LOVING YOUR PRECIOUS HEART AND BODY
SPRING EQUINOX RETREAT
A five-day Journey to ground, receive and surrender
March 19- 24 (Wed. through Monday)
MALINALCO, Edo. De Mexico, CASA XiMALI
FEBRUARY 20-24 2025
SPRING EQUINOX RETREAT
Bienvenidos!
Join us to celebrate new life! We will honor what has passed and open the doors to new beginnings so we can return to balance. More than ever, we see the lessons of what has transpired to give birth to something new and more truly unique and reflective of ourselves. Through rituals, delicious and nourishing ancestral food, sound healing, ancient mythology, indigenous wisdom, Temazcal ceremony, yoga and breath practices, deep rest, laughter, and much more, we will practice self-love and letting go. Our intention: to allow new light to flourish, connecting the past with the present, setting clear intentions and beautify ourselves from the inside out to welcome new beginnings.
BULDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH MADRE TIERRA
Come and cultivate fresh ideas and dreams for your life. Expect to be inspired as you learn tools to support your mental, emotional and spiritual bodies; at the same time, we will learn to tend to our physical vessel. You will build great relationships with like-minded people and healers, creating a harmonious community, and most importantly, you will build a great relationship with yourself and Madre Tierra. Together, we can find a path toward sustainability.
About Malinalco
Malinalco is a place where the wisdom of the indigenous people forms the heart of the community, enriching the retreat experience with deep cultural and spiritual connections. The locals provide fresh produce in vibrant open markets, embodying the echoes of an advanced Aztec culture in their way of life. Their virtues—patience, respect, tolerance, and love—are a testament to the resilience passed down through generations, shaped by the sacrifices and hardships endured by their ancestors. During our time here, we will learn from their enduring bond with the land and the divine feminine, discovering the healing energy these lands offer on multiple levels. With humility, visitors often find clarity and transformation, uncovering layers of insight and inner peace over time. The gifts of Malinalco may call you back, as its profound medicine gently works through patience and surrender.
Nearby Chalma, just a thirty-minute ride from Malinalco, offers another dimension of spiritual depth. This small community is home to Mexico’s second-most significant pilgrimage site, the Sanctuary of Chalma. Dedicated to the “black Christ,” this sacred image is said to have miraculously appeared in a cave once devoted to the Aztec deity Oxtoteotl, believed by some historians to be an aspect of Tezcatlipoca—the “smoking mirror,” a powerful figure in Aztec mythology. The sanctuary reflects a unique fusion of pre-Hispanic and Christian traditions, as the Spanish friars integrated the black Christ with local beliefs. Pilgrims today continue ancient practices: walking narrow paths to the sanctuary, bathing in sacred springs, and dancing in ritual celebration.
Program
WED. March 19
12 noon – Arrive in Malinalco.Lunch and Rest
3pm – Opening ceremony and intro circle.
5pm dinner
7pm Guided visit to downtown or REST
THU. March 20
8am Welcoming Circle and sharing intentions
8:30am Breakfast.
10am – Planting New Seeds Workshop, with Lilia and local Mexican Curanderas and midwives.
We will create a sacred space by gathering items from nature and building an altar to honor the coming of Spring. Activities: walking in nature, writing, sharing, and awakening the senses through herbs, aroma therapy, and drinks and food that honor our indigenous roots, the lands, and the beauty of ancestral wisdom and knowledge.
Learn about herbs that help us balance our body energies, our heart and womb at all stages of life. Intention: to nourish our life force as we go through our different cycles.
12pm – Break – Breath and gentle movement practice with Lilia
12:30 – Lunch
1:30 – Workshop continued: The importance of Limpias.
Learn about the history of Limpias in Mexican tradition.
Practice self-limpias: Cleansing our three energetic bodies: the physical, mental and emotional beings. Intention: to let go of the old and welcome our new life cycle.
4PM – Journal to record your thoughts and experiences, stretch, and rest.
5PM Dinner.
7PM SOUND HEALING: a deeply restorative practice for body and heart.
Closing circle.
FRI. March 21
8:30AM -Breakfast
10:30am – Guided visit to Malinalco archeological site and the beautiful museum of Mario Schneider.
Malinalco’s archaeological site, located on Cerro de los Ídolos, is one of the last and most important sacred sites of the Aztec Empire. To reach the top, visitors climb 426 steps, with informative signs in Spanish, Nahuatl, and English along the way. The site, dating back to Aztec times, was discovered in 1933 and was originally a ceremonial center for Eagle and Jaguar warriors. The Aztecs used it for rites of initiation until the Spanish arrival in 1543. Today, the site’s powerful energy and breathtaking views still evoke the presence of the ancient warriors. Our guide will share insights into Aztec mythology, including the transformation of the God Huitzilopochtli into an eagle to reach the sun, inspiring visitors with the strength and wisdom of the Aztec culture.
The nearby Mario Schneider Museum offers a glimpse into the region’s archaeology, ethnology, and botany. During a 30-minute visit, you can explore ancient jewelry, pottery, and exhibits that reflect Mexica philosophy. The museum is divided into three phases of life: the celestial world, the earthly world, and the underworld. It also houses a replica of the Cuauhcalli, or House of Eagles, from the archaeological site.
1:30pm Lunch
3pm Rest-journal-swim
5pm Dinner
7pm Sound Healing restoration and closing circle
SAT. March 22
8AM- Gentle movement and breath practice.
9AM – Breakfast
10AM: Awakening the power of your voice with singing and chanting.
Through sound, you will:
Align your chakras
Awaken your life force
Awakening your inspiration and intuition
12 noon – Lunch
1pm – Guided visit to Malinalco’s famous convent.
The convent was founded in 1540 by the Augustinian order. It is also known as the convent of transfiguration. The complex plays a very important role in the process of evangelization of the area. Through mural paintings are divided into three themes: the first is an extension of orchards and gardens where is possible to identify the indigenous flora and fauna of the time. An amazing depiction of the indigenous heart and soul and their idea of paradise. You will learn about medicinal herbs used at the time for healing, the natural dyes for mural painting, and the importance of animals for our evolution.
3:30PM – Ecological stoves: Learn about the community’s sustainable work and the importance of the ancient tlecuil turned into an ecological stove to save fuel and trees. Guided visit to a local family in the hills of Malinalco where you will see how a farmer’s family lives and makes use of these stoves to cook their daily meals. We will eat a delicious, healthy meal prepared by the local family on the ancestral Tlecuil. You will have the opportunity to make your own tortillas! using organic corn harvested by the family.
6PM – Back at home to eat a light supper.
7pm Closing circle – Meditation
SUN. MARCH 23
8AM Gentle Movement and breath practice
9AM Breakfast
10:30AM Mesoamerica Female Deities, with Cynthia Ventura. Our ideas and society have been shaped by Patriarchy. We are currently living in a masculine-energy driven world where the feminine essence has been oppressed and even denied. Regardless of our gender, balance is about reconnecting ourselves with our divine feminine and re-learn new ways to engage, grieve, create art, love, and challenge our own views of ‘success’ and ‘wealth’. With anthropologist Cynthia Ventura, we will learn about the divine feminine in ancient Mexico: Tonanzin, Coyolxauhqui, Cuatlicue, Mayahuel, Malinalli, and others. We will be inspired by the Mexica mythology where the divine feminine gives place to grace, connection, gratitude, and much healing.
12:30PM Lunch
3PM Guided Temazcal ceremony:
Be part of a most beautiful ceremony to cleanse and renew and set or remember your intentions. We will use beautiful and empowering chanting. With permission of Mother Earth, we will surrender to the power of the elements, water, fire and air, with the intention to be guided so we can heal our bodies from the inside out. A ceremony not to be missed!
5:30PM DINNER
7PM Closing circle and conversation.
MON. MARCH 24
8am – Breakfast
9:30am Departure to airport in Mexico City.
Important Information
Sliding scale:
$1700 – $2500 USD per person – shared room and bath.
8% off applies to past participants.
8 – 10 people max.
Arriving a day earlier?
You are welcome to arrive one day earlier at no extra cost. Food will not be provided if you come a day earlier, but there is a nice downtown nearby with plenty of cafes that offer great food, or you may cook at home.
$50 charge will apply for special ride service from airport.
If you wish to stay extra days:
If you wish to stay extra days after the retreat, please contact Lilia at: 415 395 6002, for more info.
Sobadas (deep body work, which includes a limpia) available for $50 usd.
Application deadline: FEB 28, 2025
We can offer 30% off (with work trade) to TWO people who qualify.
A contract will be signed upon approval.
INCLUDED IN THE FEES
Included in the fees:
-Pick up and drop off at airport.
-Room and board – all three vegetarian and/or vegan home-made meals. You will enjoy the nourishing and delicious cooking by our favorite Mexican cooks. All fresh and organic ingredients.
-Snacks, fruit, coffee, tea.
-All workshops, classes, lectures, and guided Temazcal ceremony.
-Tours to archeological sites and markets (entrance fee not included. They range between $5 to $10 usd).
-Outdoor swimming pool on site
-Jacuzzi (limited hours) on site.
For questions on fees, please contact David Roman at davidroman88@hotmail.com
For questions on facilities and program, please email Lilia Roman at LIRIOroman@gmail.co
Steps to apply:
Send email to Lilia
Fill out Application
Upon approval, make 50% deposit
Rest of payment must be made by March 5th, 2025
MALINALCO
PLACES TO
VISIT
Ruta del Mezcal
Up in the beautiful hills of Malinalco, just minutes from the town of Malinalco, we will find the land abound with local agave plants. Very nice workers, or mezcaleros from the “fabricas” will welcome you with mezcal. This agave distilled, known as Mezcal, (not Tequila), continues to gain global popularity. The delicious artisanal mezcal tasting will certainly lift your spirits. In these “fabricas”, you will learn the complete art of making mezcal, the production of agave and the distilling process; you may even lend a helping hand smashing up the roasted piña. This area also offers beautiful views of the mountains. Come and expand your horizons within and without as you awaken and uplift your spirits.
Live Museum & Art Wood Galleries
Live Museum – Museo vivo: A very original place that seeks to teach about nature conservation. It is housed in an old mansion and consists of three rooms where you can admire a collection of live insects, reptiles, and fish, Outside, there are displays of various local plants and vegetation. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday; 9am to 5pm.
Art wood Galleries: Great wood artists reside in Malinalco. Everywhere you go, you will find great wood art, from small hummingbirds to large statues representing mythological figures and nature. A special gallery in Malinalco will delight you with some great pieces of artwork made by local artists.
Los Rebozos de Tenancingo
Tenancingo is about thirty-minute ride from Malinalco. Tenancingo is internationally recognized for the elaboration of the traditional rebozo shawls. Most “talleres, or fabricas” have been around for generations; normally, the business is a family business inherited from one generation to the next and usually, the entire family works in the taller. Their high-end line consists of shawls, which are made with 100% high quality Egyptian cotton made in a colonial loom and dyes with natural dyes. It takes from months to a year to finish these special rebozos that Frida Khalo wore, so they are considered a work of art. The rebozos are all unique designs with geometrical patterns. They are hand-woven and hand embroidered with cotton thread and wool yarn, available in different sizes, with or without fringes. New, innovated designs can now be seen in local high-end stores and boutiques, but Tenancingo still offers the best purchase opportunity for your Mexican rebozo.
Chalma
Chalma is only a thirty-minute ride from Malinalco. Chalma is a small community part of the municipality of Malinalco where most people are dedicated to the pilgrims who come to visit the Sanctuary, the second most important pilgrimage site in Mexico after the Basilica of Lady of Guadalupe. The Sanctuary is dedicated to an image of what many people describe as the “black Christ” on a cross that legend says miraculously appeared in an area cave where the worship of a deity commonly known as Oxtoteotl used to take place. Some historians say that Oxtoteotl is an aspect of Tezcatlipoca, the “smoking mirror”, a central deity in Aztec religion associated with night, sky, hurricanes, obsidian, and confusion, and that the black Christ is really Tezcatlipoca. Historians say that the Spanish friars superimposed the black Christ on the existing representation of Tezcatlipoca in order to convert the natives; this was their way of resisting complete evangelization.
Pilgrimages to this Christian sanctuary follow many of the patterns of the pre-Hispanic rituals, including walking the narrow paths to the town itself, bathing in the waters of a special fresh-water spring and dancing at the sanctuary.
Xochicalco
Xochicalco is located in Morelos state, about 1.5-hour ride from Malinalco. It is an exceptionally well- preserved example if a fortified political, religious and commercial center from the period of 650 -900 that followed the breakup of the great Mesoamerican states such as Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Palenque and Tikal. In this period of political instability and commercial competition, the military infrastructure became crucial, and new settlements were founded at easily defensible sites equipped with ramparts, moats, palisades, bastions, and citadels, Xochicalco is the supreme example of Epiclassic, fortified city. It appears to have been the creation of settlements in the large region, which is now constituted of the state of Guerrero, Mexico City, and the state of Morelos. A large number of impressive public and religious structures were erected in a very short time, and these show cultural influences from the Central Highlands, the Gulf Coast, and the Mayan region.
The City was founded in the second half of the 7th century A.D. on a series of natural hills. Substantial engineering work, in the form of terracing and massive retaining walls, creates a series of open spaces that are defined by platforms and pyramidal structures. In the Xochicalco archeological site, we can now enjoy the first and most beautiful ecological museum of Morelos.