Dreaming the Earth: Ecological Self and Dream Retreat

Dreaming the Earth is a seven-day spiritual retreat in the Mayan jungle at Casa Arkaana in Chemuyil, about twenty minutes north of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It brings together dreamwork, storytelling, cacao, temazcal, an ayahuasca ceremony and Kundalini yoga, with the aim of restoring what the hosts call the ecological self: the relationship between the psyche and the land. It is led by Helia Aurora and Emily Gustafson for a circle of twelve guests.

The retreat is for people who want to listen to the land and to their dreams as one conversation, and who are drawn to the stories of land-based peoples. Therapists, practitioners, stewards and guides will find room to carry this relationship back into their work, and so will anyone in any calling who feels a missing thread.

What to Expect

The week moves between the dreaming and the land. Most mornings begin with a dreamshare over rose tea at 7:30, Kundalini yoga at 8:00 and breakfast at 9:00. Storytelling runs daily, drawing on cosmology, myth and symbolism. Each night closes with a dream ritual and talisman work, and guests leave with their dreams, a talisman and the stories of the week.

Two cacao ceremonies open and close the retreat. In between there is a temazcal, the traditional Mesoamerican sweat lodge, held at sundown by Kiauitl Ketzalli, followed by a plant bath with dreaming and protection herbs. A dreaming and drumming ceremony takes place on the third night. On the fourth night, Juan Carlos Taminchi and Harley Rose lead an ayahuasca ceremony in The Temple. The day after is given to an integration circle, rest, poetry and arts, and gentle yoga.

Each guest also receives a one-to-one astrology reading with Emily and a one-to-one energy clearing and attunement session with Helia. Excursions take the group to a Mayan archaeological site and a cenote, guided by the biologist Moe Sanchez, and to the beach for a day. The hosts describe the schedule as a guide rather than a timetable and adjust the days as the group moves.

About Helia Aurora

Helia is the founder of Cacao del Sol and a Reiki Master. She is a channel, ceremonialist and steward of the land and the wisdoms of the earth. She guides through Kundalini yoga, lucid dreaming and dreamwork, and ritual.

About Emily Gustafson

Emily is an astrologer, cacao facilitator, ceremonialist, poet and writer. She weaves astrology with the medicine of the earth, working through ceremony, the dreaming, storytelling and astrological guidance.

The Setting

Casa Arkaana is five acres of Mayan jungle with a hand-built temple, a pool fed by the cenote beneath the land, and a fire circle. The hosts and stewards, Asdru and Maja, live on the property with their family. The retreat has the place to itself, with no other groups or guests.

Rooms range from a glamping tent with a shared bathroom, to a shared jungle casita, to a shared or private veranda ensuite with a private bathroom. The stay covers six nights and all meals. Casa Arkaana is about ninety minutes from Cancún airport and an hour from Tulum airport, and round-trip airport transfers are included.

Before You Go

No experience with dreamwork or plant medicine is needed. What matters is willingness to listen to the land, to your dreams and to the circle.

Every participant is screened before a place is confirmed. Ayahuasca cannot be combined with a number of medications. SSRIs and SNRIs need at least four weeks off, and Prozac six, and MAOIs are an absolute contraindication. Stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse and Concerta need two weeks. Never stop medication on your own; taper with your prescribing doctor. A personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar I, a serious cardiac condition, or pregnancy also rules out participation. Participants must be 18 or older.

Included are lodging, all meals, airport transfers, the excursions, and every ceremony and session in the program. Flights, travel insurance and personal expenses are not included. At least 5% of proceeds support reforestation in the Peruvian Amazon.