With Paula Gissel Yama
Guided by the wisdom of the elements, this retreat opens a path back to ancient knowledge and the deeper layers of the inner self. Blending yogic teachings, meditation rituals, and artistic exploration, participants are invited to reflect on presence, ancestral lineage, and the elemental forces that shape life.
The experience places special focus on awakening and balancing the Root and Throat Chakras, encouraging authentic expression and a clearer connection to personal truth. Each session is crafted to nurture respect for one’s own journey and for the natural world, supporting a more harmonious relationship with the rhythms of life, nature, and spirit.
Each morning begins by awakening the senses through Hatha kriya yoga and dhyana practice, along with Bija mantra, movement, and/or a sound relaxation offering.
Evenings are devoted to a range of worldly practices, including ancestral voice work and tribal movement to stir dormant energy, or Yin/restorative yoga to open the heart and release old, unwelcome layers.
Shamanic Drum Journey
Rooted in Gissel’s lineage as a Zapotec woman from the Oaxacan region, this Shamanic Drum Journey invites connection with guides, ancestors, or spirit animals. Ancient rhythms create a powerful pathway for insight and guidance.
Drawing Meditation
This guided drawing meditation centers on deep listening to the body and its inner landscapes. Through slow, intuitive mark-making, participants are encouraged to observe form, sensation, and presence, cultivating appreciation rather than representation.
Inspired by Gissel’s background as a fine art painter and her contemplative approach to drawing, this session supports focus, heightened awareness, and embodied intuition in a calm, reflective space where creativity and mindfulness meet.
Body Paint Ritual
This grounding body-paint ritual uses natural mud to invite a deeper relationship with the earth and the body. Through slow, intentional application, touch, and presence, the practice explores texture, weight, and sensation, allowing layers to be seen, felt, and released.
The ritual supports grounding, embodiment, and a return to raw, instinctive expression, creating space for both play and deep inner listening.
Gissel’s retreats are an invitation into deep connection. Through movement, sound, and water, she creates a space where healing unfolds naturally. Drawing from her Oaxacan roots and ancestral wisdom, she encourages guests to slow down, listen, and rediscover the natural flow of being. With her guidance, each session becomes a ritual of presence, liberation, and transformation, supporting a renewed sense of balance and vitality.
EXTRA PRIVATE SERVICES: 1:1 Reiki Sessions
Paula Gissel Yama is a painter, sound therapist, yoga instructor, and massage therapist whose work is shaped by a deep connection to her Oaxacan roots. Guided from an early age toward the healing arts, she has woven ancestral knowledge into her practice through the wisdom of her grandmothers, healers, and temazcaleras. Her relationship with water is especially central to her...
Read morePaula Gissel Yama is a painter, sound therapist, yoga instructor, and massage therapist whose work is shaped by a deep connection to her Oaxacan roots. Guided from an early age toward the healing arts, she has woven ancestral knowledge into her practice through the wisdom of her grandmothers, healers, and temazcaleras. Her relationship with water is especially central to her...
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Price
On request
Please contact the organizer directly for pricing information
Sun, Jul 19 – Fri, Jul 24