Ecology of Women
9-day Mayan immersion
Womb apprenticeship Retreat
April 10 - 18, 2026
Ancestral practices led by Mayan Elders
Join us for 9-days of Ancestral Teachings, Ceremony and traditional holistic practices for Womb-centered Care from the Maya K’iche’ Cosmovision.
This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the Mayan Culture of Guatemala & learn the original ways of Womb wisdom and connection to the Elements of Nature from the Maya K’iche’ Peoples.
Align your life with the natural cycles of your womb and the Earth.
A profound study of Earth-based, Water-based, Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
A space for deep connection to your body, empowerment, self-healing, cultural immersion and sisterhood.
Rooted in the Mayan Highlands of Guatemala, our Retreat will take place at a Sacred location…
Xesampual (Heart of the Mountains), Santa Lucía Utatlán.
Known as the “Heart of the Mountains”, Xesampual is located in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala, a 1 hour drive from Lake Atitlán (the most beautiful lake in the world). A unique community environment surrounded by trees, Sacred Sites and Mayan traditions. Nana Ixquik’ and family invite you warmly to spend 9days (8nights) at their Sacred home in the mountains of Xesampual for this Retreat.
Lake Atitlán - San Marcos La Laguna.
This is our point of departure and return, an optional 3 nights accommodation at our hotel can be added in your registration: April 8-10 (before heading to Xesampual) and the night of the 18th (day of return).
**We advice our sisters coming from abroad to plan your flight to arrive at least 2 days before our start date (April 10th) so you may get everything you need at the lake to bring to the mountains and have a smooth travel experience.
Early Bird Inscriptions are open!!!
Save $500 on your retreat by enrolling early
Our Ecology is the way in which we are connected to Life by blood, literally - physiologically, by Natural Design.
~ Ecology is the scientific study of relationships between Habitat and Inhabitant. But for Indigenous peoples, Ecology is something that is understood from an embodied way of living, rather than an intellectual concept- Living by our Ecology means to live within cycles of reciprocity with the Elements that give us Life, it means to care for and nurture all that cares for and nurtures us.
- María Xtal’y
Testimonial:
“ The last week was transformational. It was an honor & a blessing to receive the transmission of sacred wisdom of plants, tijax, the faja, and the anatomy of women all from the lens of the Mayan cosmovision. As I continue to integrate this experience, I hold in my heart the moments of connection with the natural world, elements, and my ancestors”
-Briana Graming
Retreat Overview
More than a Retreat - Ecology of Women is an Apprenticeship Immersion into earth-based Womb Wisdom, while at the same time it is a cultural immersion retreat in the Mayan Mountains of Guatemala, guided by Mayan Elders and Midwives.
Our studies integrate scientific knowledge—the physiologic truths of the human body—with the profound and intricate Mayan Cosmology. Providing you practical and spiritual tools you can integrate into your daily life, professional work, mothering, partnership, relationships and your unique service to life.
By understanding our physiology, we learn what our bodies need in order to thrive, aligning with these truths is the way to sustain health and Life. Earth-based, Indigenous Knowledge Systems like Mayan Cosmovision are based on the Physiologic (Original, Natural, Divine) Design of the human body in relation with the whole Ecosystem of Life (ecology).
Over the 9 days of our apprenticeship retreat we’ll experience different traditional Mayan practices, visit a sacred site, drink Cacau in a ceremonial way, plant baths inside the Tuj(Mayan Temazcal), learn how to offer a Steam Bath session, learn to heal yourself with the Mayan Abdominal-Womb massage, study the Cosmovision, try traditional foods, sit in Sacred Fire ceremonies, receive personal and group guidance from the Elders, and SO MUCH MORE…
During this retreat we will explore topics that may challenge learned belief systems and normalized cultural practices. Approach this retreat with an open heart, a curious mind, and a willingness to self-reflect and grow.
Reconnection to the Womb
Explore the physiology and spiritual essence of the womb through the lens of Mayan Cosmology and scientific knowledge.
Rediscover the sacred cycles of the body and embrace them as sources of wisdom, vitality, and empowerment.
Healing and Empowerment
Heal inherited beliefs and cultural distortions about womanhood, menstruation, and motherhood.
Gain tools and practices like vaginal steaming, abdominal-womb massage, and working with medicinal plants to support personal and communal healing.
Integration of Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science
Learn to integrate ancestral Mayan teachings with contemporary understandings of women’s health.
Develop a holistic approach to thriving physically, emotionally, and spiritually by aligning with the natural rhythms of the body.
Connection to Ancestral and Earth-Based Practices
Deepen your connection with nature and the sacred cycles of life through rituals, ceremonies, and plant medicine.
Cultivate a sense of purpose, clarity, and belonging as a guardian of life and the earth.
OUR CURRICULUM
Guided by Earth-based, Womb-based knowledge systems through the teachings of Mayan Midwives- keepers of scientific knowledge and Mayan Ancestral Wisdom.
We dive into the spiritual, emotional, and physiological complexities of womanhood within the Earth’s Bioregion.
In this retreat you will learn:
Physiology of the womb:
Aligning to the wisdom of the 4 phases
Pelvic Breathwork & body awareness practices
Beyond anatomy - Womb as the Storm of Creation
Mayan Medicine
Self Mayan Abdominal-Womb Massage
Steam baths - Personal healing in the Tuj (Mayan Temazcal) & how to hold a vaginal steaming session.
Self Healing with the Obsidian Stone.
Ways of connection to life from the Mayan Cosmovision.
Personal Mayan Nawal Reading
Herbalism for womb care
Crafting Agua Florida & Mayan heating womb balm.
Herb allies for each phase.
Personal sovereignty through body & plant Knowledge- Maya Medicine
Gut Feelings
Physiologic nutrition for each phase
Fertility Protocol
Gut health in relation to Emotional health
Blood of Life
Ancient rites of bleeding as a revolutionary prayer.
And more...
EXPERIENCE
An immersion into Indigenous, Womb-centered, Earth-based ways of connection to LIFE in the Heart of the Mayan Mountains. An immersion into Mayan Culture and the wisdom of the Midwives.
In this retreat you will receive:
2 Sacred Mayan Fire Ceremonies
Your personal Obsidian stone
Sacred bleeding cloths
2 Healing Sessions inside the TUJ (Mayan Temazcal)
Personal Nawal Reading
Sacred Fire connection daily
Ceremony with the Spirituality of Cacau
Daily traditional foods
Sacred Tabaco and Cacau divination (a personal or group message channeled by our teachers).*
Your personal handwoven Faja
Agua Florida and womb heating balm (handmade by you)
Song Circle with Cacau- Womb and voice connection\recreational sharing
Marimba (for our 2 ceremonies)
Immersion into the Mayan Culture, the Ancestral Medicine ways and SO MUCH MORE….
Testimonial:
“ I gained strength in my connection to my womb and parts of me that I had forgotten, and I also found harmony within myself again. I take with me so much inspiration for my personal work and to continue learning in this path with Mother Earth.”
-María Corona
RETREAT FLOW
Our retreat officially starts on April 10th with our travel together from San Marcos La Laguna, Lake Atitlán into the Mayan mountains of Xesampual. However, we are including an optional 2 nights accommodation at our hotel in San Marcos from the 8th to the 10th of April to facilitate a soft arrival for the ones traveling from other countries and a 1 night accommodation at the same hotel on our return to the Lake on April 18th. So the full flow would look a bit like this:
April 8th, 2026 - Junlajuj Ajmak’ (optional)
Arrival to Lake Atitlán and check in at the hotel
April 9th, 2026 - Kab’lajuj N’oj (optional)
Day to get anything you need from town to bring to the mountain (e.g. snacks, toiletries, offerings, etc)
April 10th, 2026 - Oxlajuj Tijax
Departure from the San Marcos La Laguna in shuttle - 2:00pm
Arrival to Xesampual - 5:00 pm
Check in and dinner
Welcoming circle with Nana Rosalía
April 11th, 2026 - Jun Kawoq’
Opening Ceremony with Cacau and marimba
Plant bath in the Tuj
Introduction to Maya Cosmology
April 12th, 2026 - Keb’ Ajpu
Tabaco cleansing ceremony
Mayan Nawal reading
April 13th, 2026 - Oxib Imox
Hike to the Sacred Site, ceremonial offering
Collecting medicine for Steam Baths
Steam Bath session (Workshop)
Time for 1:1 sessions*
April 14th, 2026 - Kajib Iq’
Herbalism for womb care (Workshop)
Song circle with Cacau
Storytelling with Nana Rosalía
Time for 1:1 sessions*
April 15th, 2026 - Jo’b Aq’abal
Learning how to do a Self Mayan Abdominal-Womb massage
Time for 1:1 sessions*
April 16th, 2026 - Waqib’ Kat
Physiology of the Womb (Class)
Self healing with the Obsidian Stone
April 17th, 2026 - Vukub’ Kan
Blood of life and Gut Feelings (Class)
Massage in the Tuj
April 18th, 2026 - Waxaqib’ Kame’
Closing Ceremony with Cacau and Marimba
Departure after lunch - 2:00 pm
Arrival to Lake Atitlán, check in at the hotel (optional accommodation).
YOUR GUIDES
María Xtal’y
Born and raised in Guatemala, María is a Holistic therapist, Medicine woman, Artist and Full Spectrum Doula dedicated to serving the sanctity of life and our connection to Mother Earth. María weaves worlds through earth\water-based knowledge systems, utilizing indigenous ways of thinking to make holistic models of Physiology and Ecology. María is an apprentice of the Maya Cosmology via her relationships with Nana Ixquik’ and the family. She created the Ecology of Women course in 2024 with the intention of amplifying the voices of the Mayan Midwives and sharing what has brought healing to her own life with more women around the world.
Nana Rosalía
Is a revered Elder Midwife and Ajq’ij who comes from a lineage of traditional Birthkeepers and Time Keepers from the Maya K’iche’ Peoples. Rosalía has kept and passed down to generations Ancestral Knowledge regarding birth, postpartum, womb health and the Mayan Cosmology. She is also a survivor of the Guatemalan genocide of indigenous peoples from 1960 to 1996. Nana Rosalía has sustained the Wisdom of her grandparents, attended hundreds of births in the traditional ancestral way, she has also taught and shared her wisdom with countless people from all over the world for decades and is a pillar of true Wisdom, Love and Resilience for all the K’iche’ Peoples and the world.
Nana Ixquik’
Daughter of Nana Rosalía, Ixquik’ was initiated as an Ajq’ij (Mayan Spiritual Guide) at the young age of 13, receiving a responsibility from her Elders to share the Mayan Cosmovision through her spiritual abilities with the world especially through her work as a Midwife and with Women’s health. Ixquik’ is a spiritually gifted Healer who has developed in ancestral healing modalities known only by a few talented healers in her lineage. Ixquik’s dedication to the Sacred is felt through each word she shares, her connection with the Earth and her embodiment of Ancestral Medicine is a gift to the world.
K’ICHE’ FAMILY
We will be held at Nana Rosalía’s home for 9 days (8 nights) in the Sacred Mountains of Xesampual where the whole family is waiting to host you and share with you their sacred culture, wisdom and way of connection to life.
Inclusions & Details
What’s included:
8 nights accommodation in a shared room at Xesampual Mayan Community: Experience communal living & closeness to nature in the Mayan mountains of Guatemala, our Elders receive you in their home for this unique experience.
3 full meals per day and some snacks: Taste traditional Mayan foods and be nourished by meals prepared every day by the family, we will have vegetarian and gluten free options (please let us know any food allergies or restrictions in the application form).
Cacau and special herbal teas: Nourish the Soul with the magickal drinks of the Maya Lands.
Supplies for Offerings and Altar making: You will be provided with a base of offerings and materials for our community altar and the ceremonies. Some materials you will have to bring or buy.
Gift: Special arrival gift from our hearts to yours.
Transportation to/from Lake Atitlán - Xesampual: We will meet in San Marcos La Laguna on April 10th and travel together to our retreat destination Xesampual in a shuttle.
Pricing:
All Inclusive with shared accommodation $2,400
Early Bird: $1,900 !!! (Save $500)
Early enrollment CLOSES on January 29th, 2026
A 30% ($570 USD) deposit is required upon application.
If you are not accepted you will be refunded in full.
An exploration call is required to complete the registration process.
** Optional Add-on: shared accommodation at hotel in San Marcos April 8-10 and April 18th $200 (3 nights total, meals not included)
** Upgrades to private accommodations at hotel or at Xesampual can be discussed on our exploration call.
Not included:
Airfare, transportation to and from the airport, or travelers insurance.
If you opt for our accommodation at Lake Atitlan April 8-10 and 18th the following meals are not included: 8th-breakfast,lunch,dinner; 9th-breakfast,lunch,dinner; 10th-breakfast,lunch; 18th-dinner.
**If you’re traveling from abroad we recommend you to arrive on the 8th to have a smooth travel experience and spend 2 nights at the Lake before heading into the mountains.
Payment Plans:
After your application deposit (3o%) you can opt for any of the following payment plans:
1 payment of $1,330
2 payments of $665
3 payments of $444
**Payment links will be shared directly with you via email.
1 scholarship exchange position available for a creative photographer/videographer: full program exchange for documentation of our retreat.
IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES, SYSTEMS CHANGE & RECIPROCITY
We care about the impact that our actions have for the collective and extended consciousness of the Bioregion we inhabit. As conscious stewards of traditions of care it is important for us to direct, pour, invest our energy into building the systems of LIFE that we wish to see in the world. It is important for us that you know that your participation in this retreat contributes directly to the creation of a Mayan Birthing Home “Casa Tortuga” at Xesampual, you are contributing to the continuation of Mayan birth keeping arts and the uplifting/regeneration/continuation of Mayan Culture. THANK YOU!!
“Casa Turtuga” is a project in its initial planning phase for the construction of a Mayan Indigenous Birthing Center in Santa Lucía Utatlán, Sololá. Our purpose is clear: to create a space where life can be born in a safe, dignified and profound way connected to ancestral Mayan wisdom. “Casa Tortuga” will offer service to women, children, and families integrating millenary knowledge and modern healthcare practices.
ECO-CULTURAL TOURISM
It is one thing to travel around the world to encounter the same places, costumes and activities everywhere: fast food, parties based on alcohol consumption, meaningless conversations with strangers, artificial clothing, mass-produced products to consume… This type of tourism not only affects greatly the ecosystem - with pollution and consumerism, it also affects the Soul and ancestral cultures by erasing true diversity and replacing it with a superficial homogenous way of walking through life. Mainstream tourism is a danger to humanity, to our Earth and to every living being who has a Spirit.
It is a very different thing - a sustainable way - to travel places to contribute to the unique ancestral cultures they hold, to LEARN from the Land and it’s Peoples, to travel with a purpose of bettering our humaning. A tourism that supports indigenous communities, is based on respect and genuine connection- to the Land, to people and to ourselves. When we practice this way of traveling we create a systems change, we become part of a peaceful revolution to GIVE BACK to the millenary wisdom that resides within ancestral cultures. When we practice Eco-cultural tourism we feed our Soul with connection, ancestral knowledge and a felt sense that we are walking in a beautiful way that helps us to heal our personal and collective wounds. THIS is the tourism in which we believe, in which we participate and which we inspire people to practice.
“Every breath ever taken is still in the air to breathe. I breathe the breaths of the Ancestors, and everybody else’s too.”
ECOLOGY OF WOMEN
Mayan immersion & womb apprenticeship retreat