7 Days to Total Health - Yoga, Ayurveda, Mindfulness Retreat

Introduction

This Yoga, Ayurveda, and Mindfulness Retreat is designed to guide you in taking the first steps towards building lasting, practical habits to balance your body and your mind. By taking yogic lessons away from the yoga mat and into your life, we can learn to approach life in a healthy, holistic manner. The course focuses on practicing the four major pillars of a balanced yoga lifestyle: physical yoga asana practice, breath and energy work, healthy food and nutrition habits, and mindfulness.

Led by Doron Hanoch, author of The Yoga Lifestyle, you will be encouraged to explore the negative patterns that are holding you back from integrating these healthy habits into your life. In addition to daily pranayama, zen meditation, and yoga asana practice, the program includes afternoon workshops on specialized topics such as Ayurveda and Zen Mindfulness.

It’s time to give your body and mind the attention they deserve. Spend a week living in the abundant natural beauty of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, eating homemade vegetarian food, and enjoying the company of a supportive yoga family. This retreat is a perfect a way to reset from the stress of your everyday life, and provides practical steps to move forward with a new perspective of joy and gratitude.

Praise for the Yoga Lifestyle (Yoga, Ayurveda, and Nutrition) Retreat:

“Last week I did the six night “Yoga Lifestyle” workshop… The web site’s detailed description of the goals and activities of the workshop came to fruition. Doron is an inspiring yoga instructor and is very attentive to needs of the students. He really cares, plus he is incredibly knowledgeable about yoga philosophy and yoga asanas, and he is able to effectively work with the group as well as on an individual basis within the group… Food at the center is consistently delicious and healthy.. Staff was also always helpful and upbeat… I am certain that there is going to be a carry over and long term positive effect on my yoga practice, and this is bound to infuse the rest of my life.” – Almade, Daly City, California – stayed February 2019. Read the full review on TripAdvisor.

Highlights

• Daily morning yoga practice in a beautiful Shala space with panoramic views of Lake Atitlan, volcanoes, mountains, and the Tzununa river
• Learning mechanics of yoga poses to perfect your alignment
• Pranayama practices to enrich your energy and life force
• Zen meditation
• Osho Kundalini meditation
• Zen Dance
• Yoga, meditation, and wellness workshops
• Yin Yoga to deepen flexibility and balance the body
• Joy-enhancing techniques to help practice gratitude
• Thoughtful, time tested yoga teachings and hands-on assists from an incredibly experienced, internationally acclaimed yoga teacher
• Three delicious vegetarian meals served daily in a communal style
• Swimming in beautiful Lake Atitlan
• Our Temazcal, a traditional Maya sweat lodge and natural sauna
• Exciting evening activities like fire-side Zen talks and chants
• Staying in the serene Maya village of Tzunana and exploring the distinct and charming towns of Lake Atitlan
• Living in a spiritual community with like-minded yogis

What’s included

• 6 nights accommodation
• 3 vegetarian meals daily: curated offerings made with locally-sourced food and high quality ingredients
  • Coffee with breakfast
  • Unlimited herbal tea and filtered water
  • Fresh smoothies and juices with meals
• All yoga instruction
• Pranayama and breathing exercises
• Zen Meditation
• Tips and tricks to advance your yoga practice and integrate the Yoga Lifestyle into your life off the mat
• Guided meditations, programs and workshops
• Time to explore the distinct and charming towns of Lake Atitlan

What’s not included

• Tours and other excursions
• Extra snacks and beverages
• Transportation to and from the retreat (we are happy help to book transportation for a fee)
• Massage therapy, Spanish classes and consultations with our experts

Yoga

The Doron yoga method (based in Ashtanga from primary through third series) blends yin and yang, core work, strengthening and deep stretching. Classes offer challenging poses and sequencing, but the flow is slow, mindful and focused. Be ready for a great workout and lots of laughter, plus tips and teachings to help you advance rapidly. Doron Yoga is a sustainable yoga system, where safety comes first and foundations of correct alignment are tailored specifically to each individual. We build up to the most advanced practices according to each student’s level and needs. Learn and receive amazing hands-on assists from a loving, compassionate, enthusiastic, and energetic teacher who has over 25 years of teaching experience and has studied yoga with experts around the world.

Itinerary

Schedule

• 5:00 – 6:15pm Opening Circle (arrival day)
• 6:00 – 7:00am Meditation and Pranayama
• 7:00 – 8:45am Doron Yoga asana practice
• 9:00 – 9:30am Breakfast
• 1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch
• 4:30 – 6:30pm Afternoon workshops
• 6:30 – 7:30pm Dinner
• 7:30 – 9:30pm Rest and Optional Activities

Your days begin with pranayama (breathing practices), meditation, and yoga asana. This practice, which lasts a total of 2.5 hours, is the perfect way to begin your day from a place of bliss. Practice is followed by a yummy and nutritious breakfast featuring a variety of superfoods. After eating, retreat guests have a break, providing an opportunity to relax or explore. We are happy to help arrange activities such as stand up paddle boarding, massages, market visits, Volcano hikes and more.

It’s also fun to just sit on one of our many hammocks, relax by the river on our property, or bond with new friends. Lake Atitlan is only a seven minute walk from the retreat.

In the afternoons we will deepen yoga practice, dance, sing and play. We will soften into yin, relax into yoga nidra and understand better how to follow through on resolutions. Doron will guide you through meditations and intention setting to help you reach your goals.

Prepare to laugh, dance, practice some powerful yet loving yoga, focus your mind like a Jedi and love yourself and others like never before!

Afternoon workshops

These inspiring workshops provide an opportunity to dive deeper into the practice and gain more knowledge from an expert yoga teacher.

Ayurveda: Learn more about your Dosha (mind-body type) and what this means to your life. We will explore how to balance your specific dosha through identifying your strengths and where you can improve. This empowering session will help you improve your physical and emotional well-being through the power of Ayurveda – a holistic healing system which has been in practice for over 3,000 years.

Yoga Lifestyle practices: Develop daily morning and evening routines to create a holistic health regiment. Learn how to introduce simple practices like gratitude meditations, intention and resolution setting, sleep exercises, intermittent fasting, nauli, oil pulling, tongue scraping and more to improve  wellness.

The food and nutrition sessions: Discover ways to improve your diet through learning about nutrition and health system fundamentals.

Topics include: Ayurveda, Raw food diet, Macrobiotics, The Flexitarian Method, Food Types (nightshade, fermented foods, soy, dairy, healing oils and more), revolutionary studies on best diet practices

You will also learn quick, practical recipes and cooking tips to simply and effectively improve your eating habits.

Yoga and your body: Q&A about the yoga lifestyle: Integrating mindful morning routines, nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and more into your daily life. It’s recommended to read The Yoga Lifestyle by Doron Hanoch before the retreat.

Zen Mind: How does your mind influence your happiness? Tips regarding meditation, walking meditation, improving brain functioning, and more to improve your mental health.

About Doron Yoga and Zen Center

Doron Yoga & Zen Center is a spiritual eco village, based on permaculture principles with Zen inspiration. Our grounds have a majestic view of Lake Atitlan and the surrounding volcanoes and villages. We are part of the Maya village of Tzununa and our property is only a seven minute walk from Lake Atitlan.

Accommodations

All of our accommodations are new construction and built with ecological practices in mind. Rustic and charming, rooms have either a jungle, garden, or lake view; they are decorated with murals, local art and textiles.

The property offers three types of rooms: private rooms with ensuite bathrooms, private rooms with shared bathrooms, and dormitory rooms with shared bathrooms. All bathrooms have showers with either gas or solar heated water and western toilets (eco treatment). We source water from a spring supplied by the municipality as well as river water that runs through the property.

We have three private rooms and two dormitories which share bathroom facilities. Private rooms sleep two people, while dormitories sleep 5 – 6 people. Our shared bathroom is outdoors with private stalls; it has three western-style toilets, two showers and two sinks with gas-heated water.

We currently have three private rooms with en-suite bathrooms in our “Casa Amor” log cabin accommodation. These rooms each have a skylight and a bathroom featuring a shower with locally sourced slate. Other elements include hand carved mirrors, bamboo and wood finishings, local hand crafted furniture and orthopedic beds. The three rooms share a deck with hammocks and chairs overlooking our beautiful garden and Lake Atitlan.

Amenities

• Comfortable beds, linens, pillows, and towels
• Free WiFi
• Heated Water
• Housekeeping service
• Private storage
• Yoga Shala
• Buddha Cafe:
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner served daily
  • Snacks and beverages available for purchase
• Permaculture organic gardens
• Fire pit
• Temazcal: traditional Maya sweat lodge/natural sauna (fee)
• Riverside massage room (fee)
• Laundry service (fee)
• On-site activities (more information below)

Yoga Shala

This beautiful practice space stands on stilts next to the Tzununa River with full length windows and sliding glass doors. The sounds of the river permeate the space, which features jaw-dropping views of Lake Atitlan and its surrounding volcanoes and mountains. Inside, the yoga shala features high, insulated ceilings held up by bamboo pillars and a sprawling cypress floating floor. The cane, Cyprus, pine, and stones used in the construction are locally sourced and built with care by community workers. Permaculture principles are followed to ecologically enhance the construction quality, garden, and design functionality of the center.

Grounds

We follow permaculture and sustainable design principals to ensure DYZC is eco-friendly in its construction and functionality. The Tzununa River runs through our grounds, where guests can enjoy meditation in chairs and hammocks. A path paved with local stones runs alongside the river, through our garden and around the property. We grow coffee, bananas, avocados, lettuces, beans, yams, radishes, herbs and around 30 other fruits and vegetables which can all be enjoyed when you dine at Buddha Cafe.

We have a beautiful fire pit under a grand Jocote tree more than fit for climbing. Our Temazcal is a classic Maya ceremonial sauna to help you detox and cleanse your body. For an additional cost, we offer massages and Spanish classes on property.

The energy of the earth itself is positively charged; the DYZC is built on a high-frequency vibration land. As one guest stated: “center” doesn’t seem to be the most fitting word – maybe something like dream village, yoga farm, or riverbank Zen oasis.

Buddha café

The Buddha Café is a wonderful meeting place. This outdoor deck dining space overlooks the lake; it is surrounded by the lush landscape and has a variety of seating (and hammock!) options. It serves nutritious and delicious gourmet vegetarian food, which you can read more about below. One of its primary highlights is the great company; meals are served and enjoyed community-style. Travelers meet to share stories, experiences, a cup of tea, and so much more. Rest, connect with new friends, and enjoy delicious food and snacks.

Food

“…We absolutely loved our experience. We definitely recommend eating the food there and you will probably meet lovely and interesting people while you’re at it.” – Alice, TripAdvisor Review

Three vegetarian meals are served each day. Our daily offerings have an international inspiration, mixing traditional Guatemalan fare with Doron’s Mediterranean touch. Meals are made from fresh  produce; to the greatest extent possible, food is organic and locally sourced, sometimes from our own garden. Gluten free and Vegan diets can be accommodated upon request.

Each meal is substantial, varied and nourishing to energize you through your yoga practice.

The menu at the Doron Yoga & Zen Center is designed with the guidance of founder and director, Doron Hanoch, who is also a professionally trained chef and certified nutrition consultant.

Some examples of our offerings include raw, cooked and fermented foods, healthy sauces and condiments, homemade jams and peanut butter, fresh homemade granola, baked sourdough bread, fresh tortillas and pizza cooked in either our clay or wood-burning ovens.

Snacks are available throughout the day. Try our chocolate chip banana muffins, vegan power super food rich bliss balls (made with local Maya raw cacao), vegan black bean brownies, or our homemade kombucha.

Notes: Be mindful of food and water hygiene, as stomach issues are not uncommon for travelers in Guatemala. We advise visitors to bring grapefruit seed extract to use daily. Remember to bring along any other supplement that helps soothe your tummy.

Local Activities

Lake Atitlan is an internationally recognized spiritual center hosting multiple holistic and spiritual retreat destinations.

On-Site Activities

• Yoga and Meditation Classes
• Holistic lifestyle coaching
• Zen Dance
• Bonfires with Zen talk
• Massages (fee)
• Temazcal Ceremonies (fee)
• Private Spanish classes (fee)
• Yoga Lifestyle consulting (fee)
• Acro/Silk yoga classes (availability dependent on enrollment interest)
• Cooking classes: learn how to make authentic tortillas with our Maya cooks (fee)

Activities around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

• Walk / hike around Tzununa, through the mountains or to nearby villages
• Swim in the lake or chill out on the dock with awesome volcanic views
• Stand up paddle boarding in Panajachel or San Marcos
• Waterfall hike (seasonal)
• Hike The San Pedro Volcano (with guide)
• Kayak in San Marcos or San Pedro
• Venture by boat or tuk-tuk to one of the neighboring towns and shop for traditional crafts; enjoy sightseeing in these unique Maya villages

How to get here

We’re happy to help arrange shuttles to the property from the airport, Guatemala City, and other popular tourist destinations around Guatemala. Please keep in mind that the lake is located several hours away from the airport, as this may affect travel times. For our full list of recommendations on booking flights and transportation, please check out our transportation guide here.

To get to DYZC from La Aurora International Airport (GUA) or Antigua please do the following:

1. Take a public shuttle to the town of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. We can arrange a private or shared shuttle for you.

2. From Panajachel travel to Tzununa (our village) by taking the boat (lancha) in the direction of San Marcos (Tzununa is one stop before San Marcos). The last boat from Panajachel is at 7pm. There are also private boats available. You can take a boat from San Marcos or San Pedro as well (last boat is at 5:30pm).

3. In Tzununa, take a tuk-tuk from the dock to Doron Yoga – all tuk-tuk drivers know where we are.

We can also arrange a shuttle from the airport directly to DYZC. It takes a bit longer as they go around the top of the lake, but on the other hand you get into one shuttle all the way here.