catering group meals at the hotel is quite expensive, so I structured it this way to keep costs down.

I also wanted to give you the chance to experience the amazing Mexican food and culture of Sayulita by eating in its many local restaurants.

The food is fresh, affordable, and lovingly prepared. I have never had a bad meal in this town! I ate almost exclusively vegetarian when I was there, many restaurants have good vegan and gluten-free options.

When you register, you’ll have a chance to tell me about any dietary restrictions so I can make sure the hotel caterers take good care of you.

Yes! I specialize in adaptive, inclusive yoga practice for all bodies and ability levels. This is low-pressure, judgment-free yoga led by a “non-typical”, plus size yoga teacher.

The yoga that I practice is not designed to be a strenuous workout. These are easy movements and big deep breaths that meet your body where you are today. Lots of options and modifications will be offered for any practice I lead.

We will workshop and troubleshoot poses or transitions that don’t work for our bodies, and you’ll leave with new tools to personalize your practice.

Yes!

As a beginner surfer, I’ve noticed that surfing is made up of 2 main things: catching waves and all the other stuff.

Catching waves looks like:

• Riding the waves mermaid style on your belly
• Cruising into shore riding the board on your knees or in a kneeling lunge position
• Standing on the board for a second and falling off
• Standing on the board for a few seconds at a time (then, falling off)
• Falling off at any time for no reason when you thought you “did it right”
• Getting tumbled around by the waves after you fall off, pretty much every time 😂
• And so on

But catching waves is a small part of surfing. Surfing also looks like all this stuff:

• Putting on your rash guard and sunscreen
• Carrying your board to the beach
• Warming up your body with some stretches and movements
• Practicing your pop-up
• Walking or paddling your board out to where we catch waves
• Learning to paddle your board
• Learning how to navigate waves while on your board
• Learning to balance on your board on your belly
• Learning to sit on your board
• Learning to read waves
• Learning where not to be when a wave comes in
• Sitting on your board watching for waves
• Carrying your board back up the beach
• Digging sand out of every crevice 😂

Surfing is a fun, challenging, complicated activity. You may be wondering, “Will I stand up on the surfboard and catch a wave?”

Many, many people do stand up during their first lesson! There’s no guarantees in life (especially in the ocean, with constantly changing conditions), but to manage your expectations:

I took my first surf lesson at age 42 in Sayulita. I stood up on the board 4 times during my very first surf lesson. I would estimate that in a week of surfing, with about 100 attempts to catch waves, I stood up 6 times. Your mileage may vary.

Everyone that attempts surfing will catch a wave. Some of us will go in on our bellies (it’s so fun this way, you look cute, feel like a mermaid, and everyone’s butt looks good in this position 😂), some of us will catch waves on our knees or a kneeling lunge position, some of us will stand up for a few waves.

I’m hiring a photographer to capture pictures of our surf lesson. You’ll get a professional photograph to remember your experience. I can’t wait to share your first surfing lesson with you!!

If you want to take more than one surf lesson, I’ll connect you with our instructors so you can arrange it while we’re in town. They can take you to other beaches in the area, too.

Sayulita is a small, walkable town, and our hotel is a 5-minute walk from the beach, restaurants, nightclubs, pharmacies, and more.

If you don’t want to walk everywhere, that’s cool! Take it easy! There are many rental agencies in town that will rent you golf carts, scooters, bicycles, or motorcycles at affordable prices so you can explore at your own pace.

This retreat is for women and gender minorities. It is not a space for cisgender men.

Let me try my best to be clear. Women (and people of other gender identities who grew up socialized as women) share certain lived experiences in our patriarchal culture. We receive implicit and explicit messages about “our place in things” that men don’t. We’ll be untangling the ways that cultural conditioning about womanhood overlaps with our sense of self, especially with regards to body image.

This retreat is a space for women as well as anyone who was raised or socialized as a woman. Trans women are welcome, as well as transmasc and non-binary folks who were socialized as women (regardless of how they identify). It is not a space for cisgender men.

If you have questions about whether you should attend, please contact me and we can discuss!

Reach out to me and let’s talk!

U.S. citizens will need a passport to visit Mexico, but no visa is required at this time. Passports will require at least one blank page for an entry stamp. Entry information can change so please visit the State Department page for up to date information.

Citizens of all other countries should check travel requirements well in advance of their retreat.

Yes. I strongly advise everyone to purchase travel insurance in connection with all bookings. While the coverage provided by travel insurance varies based on the policy you purchase, as a general rule, this type of insurance may provide coverage for a variety of losses which you may incur relating to a booking, including losses relating to trip cancellation, illness, injury, theft, lost or damaged property, etc.

Be aware that, except for the limited refund rights in the cancellation policy, you are 100% responsible for any losses, penalties, fees, or other financial consequences arising out of any booking or trip, or the cancellation or interruption of any booking or trip (including, by way of example, costs related to airline tickets and fees, passport fees, visa fees, medical expenses, etc.).

For all of these reasons, I urge you to purchase travel insurance promptly following booking.

Yes, the hotel has WiFi throughout, as do many cafes and restaurants in Sayulita.

Check with your cell phone provider about cell service in Mexico. Many U.S. cell phones will work with no modifications, some will need to purchase an additional plan to use while you travel, and others will need to notify their cell provider about the travel in order for the phone to work outside the U.S.

You should call your cell provider well in advance of getting to Mexico to ensure uninterrupted service.

Yes, you will need to have some cash on hand. Many businesses in Sayulita take credit cards, CashApp, or Venmo, but some are cash only. You’ll also want cash on hand for gratuities and other incidentals.

I recommend avoiding the currency exchange at the airport. The rates are terrible compared to what you’ll get at the ATMs in Sayulita.

Check the exchange rate that your bank offers before you get to Mexico to ensure that you’re getting a good rate from the local ATM. You can choose to decline the local rate and use your bank’s rate if that is better. Most Mexican banks will have staff that speaks English if you need help.

Not really! The staff at the hotel speak English, as do many of the people working in hospitality in Mexico. You should be able to get away with ordering in restaurants and buying things in shops just fine with English and a little creativity. Smiles, gestures, “por favor” and “gracias” can get you far.

However, I recommend learning a little bit of Spanish for travelers, it will make you more confident and make life easier for you when you’re in town dining and shopping. Plus, your world opens up when you interact with locals in their own language. Learning a little Spanish shows respect to the people whose home we are enjoying.

After my trip to Sayulita in April 2024, I started learning and practicing Spanish using the Language Transfer podcast. It’s an amazing resource for learning conversational Spanish quickly, and I highly recommend it. It makes language learning feel like a game! There are also lots of great YouTube videos that will teach you some basics.

Reach out to me and let’s talk!