The Revival Experience

The Revival Experience is a four-day, three-night yoga and wellness retreat in Franklin, North Carolina, hosted by The Yoga Direction at a private mountain estate in the Nantahala National Forest. It is for people who want a full reset away from their routine: time in nature, ceremony, breathwork, movement and silence, held by a team of yoga, shamanic, reiki and sound practitioners. The weekend is led by Christine Perez-Gray, creator of The Yoga Direction.

What to Expect

The retreat draws on indigenous and ancestral practices, and the days move between water, heat and open land rather than following a rigid program. Practices and offerings include:

- Cacao ceremony to open the heart and invite softness
- Hapé and sananga, plant medicines used to clear, center and sharpen awareness
- Temazcal sweat lodge to release and reset the body
- Mini vipassana, a period of silence and observation to quiet mental noise
- Nature and waterfall hikes to ground the body and awaken the senses
- Mana Movement, a free-flow energetic practice
- Breathwork and drums to shift internal states and support emotional release

Alongside these are yoga, meditation, sound alchemy, somatic workshops, a drum circle, ecstatic dance and a cold plunge. Meals and fellowship are part of the weekend.

About Christine Perez-Gray

Christine is the lead facilitator, spiritual guide and retreat host, and the creator of The Yoga Direction and the visionary behind its retreats. She guides the rhythm of the weekend and holds a steady, connected space for everyone present. Her work centers on people feeling seen, heard, validated and loved while being invited into something deeper.

About David Serra

David Serra is the Master of Ceremonies at these retreats, a massage therapist and functional healing coach. He leads the shamanic and ancestral healing workshops and brings an extensive background in shamanism and health, with a raw, authentic presence in his sessions.

About Moises D. Fernandez

Moises David Fernandez is a healing arts facilitator and a skilled reiki practitioner. He is also a content creator, proficient in photography and videography, and uses visual media to capture the essence of healing practices. He creates a safe space for people to explore and deepen their understanding of self.

About Megan Chatfield

Megan Chatfield is an embodiment facilitator, movement and breath guide, and elemental practitioner. She blends yogic modalities and sacred sciences developed over years of study and practice, guiding energy through movement and breath. Her work focuses on elemental balance, somatic release and nervous system regulation.

About Siren Julio-Nomicos

Siren, also known as Sirena, is an ancestral ceremonialist, Reiki Master, medicine musician and certified sound healer. She has Greek and Indigenous Colombian lineage and weaves ancient traditions into earth-based practice, ritual and ancestral wisdom. Her offerings are rooted in reverence for the earth and the ancestors.

About Alexa Villamizar

Alexa Villamizar, who also goes by Alexa Danielle, is a somatic healing practitioner, energy and sound alchemist, and the retreat medic. She is an RN who weaves modern and ancestral approaches through subtle energy practices, sound, body-based modalities and intentional ceremony. Her offerings aim to make an environment that feels steady, restorative and supportive.

The Setting

The retreat takes place on more than fifty acres of private mountain landscape within the Nantahala National Forest, near Franklin, North Carolina. The estate is secluded, with waterfalls, wide views and miles of private trails. Guests can also use the pool, sauna and game room.

Before You Go

The weekend is all-inclusive, covering the practices, sessions, meals and use of the estate's facilities. Travel to and from the estate is separate. Flexible payment options are available.