When womeN gatheR
Join us for a beautiful week long women’s retreat in the Sacred Valley of Peru
There is something ancient that awakens when women gather.
We are so excited to invite you to join us to be apart of this journey of remembrance.
The creation of this retreat is truly an answered prayer.
Welcome to When Women Gather
This retreat experience will be held at Anahata retreat center in the Sacred Valley of Peru, by Sami and her childhood best friend Lindsay. Lindsay and Sami both stand rooted in a devotion to womanhood, and healing arts, and together they carry the codes of a 30 year long sisterhood. They have witnessed, held, and supported one another through life's many chapters of challenge and expansion, and they are passionate about creating this container where more women can step into the medicine of being held in the loving embrace of sisterhood. This retreat has been their dreams for years (the first of many is the prayer). So in advance, we are SO grateful to the sisters who feel a call to be a part of co-creation. We trust is will nourish your heart and soul.
Both Sami and Lindsay have dedicated their lives to a life of studying and practising healing arts. With a focus on exploration, remembering, and resurrecting the wisdom of being a healthy, embodied women.
Lindsay has focused on the arts of Āyurveda and Yoga weaving these ancient wisdoms into women’s health, prenatal yoga, and beyond. For over a decade she has studied under different master's of the tradition, with her main teacher being Dr. Vasant Lad. Lindsay has created her own Yoga school, and spends her life dedicated to practising, embodying, and sharing this medicine with her community. You truly haven't come across a teacher quite like her.
Sami has focused on diving deep into the realms of the womb, and the psyche. Her path has been rooted in studying and working as a therapist/ women’s mentor. After studying traditionally, she made the decision to step away from the path of traditional licensure, to be able to weave the teachings and methods that felt most aligned and supported. Both within this work as well as alongside it, she has dedicated herself to the initiations/rites of passage that are a woman’s cycle, pregnancy, and birth.
Our Vision & Prayer
To find slowness, in a busy world.
To find connection, in a culture of disconnection.
To find sisterhood, in a world that so often asks women to walk alone.
To find connection to the Earth, in a life spent behind screens.
To find presence, in the midst of endless distraction.
To find softness, where life has asked us to harden.
To find courage, where fear has kept us small.
To find our voice, beneath the noise of expectation.
To find rest, without guilt.
To find beauty, in simplicity.
To find reverence, in the ordinary.
To find ourselves, by remembering we were never truly lost.
May this be a homecoming—to your body, to the Earth, to the circle, and to the woman you've always been.
Sisterhood is a divine thread within this retreat. It is something that we believe is calling to be healed and reclaimed within the collective.
It is through the ancient technology of sitting together in circle, that we are invited to step into sharing, vulnerability, story telling, listening, learning, and holding one another. When women gather with intention and prayers, beauty is activated.
Through our small group setting, we will create the space for deep connections to flourish. We will hold and witness one another as we move through different ceremonies, excursions, and conversations. We will celebrate each-others expansion and inspiration, and ultimately we will support one another.
The creative energy that lies at the root of being woman, often brings many responsibilities. Whether you are a maiden, mother, or elder, devoted to your career, holding a family, showing up for the community or discovering your place in this world... it can be a lot to hold. The truth is, we all need space to relax, rest, and unravel. We need space to be held. We need space to hold ourselves and connect to the deeper layers of wisdom within.
It is our prayer to create that space for you to slow down and remember the joys that come from connection, community, and and exploring the world within.
The Magic of peru
Peru, and especially the mountainous lands of the Sacred Valley, carry the ancient wisdom on the Incan’s, as well as the energy of the current local indigenous people; the Quechua people.The culture here is very intact, inspiring and touching. The Mamitas still where their traditional clothing, walking the streets with their alpacas, sheep, cows, as they go about their lives as they have been for centuries; rooted in simplicity and connection to their land.
The artisinals of these lands are rich with color and creativity. An art form that has been handed down generation after generation. For this reason, we have woven a day into this retreat to learn from an incredible local woman about dyes and the creation processes (see the schedule on the following page).
The mountains here are known as “Apu’s”.
The word Apu means “spirit of the mountain”. Each Apu is known to have a name, as well as a unique personality, medicine, and wisdom. The people here are deeply connected to the Apu’s, and it is our prayer that you connect with them and feel deeply impacted by their grace.
We have woven 2 excursions to sacred sites (a third if you choose to join the Huachuma Hike and experience the cactus medicine that is a tradition of these lands).
First you will experience Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is known as “the lost city in the clouds”. It sits at approximately 7,970 feet and is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world. It was built by the Inca’s in the 15th century and then abandoned during the Spanish conquest. It was hidden until rediscovery in 1911. The ruins of Machu Picchu are remarkably woven into the mountains themselves. It is truly something incredible to witness and experience.
Secondly you will experience the Incan ruins of Ollantaytambo, “the living Inca town”. Unlike Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo is both an archaeological site and a living town where local Peruvian live and flourish to this day. Many of the streets still follow the original Incan design and water channels constructed centeries ago continue to flow through the village. It is truly a unique and special place to experience and explore.
Lastly, for those choosing to stay with us for the incredible experience of an Andean mountain Huachuma ceremony/hike, you will get to experience one of Sami and her partner Michael’s most beloved sacred sites in the valley. A place that has touched their life and family in miraculous ways. The site is called Huchuy Qosqo “the little Cusco about the valley”. This site overlooks the retreat center in Lamay where you will be staying during the retreat. It is a quieter, more untouched site, that holds a deep magic.
Our Schedule
