Join Amanda Riker from July 30th – August 4th, 2022 for 5 nights in our coastal Mexican paradise.

What You Can Expect

☀️ Unlimited Daily Yoga 

☀️ Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

☀️ Private Bungalow Suites

☀️ One Spa Service 

☀️ Two Guided Outdoor Excursions: Hiking the Sierra Madre Mountains and Kayaking the Boca Estuary

☀️ Live Evening Entertainment

☀️ Sunsets on the Beach

☀️ Poolside Lounge (and Jacuzzi!)

☀️ 5 Star Hotel Service 

$1800-$2300

All-Inclusive

Single, Double and Group Rates Available!

*does not include airfare

Your Host

Amanda Riker

Amanda is from St. Petersburg, FL, the sunshine city. She has been instructing yoga for 9+ years and received her teacher training certification at Yoga Tree San Francisco. Amanda teaches full time both in-studio and with one on one clients. She began leading retreats abroad last year, and thrives from curating these memorable getaways for her students and guests. As a teacher, Amanda believes yoga is for everyBODY. It doesn’t ask you to fit into some mold; rather, it asks that you listen to what your body is communicating to you, personally and unique to your own experience. Every yoga body explores a shape and does so intentionally. Her role as an instructor is to help guide you in asking what your body wants and to show you ways to make it just for you. She specializes in the fundamentals of yoga and strives to make yoga accessible to everyone. You can visit her website www.amandarikeryoga.com or find her on instagram @amandarikeryoga

Your Home

Our charming, chic hotel and yoga retreat is located on a quiet, serene beach in Playa Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

Present Moment Retreat is a powerfully transformative environment providing experiential training in the cultural arts. Surrounded by the magnificence of earth’s natural beauty, people from around the world come here to grow towards wholeness in their lives. We are dedicated to fostering deep awareness and appreciation of life through the compassionate treatment of all beings, and promoting wisdom and peace in celebration of the human spirit.

Your Boutique Bungalow

Present Moment is the perfect antidote to the chaos of everyday life. Authenticity was imperative in the construction of every inch of this resort. Thus, all bungalows have an indigenous palapa thatched roof, hand-crafted in the Mexican tradition, and are furnished with a pillow top queen-sized bed, luxurious 400 count cotton bedding and a canopy of white linen. Our beautifully designed accommodations and loving staff will please even the most discerning guests.
​
With 5 deluxe bungalows and 3 family bungalows, somewhat blurring the lines between the indoors and out, with its amazing vantage points to the sea, gardens and pool, your accommodation will be the perfect place to rest yourself after a full day of yoga and surf at Present Moment. Just a 30 second walk the beach, let the sounds of the ocean lure you to sleep each night.

With 3 air conditioned suites, for those seeking a little more similarity to the comforts of home. Centrally located, you will be just steps away from the beach, amazing yoga classes, massage, and fine dining. If you enjoy strolling the shore at sunrise, these stunning bungalows will have you on your way in no time. Hand-crafted and beautifully appointed, a true home away from home.

About Troncones & Getting Here

At the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, Present Moment Retreat combines the ambience of nature’s grandeur with personally challenging mind-body work, set in harmony on beautifully-landscaped tropical grounds.

Troncones Beach is a small, recently-developed community situated on some 3 miles of pristine Pacific beach – a strand of white sand punctuated by occasional rock outcroppings often harboring tidepools teeming with fascinating saltwater life. The charming village is home to a small school, a public library (donated by generous local residents for education of the village’s children), a church, several dry goods outlets and a few other small provisioning services for essential items. All of these are couched within a traditional and tropical Mexican ambience.

You can fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, the airport is located only 20 miles north and an easy 45-minute drive. The international airport is serviced by a number of International airlines including Alaska Airlines, Continental, American, America West, Frontier Airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. Troncones Beach is highly connected, yet still a world apart. Its proximity to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo affords you a full choice of shopping conveniences and recreational possibilities, all just a short distance from your world-class yoga retreat and resort. We can assist you with booking all flights and airport transportation.

Led by multi-talented Artist, Author, Coach, and Spiritual Entrepreneur: Zakiya Harris aka Sh8peshifter and Master Teacher Namonyah Soipan, Equinox is a 5-day 4-night immersive experience on the magical shores of Troncones Mexico, designed to discover and embrace your authentic self and develop a roadmap for achieving your truest intentions.

The Autumn Equinox represents the cycle of harvest, when we are called to integrate the lessons and insights gained during the year. This is also the season of our ancestors, when the veil thins between the heavenly and earthly realms, giving us the opportunity to communicate, and commune with those who have come before us, in order to heal traumas in our bloodline. Join us for a somatic journey to connect with your most authentic self and develop an intentional blueprint to fulfill your destiny.

What are you ready to begin harvesting in your life?

The Experience

EQUINOX was created to give you the time and space to escape from the frantic pace of the day-to-day. Together, we will cultivate life-altering skills to elevate your spirit, reconnect to the wisdom of your body, and bond with like-minded tribe manifesting the frequencies of a magically aligned lifestyle. This 4 night 5-day journey coincides with the 2022 Autumn Equinox: the season of harvest, ancestors, and inner reflection towards the year ahead. Through expertly curated somatic activations and masterclasses, each day is designed to guide you through the sacred portals of your soul to connect with your most authentic self and develop a roadmap for achieving your truest intentions.  Activations include an Opening Ceremony, Grief Work Circle, Ocean Ritual, Fire Ceremony, Reflection Time, Closing Ceremony, and so much more.

Your journey commences in Troncones, Mexico, just an hour away from Ixtapa Airport, at an exclusive oceanfront boutique hotel and yoga retreat center.  Restore yourself in a gorgeous setting with wellness classes, yoga by the sea, and morning meditation. Rejuvenate with spa & wellness treatments, and dine on plant-based gourmet cuisine. Attendees can also take in the local adventures such as sunset horseback riding, surf lessons, and even your own private embodied ocean photo shoot with celebrity photographer Bethanie Hines! Private one-on-one healing sessions are also available for booking with Dr. Namonyah Soipan.

Dear Sh8peshifter,

Are You Ready To Move From Stagnation To Activation? To Step Into Your Purpose And Live In Alignment? Equinox Was Designed To Help You Move Into The Next Powerful Phase Of Your Life. Find The Resilience To Go Deep Into The Subconscious Blockages And Say: “Spirit Assist Me In Finding The Root Cause.” Remember That You Are A Divine Be-Ing. You Are Not Here To Play Small. You Are Here As An Agent Of Change. You Are Here To Step Into Your HIGHEST Level Of Evolution. The Deepest Contributions You Will Create On Earth In This Lifetime Will Come From Within. Join Us On A Journey Of Personal Transformation, Keep Moving Forward!

For more info, pricing, accommodation details and FAQ, please visit Sh8peshifter’s website at sh8peshiftyourlife. If you have more questions feel free to book a FREE 20 min shift call with Sh8peshifter HERE or send an email to booking@sh8peshifter.com

Your Host Team

Zakiya Harris

Lead Practitioner

Sh8peshifter aka Zakiya Harris is a Healer, Artist, and Spiritual Entrepreneur working at the intersections of thought leadership and creative transformation. Sh8peshifter is the founder of Sh8peshift Your Life, a wholistic lifestyle brand on a mission to move purpose-driven creatives from stagnation to activation through intuitive coaching and spiritual wellness. She is also the author of the book Sh8peshift Your Life, the foundation of her work which encompasses over 2 decades of experience working as a leader and co-founder of various multi-million dollar startups.

As a successful performance artist, she has released two EP’s and has performed as a company member of Ase Dance Theater Collective and House Full of Black Women. Awards and recognitions include the Ella Baker Center Future Leaders Award and YBCA 100. In 2019, she traveled to Osogbo, Nigeria where she became initiated as a priest of Oya in the West African Spiritual tradition of Isese. In her spare time, you can find her near a body of water, reading Octavia Butler, cooking with her 16-year-old daughter.

For information check out sh8peshiftyourlife.com.

Dr. Namonyah Soipan

Lead Practitioner

Dr. Namonyah Soipan is a Transpersonal psychologist, acupuncture physician, and shaman. She has lived and conducted workshops internationally for over 30 years. At the age of 25, she traveled to Maasailand to live in the deep interior bordering Kenya and Tanzania. This amazing experience with the Maasai opened up a transformative shamanic healing world! She lives in paradise on the beautiful island of Saint Thomas, where she has built an Integrative Medicine Temple. She is in the process of releasing her long-awaited book: Activating Thunder.

For more information check out www.namonyah.com

Bethanie Hines

Embodied Photography

Bethanie Hines is a self-taught portrait photographer based in Oakland, California. She has captured some of the Bay Area’s leading artists, change-makers, and culture keepers, and has been featured in magazines across the country and Latin America. A committed yogi and proud mother whose children drive her to find joy in both the exceptional and the ordinary. 

“I believe in the divinely innate perfection of who we are and who we aspire to become. My goal is to inspire every client to embrace the beauty within each of their layers. Perhaps it’s a layer they’ve forgotten, worked earnestly to manifest, or one they didn’t even know they possessed. My mission is to use photography as a rite of passage; a creative, joy-filled, and mindful return to the powerful spirit residing within. Together, we embark on a process which celebrates the unique tapestry within, and welcomes the unfiltered light of simply being.cI invite you to be seen. Let’s create together and document this sacred time.

For more information check out her website.

Your Home

Our charming, chic hotel and yoga retreat is located on a quiet, serene beach in Playa Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Our beautifully designed accommodations and loving staff will please even the most discerning guests.

Present Moment Retreat is a powerfully transformative environment providing experiential training in the cultural arts. Surrounded by the magnificence of earth’s natural beauty, people from around the world come here to grow towards wholeness in their lives. We are dedicated to fostering deep awareness and appreciation of life through the compassionate treatment of all beings, and promoting wisdom and peace in celebration of the human spirit.

Your Boutique Bungalow

Present Moment is the perfect antidote to the chaos of everyday life. Authenticity was imperative in the construction of every inch of this resort. Thus, all bungalows have an indigenous palapa thatched roof, hand-crafted in the Mexican tradition, and are furnished with a pillow top queen-sized bed, luxurious 400 count cotton bedding and a canopy of white linen.
​
With 5 deluxe bungalows and 3 family bungalows, somewhat blurring the lines between the indoors and out, with its amazing vantage points to the sea, gardens and pool, your accommodation will be the perfect place to rest yourself after a full day of yoga and surf at Present Moment. Just a 30 second walk the beach, let the sounds of the ocean lure you to sleep each night.

With 3 air conditioned suites, for those seeking a little more similarity to the comforts of home. Centrally located, you will be just steps away from the beach, amazing yoga classes, massage, and fine dining. If you enjoy strolling the shore at sunrise, these stunning bungalows will have you on your way in no time. Hand-crafted and beautifully appointed, a true home away from home.

About Troncones & Getting Here

At the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, Present Moment Retreat combines the ambience of nature’s grandeur with personally challenging mind-body work, set in harmony on beautifully-landscaped tropical grounds.

Troncones Beach is a small, recently-developed community situated on some 3 miles of pristine Pacific beach – a strand of white sand punctuated by occasional rock outcroppings often harboring tidepools teeming with fascinating saltwater life. The charming village is home to a small school, a public library (donated by generous local residents for education of the village’s children), a church, several dry goods outlets and a few other small provisioning services for essential items. All of these are couched within a traditional and tropical Mexican ambience.

You can fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, the airport is located only 20 miles north and an easy 45-minute drive. The international airport is serviced by a number of International airlines including Alaska Airlines, Continental, American, America West, Frontier Airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. Troncones Beach is highly connected, yet still a world apart. Its proximity to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo affords you a full choice of shopping conveniences and recreational possibilities, all just a short distance from your world-class yoga retreat and resort. We can assist you with booking all flights and airport transportation.

An 8 day, 7 night transformational retreat to refresh, renew and reignite your spirit!

With Renowned Medium & Intuitive Life Path Coach Anna Blossom

Immerse yourself in the joyful reunion of the essence of who you are! Heal and align your vision, perception and voice as you reunite with your spirit and intuition. We will meet on a gorgeous secluded beach and experience the full moon and total lunar eclipse on November 8th.

Overview

This is an opportunity to gather in community in a beautiful tropical paradise and work directly with Medium Anna Blossom who leads people though life-changing transformation, helps them find their life path direction aligning toward what is most abundant, relevant and beneficial for, not only the self, but also for the highest good. Anna will be joined by Sound Therapist Kara Markovich and award winning Artist & Musician, Connie Cohen. Anna has been facilitating retreats with both of them for several years. 

Where we’ll stay

Our top-rated retreat center is at the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, 20 miles north of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Coast. It is a beautiful sanctuary right on the beach with miles of unspoiled white sand beaches. Eleven delightful villas around a sparkling pool, meditation gardens and an on-site restaurant that features delicious, healthy gourmet cuisine.

The Experience

Wake in the mornings to the gentle sound of the waves and warm tropical breezes. Choose an early swim, join the morning meditation and/or yoga class offered by retreat center staff or take a beach walk. Delicious, healthy, high quality breakfasts are included each day. 

Workshops and group sessions will happen daily in the Yoga Pavilion. Each day will offer a new way to explore and deepen your connection with yourself and align with the joy that feeds your soul. Workshops and sessions will include exercises and experiences to access and replenish your core essence through guided meditation, energy healing, writing, creativity, intuitive connection, sound healing, music and movement.

Afternoons are free and open for your own exploration. Take a walk on the beach, a swim or a nap, write in your journal or snorkel at Troncones point, a short walk up the beach. This is your chance to schedule one of the many offerings available a-la-carte for an extra fee: a private sound healing session with Kara or a private or small group mediumship or intuitive guidance session with Anna. The retreat center can also schedule additional adventures such as massage and spa services, horse-back riding on the beach, baby turtle release, an eco kayak tour or a surf lesson. 

The evenings will include optional group activities to move, celebrate, sing, dance, play and bring in the joy. There will be a Mexican Salsa band at the restaurant one night and on Monday evening we will hold a special full moon ceremony and celebration. The lunar eclipse will take place late that night (on Tuesday morning) starting at 2:02 am. The moment of the total eclipse will take place at At 4:59 am Tuesday morning. 

Come join us! It’s going to be joyful, magical and delicious!​

Register

To register, Click HERE!

Facilitators

Anna Blossom Cohen 
​Medium  |  Intuitive Life Coach  |  Energy Healer
Reviewed as the #1 Medium in Portland, OR on Yelp & Google since 2019

Anna leads people though life changing transformation with her ability to see and heal energy. She helps people find their life path through guiding and coaching them to reveal the beautiful truth of who they are. Assisting in removing blocks and stagnation she helps people align toward what is most abundant, relevant and beneficial for the self and the highest good. She also assists in facilitating connection with loved ones and animals in spirit. 

“The experience I had through Anna was the most profound transformation I’ve ever had. In a group setting, not only did I feel so seen and supported by those around me, but witnessing the magic and messages of healing to others was beyond powerful as well. I’m leaving this experience with a more peaceful and joyful heart, and that’s more than I could have ever asked for.” -Alison

Connie Cohen
Award winning Artist  |  Musician, Songwriter & Song Leader  |  Creative Ambassador

Writing and recording music for over 30 years, Connie’s music inspires, creates community and brings joy, connection, healing and delight. She has been a powerful song leader and co-led intergenerational singing retreats with Anna (her daughter!) since 2015. An award winning watercolor painter, she has taught art and access to creativity in many forms and has been a powerful influencer in Anna’s journey to become the healer and leader she is. Connie brings her playful spirit, her paints and her ukulele to spark up and invite in the creative muse for all of us. 

Kara Markovich
Sound Therapist  |  Writer  |  Retreat Guide & Circle Facilitator

Kara incorporates reiki, tuning forks, Tibetan singing bowls and crystal bowls to bring the body into a deep state of relaxation, allowing the body to rest, recover and heal. She offers both individual sessions and group sessions and loves sharing this experience with others in her studio in Kalamazoo, Michigan and throughout the United States. Kara has been facilitating retreats with Anna since 2018 and will bring her space holding magic and grounded leadership for the onsite running of the programs.
​
“Kara is the person that ripped the lid off my ability to connect with spirit during one of her amazing sound baths. In working with Kara through following sessions, her work has given me the ability to deepen my psychic practice. Kara’s skills in using sound to help me relax and heal has brought an abundance not only in my career but also within my personal life as well. I leave my sessions with Kara with a clarity of purpose and a core overflowing with comfort.” -Sara B.

Your Home

Our charming, chic hotel and yoga retreat is located on a quiet, serene beach in Playa Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Our beautifully designed accommodations and loving staff will please even the most discerning guests.

Present Moment Retreat is a powerfully transformative environment providing experiential training in the cultural arts. Surrounded by the magnificence of earth’s natural beauty, people from around the world come here to grow towards wholeness in their lives. We are dedicated to fostering deep awareness and appreciation of life through the compassionate treatment of all beings, and promoting wisdom and peace in celebration of the human spirit.

Your Boutique Bungalow

Present Moment is the perfect antidote to the chaos of everyday life. Authenticity was imperative in the construction of every inch of this resort. Thus, all bungalows have an indigenous palapa thatched roof, hand-crafted in the Mexican tradition, and are furnished with a pillow top queen-sized bed, luxurious 400 count cotton bedding and a canopy of white linen.
​
With 5 deluxe bungalows and 3 family bungalows, somewhat blurring the lines between the indoors and out, with its amazing vantage points to the sea, gardens and pool, your accommodation will be the perfect place to rest yourself after a full day of yoga and surf at Present Moment. Just a 30 second walk the beach, let the sounds of the ocean lure you to sleep each night.

With 3 air-conditioned suites, for those seeking a little more similarity to the comforts of home. Centrally located, you will be just steps away from the beach, amazing yoga classes, massage, and fine dining. If you enjoy strolling the shore at sunrise, these stunning bungalows will have you on your way in no time. Hand-crafted and beautifully appointed, a true home away from home.

About Troncones & Getting Here

At the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, Present Moment Retreat combines the ambience of nature’s grandeur with personally challenging mind-body work, set in harmony on beautifully-landscaped tropical grounds.

Troncones Beach is a small, recently-developed community situated on some 3 miles of pristine Pacific beach – a strand of white sand punctuated by occasional rock outcroppings often harboring tidepools teeming with fascinating saltwater life. The charming village is home to a small school, a public library (donated by generous local residents for education of the village’s children), a church, several dry goods outlets and a few other small provisioning services for essential items. All of these are couched within a traditional and tropical Mexican ambience.

You can fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, the airport is located only 20 miles north and an easy 45-minute drive. The international airport is serviced by a number of International airlines including Alaska Airlines, Continental, American, America West, Frontier Airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. Troncones Beach is highly connected, yet still a world apart. Its proximity to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo affords you a full choice of shopping conveniences and recreational possibilities, all just a short distance from your world-class yoga retreat and resort. We can assist you with booking all flights and airport transportation.

Join us for 7 days and 7 nights on a New Year retreat to rest, restore and reconnect with yourself and your practice. In the morning, wake up to crashing waves in your cabana. Stroll to the Yoga Pavilion for a morning yoga class to invigorate your body. End your morning with a delicious breakfast. Throughout the day, you will have free time to do whatever your heart desires — nap, read, journal or swim. If you’re wanting more activity, you can go hiking, boogie-boarding or snorkeling. The retreat center can also support you in scheduling additional excursions like horseback riding, kayaking, surf lessons or spa services. The evenings will include a yoga class to restore and reconnect followed by dinners and some optional group activities like live music and a tequila tasting.

​Our top-rated retreat center is at the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, 20 miles north of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Coast. It is a beautiful sanctuary right on the beach with miles of unspoiled white sand beaches. Eleven delightful villas around a sparkling pool, meditation gardens and an on-site restaurant that features delicious, healthy gourmet cuisine

Register

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot.
Retreat must be paid in full by November 1st, 2022. Space is limited. Register early!

For further questions, please email Francesca Yoga at fmbudesheim@gmail.com

Your Leaders

Francesca

Francesca Budesheim, E-RYT, MSSW (@francescayoga) is a certified yoga instructor and holistic health coach based in Austin, Texas. She completed her first 200-hour yoga training in 2010. Since then, she has studied with a variety of local and international yoga and mindfulness teachers and is currently focused on training with Tiffany Cruikshank of Yoga Medicine.

​After tearing her ACL in high school, Francesca quickly turned to yoga to rehabilitate her body. She didn’t count on the practice to also rehabilitate her spirit. While completing her undergraduate degree in Child + Family Studies and Addiction Studies and Syracuse University she completed her 200-hour training and began teaching shortly after. While studying towards her Master of Degree in Clinical Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, Francesca was given the opportunity to use her knowledge of the human body, emotion and spirit to create a therapeutic yoga group for people suffering from grief and loss. She has continued this work by designing and facilitating yoga, mindfulness and mental health focused workshops and retreats in the Austin community.

Francesca teaches strength-based, alignment focused and trauma-informed classes. She values meaningful movement that allows her students to strengthen both their physical and mental bodies. Francesca’s goal is to guide her students in using physical movement to create a deeper connection with the intuitive body.

Francesca has three dachshunds, is an ambassador for lululemon, and owns Low-Key Spiritual, a company that takes a modern approach to mental health.

Stephanie

Stephanie Pither, RYT-200 (RYT-300 in progress), is an Austin-based yoga instructor, wife and mother who has benefited from the life-changing power of yoga for more than 15 years.

She is passionate about sharing themes, or life lessons, in every class, in order to guide her students into a deeper and more fulfilling experience as they practice.

Hot Power Vinyasa is her specialty, as well as Bikram-based Hatha Yoga. Stephanie consistently delivers a vigorous and invigorating practice that is the perfect blend of sweat and serenity. And through it all, you will create space for yourself — physical space through movement, emotional space through breath, and spiritual space through meditation.

Keep up with Stephanie at @namasteph_atx

Your Home

Our charming, chic hotel and yoga retreat is located on a quiet, serene beach in Playa Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Our beautifully designed accommodations and loving staff will please even the most discerning guests.

Present Moment Retreat is a powerfully transformative environment providing experiential training in the cultural arts. Surrounded by the magnificence of earth’s natural beauty, people from around the world come here to grow towards wholeness in their lives. We are dedicated to fostering deep awareness and appreciation of life through the compassionate treatment of all beings, and promoting wisdom and peace in celebration of the human spirit.

Your Boutique Bungalow

Present Moment is the perfect antidote to the chaos of everyday life. Authenticity was imperative in the construction of every inch of this resort. Thus, all bungalows have an indigenous palapa thatched roof, hand-crafted in the Mexican tradition, and are furnished with a pillow top queen-sized bed, luxurious 400 count cotton bedding and a canopy of white linen.
​
With 5 deluxe bungalows and 3 family bungalows, somewhat blurring the lines between the indoors and out, with its amazing vantage points to the sea, gardens and pool, your accommodation will be the perfect place to rest yourself after a full day of yoga and surf at Present Moment. Just a 30 second walk the beach, let the sounds of the ocean lure you to sleep each night.

With 3 air conditioned suites, for those seeking a little more similarity to the comforts of home. Centrally located, you will be just steps away from the beach, amazing yoga classes, massage, and fine dining. If you enjoy strolling the shore at sunrise, these stunning bungalows will have you on your way in no time. Hand-crafted and beautifully appointed, a true home away from home.

About Troncones & Getting Here

At the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, Present Moment Retreat combines the ambience of nature’s grandeur with personally challenging mind-body work, set in harmony on beautifully-landscaped tropical grounds.

Troncones Beach is a small, recently-developed community situated on some 3 miles of pristine Pacific beach – a strand of white sand punctuated by occasional rock outcroppings often harboring tidepools teeming with fascinating saltwater life. The charming village is home to a small school, a public library (donated by generous local residents for education of the village’s children), a church, several dry goods outlets and a few other small provisioning services for essential items. All of these are couched within a traditional and tropical Mexican ambience.

You can fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, the airport is located only 20 miles north and an easy 45-minute drive. The international airport is serviced by a number of International airlines including Alaska Airlines, Continental, American, America West, Frontier Airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. Troncones Beach is highly connected, yet still a world apart. Its proximity to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo affords you a full choice of shopping conveniences and recreational possibilities, all just a short distance from your world-class yoga retreat and resort. We can assist you with booking all flights and airport transportation.

a dive deep into the rhythms of your own voice on the shores of the pacific

december 3-10, 2022

Join an award-winning writer and a small group of creatively invested and thoughtful writers at one of the world’s top 25 wellness centers. Not only will we focus avidly on your work-in-progress—on seeing it again, seeing it anew, seeing the outlines of its absolute most shimmering version of itself—we will also lean over the edge of doubt, where new things come from, and crack open a space for the unexpected. We will be challenged and inspired … and laugh – a lot! – while becoming vessels for creativity and breaking new ground in our work.

Inquire soon, as space is limited.

Radical Revision is an intensive retreat for writers who are ready to bring their manuscript (book, chapbook, long-form essay or story, any work-in-progress) to the next level. This retreat offers thoughtfully structured, highly engaged individualized feedback workshops for every writer in attendance, as well as inspiring craft sessions and inventive generative exercises, all carefully scaffolded to bring out the best in your work-in-progress while setting you up for your best writing long after the retreat is over.

Elephant Rock writing retreats are highly unique. People tell us year after year that no matter how many writing workshops or retreats they’ve attended, Elephant Rock is different. We build creatively intense spaces that are also deeply nurturing. This helps to open and challenge every writer at every level to go further into the work, see new angles, discover sharper facets. Our intentional workshops lead you toward unfolding and connecting, discovering and uncovering. We use precise writing exercises to guide us to the page in ways we never imagined. Language comes alive again, grows more elastic and expands with possibility. And we take your work as seriously as we take our own. Many writers find this work life-changing.

This retreat is held at the gorgeous, secluded Present Moment in Ixtapa, Mexico. Present Moment, nestled right on the edge of the Pacific, is one of the world’s top 25 wellness centers. This exclusive oceanfront boutique hotel and yoga retreat is situated on a quiet, serene beach in Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. This center offers a breathtaking setting with wellness classes, yoga by the sea, meditation, qigong, dance classes, spa treatments, as well as local adventures such as sunset horseback riding, eco tours, waterfall hiking, kayaking, surf-yoga excursions, surf lessons, and exploring the village.

During our retreat, morning writing workshops free up your thinking about words and loosen the binds on your creative process in unexpected ways. Your inner critic will fall away as you surrender to your innate ability to imagine the unknown. Afternoon revision circles bring our attention and devotion to each other’s manuscripts, offering the opportunity for illumination and transformation.

With the ocean as our backdrop, we will make full use of our environment to infuse our writing with what can only be found where we are. Writing workshops will include innovative writing exercises that engage powerful aspects of writing craft, including the senses, imagery, dialogue, and sound, among others. Craft sessions will provide a space to talk shop and seek advice on specific projects as well as universal challenges of the writing life. Student readings will cap off this rigorous, celebratory retreat.

You will also end the week with seedlings of new work in hand as well as substantial progress toward a revision of your work in progress. You can also expect to come away with many new inroads to your creative practice as well as an array of new craft tools and insights to apply to your work after the retreat is over. Our creative work will be supported by daily yoga and meditation structured specifically to foster and support creative synergy. As you connect your body, mind, and senses through movement and stillness, you release tension and cultivate insight and balance. Ultimately, you hear your own fierce, original voice again, and find exciting new portals through which you can bring that voice to the page.

Retreat Instructors

Jeannine Ouellette: Writing

Jeannine is an award-winning writer whose recent memoir, The Part That Burns, was a Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist for Women’s Literature. Her fiction, creative nonfiction, and narrative journalism has appeared widely and been supported by Millay Colony for the Arts, Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and Tin House. Jeannine has been writing, editing, and teaching for more than twenty years and is a writing mentor and instructor with the Catapult, the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. She also mentors students at the University of Minnesota, where she works as a writer and editor. Jeannine earned her MFA in Fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is working on her first novel. She is the founder and artistic director of Elephant Rock.

Billie Oh: Yoga & Meditation

Billie has been practicing yoga for ten years and is a 200-hour RYT certified teacher. The heart of their teaching philosophy is to honor the body. They believe in the power of asana (shapes) to bring the mind, body, and spirit into alignment. Their teaching is rooted in functional yoga, emphasizing bodily sensation rather than aesthetic appearances. They are passionate about expanding accessibility and approachability in yoga spaces. Billie’s movement and meditation practice translates on the page in fragmented and experimental literary works that explore the intersection of brain, body, and identity. Their writing has appeared in a variety of magazines and literary journals including Calyx, where their essay, “Bent: Daughterhood Recalled Through Skin and Bone,” was first-runner up for the 2019 Margarita Donnelly Prize for Prose Writing.

Register

Registration is simple and easy and begins with an email to us. So if you are ready or still have a few questions, get in touch!

Your Home

Our charming, chic hotel and yoga retreat is located on a quiet, serene beach in Playa Troncones, thirty minutes up the coast from Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

Present Moment Retreat is a powerfully transformative environment providing experiential training in the cultural arts. Surrounded by the magnificence of earth’s natural beauty, people from around the world come here to grow towards wholeness in their lives. We are dedicated to fostering deep awareness and appreciation of life through the compassionate treatment of all beings, and promoting wisdom and peace in celebration of the human spirit.

Your Boutique Bungalow

Present Moment is the perfect antidote to the chaos of everyday life. Authenticity was imperative in the construction of every inch of this resort. Thus, all bungalows have an indigenous palapa thatched roof, hand-crafted in the Mexican tradition, and are furnished with a pillow top queen-sized bed, luxurious 400 count cotton bedding and a canopy of white linen. Our beautifully designed accommodations and loving staff will please even the most discerning guests.
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With 5 deluxe bungalows and 3 family bungalows, somewhat blurring the lines between the indoors and out, with its amazing vantage points to the sea, gardens and pool, your accommodation will be the perfect place to rest yourself after a full day of yoga and surf at Present Moment. Just a 30 second walk the beach, let the sounds of the ocean lure you to sleep each night.

With 3 air conditioned suites, for those seeking a little more similarity to the comforts of home. Centrally located, you will be just steps away from the beach, amazing yoga classes, massage, and fine dining. If you enjoy strolling the shore at sunrise, these stunning bungalows will have you on your way in no time. Hand-crafted and beautifully appointed, a true home away from home.

About Troncones & Getting Here

At the heart of charming Troncones Beach, nestled between the lush mountains of the Sierra Madre and the sparkling Mexican Riviera, Present Moment Retreat combines the ambience of nature’s grandeur with personally challenging mind-body work, set in harmony on beautifully-landscaped tropical grounds.

Troncones Beach is a small, recently-developed community situated on some 3 miles of pristine Pacific beach – a strand of white sand punctuated by occasional rock outcroppings often harboring tidepools teeming with fascinating saltwater life. The charming village is home to a small school, a public library (donated by generous local residents for education of the village’s children), a church, several dry goods outlets and a few other small provisioning services for essential items. All of these are couched within a traditional and tropical Mexican ambience.

You can fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, the airport is located only 20 miles north and an easy 45-minute drive. The international airport is serviced by a number of International airlines including Alaska Airlines, Continental, American, America West, Frontier Airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. Troncones Beach is highly connected, yet still a world apart. Its proximity to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo affords you a full choice of shopping conveniences and recreational possibilities, all just a short distance from your world-class yoga retreat and resort. We can assist you with booking all flights and airport transportation.