YOGA | REIKI | NUTRITION | PERMACULTURE | MASSAGE | NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE | SHAMANISM | BIOMIMICRY
ALTERNAVIDA | UTUADO, PUERTO RICO | APRIL 11-14, 2015
Retreating is a time-honored practice of renewing in order to emerge more loving, inspired, creative, and
effective. We invite you to a unique, transformational retreat experience to honor the ritual of self-care
and to gain valuable tools for living a healthy, balanced, and joyful life. Invest in yourself.
RETREAT DETAILS
• Mountain retreat center in Utuado, Puerto Rico
• All-inclusive (3 nights / 4 days), excluding airfare
• Includes transportation to and from facility
• Cost for retreat:
$1,290 (private room) + tax
$1,095 each (two in shared room) + tax
$895 each (three in shared room) + tax
• Space is limited. Register before February 28!
RELAX | REJUVENATE | TRANSFORM
• Take time for yourself in a beautiful and serene natural environment
• Enjoy nourishing food and daily wellness programs
• Receive one-on-one sessions from experienced wellness practitioners
• Learn practical tools for living sustainably and in harmony with nature
• Connect with others seeking to live a balanced and inspired life
• Have fun with guided rainforest exploration & meditation session
• Receive nutrient rich minerals from purple clay mud bath treatment
• Interact with wellness practitioners throughout retreat
RESERVE ONLINE at Alternavida.org/#retreat. For any questions, call (787) 510-6701
Location: Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Rd. 612, Barrio Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico (888) 343-2272
ALTERNAVIDA | PERSONAL GROWTH RETREAT DETAILS
“How do you explain three days in a space with people who think like you do, feel like you do, and generate the
type of energy that if harnessed or bottled could take the world to a whole new place, full of love, and deeds of
goodnesss, giving one hope for a kinder, gentler world.” – Jennifer Green, HR & Recruiting at Vigor Industrial
"After 60 years on this planet I felt I had life pretty well figure out. For me the Alternavida retreat opened up new
exciting paths to explore with some exceptional guides." Mark MacCracken, CEO at Calmac Mfg Corp.
HAPPY, HEALTHY PEOPLE CREATE A BETTER WORLD
We are each intricate threads woven into the complex tapestry of life. Our wellbeing is contagious; when
we glow, everything around us shines. And when we aren’t balanced and aligned with our true potential,
a shadow is cast over our passion for life. Alternavida is a place to learn, develop new tools for life, and
enjoy a safe space to explore deeply within. By slowing down, unplugging, and immersing in our own
wellbeing—physical, mental, and spiritual—we are able to discover the balance, joy, and purpose we
seek. When we eat well, free our minds from stress, and connect with nature and each other, we
experience an insatiable hunger to live life to its fullest. By investing in ourselves, we transform not only
our own lives, but initiate a shift that affects our families and communities.
PERSONAL GROWTH RETREAT
Join us for four soul-enriching days (3 nights) in the rainforest of Puerto Rico, where you’ll discover just
how amazing it feels to slow down, unplug, and completely focus on you. Guests can participate in daily
wellness offerings, group discussions, nature walks, and have one-on-one access to diverse health and
wellness practitioners for individual consultations. Alternavida’s holistic approach to sustainable lifestyles
emphasizes personal growth through the integration of topics including quality nutrition, natural health,
spiritual vitality, playful creativity, community connections, zero-waste, and deep green living. Are you
ready to expand your self-awareness and cultivate new tools to better support your own wellbeing? A
happy, healthy, more fulfilled tomorrow awaits.
Location: Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Rd. 612, Barrio Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico (888) 343-2272
SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE PRACTITIONERS
Melba Soto, RYT, NAMA is a tropical yogini and Ayurvedic practitioner. She started her
practice 15 years ago while working with Jivamukti Yoga Center in NYC. During that period she
had the blessing of meeting and studying with many renowned teachers that greatly impacted and
influenced her practice, style of teaching, and philosophy of life. She has also been studying
Ayurveda for over 10 years, integrating it as part of her personal daily practice, and has become
known for her particular work using medicinal herbs.
Joel Burrow is a Shamanic practitioner acting as an intermediary or messenger between the
human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments/illness by helping mend
your soul. During the retreat, Joel will provide a tour through the rainforest to help connect us
with the energies of mother nature. For one-on-one sessions he offers a number of the following
services: Shamanic Heart Healing, Soul Retrieval, Power Animal/Guardian Spirit Retrieval,
Shamanic Extraction, and Shamanic Divination.
Nancy Burtenshaw, E-RYT 200, RYT 500 has been involved in movement her whole life. As
a professional dancer Nancy was first introduced to yoga as a form of “stretching” and it wasn’t
until much later in life when she used it as a means to cope with difficult times. Nancy has been a
passionate yogi since 2000 and has trained in various traditions including Baptiste Power Vinyasa,
Anusara, and most recently YogaMazé. She has been teaching since 2007 and is skilled at
teaching all ranges of students. In 2011, she opened Nourish Yoga. www.nourishmoscow.com
Rebecca Sauser, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor with a specialization in Chinese Medicine. She is
passionate about holistic approaches to treating her patients by looking at their nutrition, water
intake, sleep patterns, and overall stress levels. As one of a few licensed ND’ s in Puerto Rico, she
is working to increase the islands awareness about the profession and dedicates time every year to
teaching at the University of Turabo and supporting projects like Alternavida.
Michael Krol, is a Reiki Master and Akashic Record Reader who will be offering both as one-onone sessions during the retreat. Reiki is an ancient, gentle, touch-based healing method that
stimulates the same bio-electric fields as acupuncture. Originated from Japan, Reiki helps
you relax, encourages better sleep, reduces anxiety, and allows your body and spirit to remember
how to heal. The Akashic Records are a vast database of everything that has ever taken place in
all of our past lives, helpful in overcoming struggles, fears or limitations in our current lives.
http://rakureiki.com
Karyn L Amore is a coach, speaker specializing in Peace after betrayal, and author of Ride The Dragon,
an interactive guide to self-directed joy & purpose. Karyn is dedicated to lifelong study of conflict
resolution, psychology, physiology, sexuality, conscious leadership and human potential. She is one of
only 200 elite Certified High Performance Coaches™ in the world and enjoys seeing people find joy in
aligning with their life purpose. When Karyn's not helping clients rock out their purpose with peace
and joy, she's probably out on a long walk in nature or watching one of her two sons play soccer.
http://KarynAmore.com
Jennifer García Mathews originally trained as an architect, Jennifer found her passion when
combining her design skills with the principles of permaculture and aquaponics. She also has
certificates in Yoga and Ayurveda. More recently she has been busy building a small permaculture
farm to teach others through agro-tourism tours and by providing sample cuisine offered from
the food and herbs she grows. In addition, she is part of a growing movement, FARM-acia, a
group of local organic farmers working hard to bring back the traditions of their ancestors.
Jennifer will help us tour the rainforest and bring her products for us to experience.
Yancy Wright is the retreat facilitator and founder of Alternavida. His interest in alternative
health and wellness started in the mid-90’s, and since then, his passion has grown to attract
diverse practitioners from around the world aligned by a shared vision. Over the last 11 years, he
worked as a green-building leader, educator, and construction manager for world-class clients
such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GSA, Microsoft, and Amazon. That experience
helped him see beyond just green building to the importance of a holistic approach to sustainable
lifestyles. http://alternavida.org
Location: Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Rd. 612, Barrio Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico (888) 343-2272
ACCOMMODATIONS
In the not-too-distant future, Alternavida will break ground on a one-of-a-kind sustainable wellness retreat
facility. While this vision comes to fruition, we are hosting a series of intimate, small group retreat experiences
at partner sites across Puerto Rico. The April 2015 retreat is being held at the Casa Grande Mountain
Retreat, a magical location nestled in the rainforest with simple accommodations and great food.
RETREAT ITINERARY & SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, APRIL 11th
3:00-6:00pm:
Arrive @ Casa Grande! Check-in, and relax
Receive one-on-one energy clearing from a wellness practitioner
7:15-8:30pm:
8:30-10:30pm:
Dinner (Welcome & Practitioner Introductions)
Evening Activity (Music & Dancing!)
SUNDAY, APRIL 12th & MONDAY, APRIL 13th
8am – 9:15am:
9:15-10:00am:
10:00-1:00pm:
1:00-2:00pm:
2:00-3:00pm:
3:00-7:00pm:
7:00-8:30pm:
8:30-9:15pm:
Morning Nourishment (Yoga/Meditation)
Breakfast
Group Activity (Connections, Intentions & Tools for Sustainable Living)
Lunch
Wellness Presentation (Stress Management, Mindfulness, & Self-Care)
Group Activity (Shamanic Rainforest Adventure/ Nature Connection)
Receive a private session with a practitioner (massage, shamanic healing, nutrition,
ayruvedic reiki)
Personal R&R (read, swim/sun, journal, nap, nourish)
Dinner
Evening Nourishment (Meditation, Reflection, Ceremony/Ritual)
TUESDAY, APRIL 14st
8am – 9:15am: Morning Nourishment (Yoga/Meditation)
9:15-11:30am: Breakfast (Closing Words) & Check-Out - bag lunch
2:00-4:00pm:
OPTIONAL tour of proposed Alternavida property in Arroyo, PR
Location: Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Rd. 612, Barrio Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico (888) 343-2272