POSTPONED TO 2023!
Come enjoy summertime in February! Join Lena & Luismi for a unique yoga retreat experience in the heart of Patagonia, Argentina. We’ll enjoy daily yoga class, shared meals, hiking & nature excursions, and time for relaxation and reflection. Lena and Luismi have each led groups in various countries and are stoked to be co-leading this experience in such a beautiful place, which Luismi currently calls home. We hope you’ll join us for a week of yoga, nature, and community! This retreat includes group yoga classes each day. Lena will teach a flow class each morning and gentle yoga some of the evenings. All classes are suitable for all levels of experience. There will also be an opportunity for private yoga sessions for an additional cost.
Itinerary
5 nights/6 days. Retreat begins the afternoon of Monday February 21st with a yoga class and shared meal. Retreat concludes midday Saturday February 26th with a yoga class and shared meal.
Daily yoga with Lena
Nature excursions with Luismi
Shared meals
Day hiking in the heart of Patagonia
River access and lake excursion
Personal relaxation time
Cooking class
Visit to a local craft market
Local outings and meals
Guided meditation
And much more!
Location
La Confluencia is a mountain lodge nestled in a small, fertile valley in southwestern Argentina at the foot of the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains. The point at which two rivers meet – the Azul and Encanto Blanco rivers – gives name to the location: The Confluence. We will be in the Rio Azul Protected Natural Area. We will be located at the end of a 4WD track, 30 minutes from the nearest town, El Bolsón. We will have the entire lodge for our private retreat group with access to the hot tub, sauna, river, and other amenities. La Confluencia is a LEAF project. La Confluencia was developed by LEAF — the Land Ethic Action Foundation — as a model for sustainable, self-sufficient living in the Rio Azul Protected Natural Area, which forms a part of the world´s largest UNESCO Temperate Forest Biosphere Reserve.
About your guides
Lena Schmidt I am thrilled to be guiding an international yoga retreat again! I will be your yoga teacher and retreat co-host. I have led yoga and adventure retreats in Costa Rica, Italy, Bali, and in many beautiful places throughout California. I have experience teaching yoga, outdoor education, college writing, social justice, K-12 education, dance, and gymnastics. The physical and spiritual aspects of yoga aid me in the never-ending search for peace, calm, and positivity within. I am passionate about sharing these tools with others and forever learning through personal practice, trainings, and workshops. I am intentional about taking yoga off the mat and love finding the bridges between the heart and mind, the individual and community, and mindfulness and expression. I am also an avid hiker, a Wilderness First Responder, a Teaching Assistant for the Dimensions of Culture Program at UC San Diego, and a writer. I have recently relocated from San Diego to Humboldt County in Northern California.
Learn more about Lena: www.phantommoonholistics.com
Luismi Castro I’m a Colombian who’s been working and living in five different continents for the past 16 years. I currently call Patagonia home and I’ll be your local expert and retreat co-host. I’ve worked in the Experiential and Outdoor Education field for the past 6 years, facilitating outdoor programs for youth in California, China, Switzerland, Costa Rica, and Peru. I’m also a Wilderness First Responder and I’m passionate about hiking, rock climbing, freediving, kayaking, and basically most outdoor activities that help me connect with the natural environment. I’ve incorporated the practice of yoga into my life and I’m excited to continue exploring this form of connecting the body with the mind. I enjoy facilitating new experiences for groups, helping them expand their comfort zones, build community, grow as global citizens, and explore new cultures. I’ll be delighted to welcome you all into my Patagonia life; I’ll take on the most amazing hikes around here, show you the local craft market, teach you some Spanish phrases, and introduce you to the best Argentinian card games. Learn more about me and my projects in Patagonia at www.azulpatagonia.com
What’s included:
5 nights accommodations at La Confluencia, a mountain lodge and farm in the heart of Patagonia
Transportation to and from La Confluencia from Bariloche
Transportation for group excursions
All meals during the retreat
Daily yoga classes with Lena
Guided day hikes and nature excursions
Cooking class
Visit to a local craft market in El Bolson
Access to river, hot tubs, wood-fire sauna, fireplace, cold plunge, and the entire La Confluencia property
+ other local adventures!
+ introductory Zoom call prior to the retreat
What’s not included:
International and domestic flights
Travel insurance
Accommodations before or after the scheduled retreat
Alcoholic drinks at meals
Souvenirs and crafts from local market
Optional staff gratuity
Food
All meals are included for this retreat. Allergies and dietary preferences accommodated. The food at La Confluencia is local, organic, and farm-to-table, mostly from the farm on the property. We’ll also enjoy a meal or two at a local restaurant or brewery. Alcohol purchase is not included.
Accommodations
Single room with shared bath
Double room with shared bath
Triple room with shared bath
Payment is available via PayPal, Venmo, cash, or check. If there is another way you prefer to pay, contact us here.
$500 deposit to hold your spot!
Early bird pricing, paid before December 31, 2021
Single room: $2499
Double room: $1499
Triple room: $1299
Regular rate, paid after December 31, 2021
Single room: $2799
Double room: $1799
Triple room: $1599
All prices are per person.
$500 deposit secures your spot. Payment plans are available. After paying your deposit, you may set up a payment plan or schedule a payment for your balance. Once your deposit is received, we will contact you to collect information to customize your retreat experience: room selection, dietary preferences, and other accommodation needs.
Note: Please choose “send to a friend” instead of “paying for an item or service” to use PayPal. Please contact us if you have questions about payment prior to submitting. You can also pay us via Venmo: @LenaSchmidt (8790)
Travel/Getting there
We recommend you take a direct flight from a major US airport into Buenos Aires, Argentina. You will then take a connecting flight to San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC). Note that there are two airports in Buenos Aires: EZE (mostly international) and AEP (mostly domestic). If you arrive at one and depart from the other one for your connecting flight, you need to allocate 1.5-2 hours on top of what you normally allocate between connecting flights. Please note the time difference between your time zone and our retreat location. We’re happy to assist you in the process of booking your flights; just reach out to us: phantommoonholistics@gmail.com
The retreat begins Monday, February 21st. We recommend you arrive in Bariloche by Sunday and stay the night or arrive Monday morning. We will collect the whole group in Bariloche airport / city by noon on Monday February 21st and will drive to our accommodation for approximately 2 hours.
The retreat will end on Saturday, February 26th. After one last yoga session and breakfast, we’ll leave our accommodation and drive to Bariloche airport. We recommend you book your departing flight from Bariloche for no earlier than 3pm on the 26th. Transportation for earlier departures can be accommodated at an extra cost.
COVID precautions
Argentina’s borders are open to tourists from around the world. Current requirements to enter the country include proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a negative PRC test taken no more than 72 hours prior to flying. Once in the country, there’s no required quarantine period and most aspects of daily life have gone back to pre-pandemic states. Masks are required for entering most indoor spaces such as supermarkets, shops, and restaurants. We’ll update this page if requirements change, and we also encourage potential participants to do their own research and prepare accordingly. Lena and Luismi are both fully vaccinated. Our retreat will take place mostly outdoors in a very open air location with plenty of opportunities to be outside and to socially distance.
Refunds/Cancellation policy
Your reservation is transferable to someone else. Just let us know who will be coming in your place! Your ticket will be refunded only in the case of a national border closing due to COVID or national emergency. We strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance prior to the trip.
Note: Please choose “send to a friend” instead of “paying for an item or service” to use PayPal. Please contact us if you have questions about payment prior to submitting. You can also pay us via Venmo: @LenaSchmidt (8790)
