7 Days Oshun Goddess Afro-Cuban Healing Retreat for Women in Cuba
Discover the spiritual part of Cuba
Oshun Goddess Afro-Cuban Healing Retreat for Women in Cuba
Reconnection . Inspiration . Spirituality
Summary
In today’s world where everyone wants to be perfect, we sometimes forget who we are and where we come from.
That’s why our 7-day healing retreat seeks to awaken in you, the goddess you are, to face the world full of pride for your origins and have in your hand the power of spiritual healing.
In this healing retreat, yoga, meditation, dance, workshops, ceremonies, and Afro-Cuban rites will be in charge of providing peace, love, and physical, mental, and spiritual healing.
This trip is a wonderful concept for women who seek to learn more about Afro-Cuban spirituality and their own spirituality.
Yalorde Yoga as an Afro-Cuban woman invites you to heal in a community in a different way, stepping into your own truth and getting to know your ancestors.
With Love,
Ludisis Mones
- Afro-Cuban Healing Experiences
- 6 nights accommodation
- daily yoga classes
- full time local cuban guide
- private transportation
- Custom-made itinerary
- small group of participants
Retreat Itinerary
Today you will arrive in Cuba and Ludisis will pick you up at the José Martí International Airport.
The transfer to our “Casa Particular” (Guest House) is around 35 minutes. Upon arrival, your local hosts will warmly welcome you and show you your room.
In the afternoon to meet in our community, we will have a welcome dinner in a restaurant of typical Cuban food in the heart of Havana with live music.
In the morning today, a relaxing Hatha Yoga session will prepare you for the rest of the activities of the day.
Our local hosts will prepare a delicious breakfast in which you will be delighted with tropical fruits such as Guava, Mango or Papaya.
To immerse yourself in the culture and history of the Cuban capital, today we will take a walking tour through Old Havana in English. Old Havana is one of the fifteen municipalities of the province of Havana. We will enter into its historic center which, together with its System of fortifications, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 by UNESCO.
This historical tour will be followed by a healing tour where we will visit temples of Catholic Saints (Orishas deities).
In the afternoon an activity that will change your life comes: “Meet the Orishas Workshop”.
In the afternoon an introductory workshop to the Afro-Cuban Dances and an offering to the Orisha Yemayá in the Sea will transmit you love, joy, and unique healing.
Enjoy a healthy breakfast in our Casa Particular, today we embark on a trip to the Viñales Valley.
To the west of the Cuban provinces, its main attraction is its natural beauty. Today we will visit the natural cathedral of Cuba, the province of “Pinar del Rio” is not only famous for the Viñales Valley, Unesco’s world cultural landscape, but also for cultivating the best tobacco in the world.
In Viñales you will have an excursion to the Tobacco Plantations in which you will learn about the best tobacco in the world and you will get to know the protagonists of Cuban tobacco cultivation.
Today you will have free time to discover this natural treasure.
In the afternoon we will return to Havana where we will have a moment of community when creating our Self Acceptance Session Circle.
Today, first of all, we will begin the day with a tasty breakfast prepared by your local hosts at Casa Particular. Then we will start a trip to Trinidad the so-called museum city of Cuba.
This colonial jewel has a main square surrounded by magnificent 18th-century buildings such as the Sanchez Iznaga palaces, and the church of the Holy Trinity. Here Spanish and African traditions are blended and flourish in a culture passed on from one generation to the other.
Before arriving at our Villa in front of the sea, we will make a stop to be pleased with Cienfuegos, a city that dazzles for its French architecture.
At dusk, love will be the one who will heal you with a Yoga class dedicated to Loving others and Loving yourself, after a Meditation session On loving-kindness will close the day.
Starting the day with joy is one of the greatest healings one can have. That’s why this morning we will start with a Cuban casino salsa class. Get ready to move your hips to the beat of the drum.
The Topes de Collantes Natural Park, an immense protected area that owns 45% of the endemic birds of the country awaits you for an optional Hiking excursion (not included).
Sunset Yoga Session on the beach will be the activity that concludes this day full of emotions.
In the evening I invite you to dance salsa in one of the most impressive clubs in Cuba, this dance hall is inside a Natural Cave and is the perfect place to share with locals.
In the morning today after breakfast we will embark a trip to Havana in a private car.
In Havana, an Orisha healing Ceremony that will include healings with flowers, dances, songs, stamps, and herbs, will be a precious moment of reunification with your inner being.
Learning how to respect my African ancestors’ Workshop will give you an introduction to Cuban forms of communication with the ancestors. This is an interactive cultural workshop with locals.
Breakfast in our Casa Particular.
To say goodbye to our new sisters we will have an offering ceremony at the River. All of us daughters of Oshun, dressed in yellow will offer to our mother sunflowers, honey, candles and whatever you want to offer her. To thank is an act of healing on its own, and on this day we will have much to thank our ancestors.
Airport Drop-off is included.
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Retreat Description
Oshún is the Orisha represented by the river, honey and sweetness, love and fertility, gold and femininity.
We dedicate this woman healing retreat to this Afro-Cuban goddess, so that she, with her powers and love for her daughters, will heal and protect us during this journey through Cuba.
In this retreat you will heal in a different way, knowing where you come from, will let you know where to go. Remember that you are a beautiful and unique being.
Healing activities and workshops that you receive during this retreat:
Afro-Cuban dance workshop:
In these workshops, you will learn the main Afro-Cuban dances and the representative dances of each Orisha. These movements intend to imitate nature and contain a rich variety of songs, dances, touches, masks, and attributes.
The Afro-Cuban dance has come to save our existence, to corroborate our belonging to a legacy inherited from African grandparents, legends, and myths.
Behind our African roots in Cuba Ceremony and Healing Ritual:
This healing ceremony will include healings with flowers, dances, songs, stamps, and herbs.
Meet the Orishas workshop:
In this interactive workshop “Meet the Orishas” you will learn how our ancestors, in their efforts to hide their African religion and their magical practices, identified their African deities (orishas) with the saints of Catholicism, resulting in a religious syncretism known today as Santería.
This workshop will be conducted by Afro-Cuban women practitioners who will share with you their knowledge which they have inherited from previous generations.
Excursion to the Temples of Yemaya, Virgen de La Mercedes, San Lázaro, Virgen de La Caridad del Cobre (in Havana):
On this healing excursion, we will visit temples of Catholic Saints (Orishas deities) that most visit the premises.
This will be a great opportunity to observe and recognize each Orisha while you are healed with the unparalleled tranquility and spirituality that characterizes these temples. For this trip, Yalorde Yoga recommends you bring white clothes.
Afro Cuban Music Workshop:
A folkloric musical expression whose root is located in the African language brought to Cuba during the Spanish colonization on the island. The hot music, sensual rumba, guaguancó, toque de Santo, songs, Abakuá, and Congolese songs, and the communication with the dead converge.
Afro-Cuban Plastic Arts Workshop
This workshop brings you the theoretical, historical, and also spiritual knowledge of Afro-Cuban sculpture. Discover with our local art teacher the essence and inspiration that make him create the Afro-Cuban statuettes of pure Cuban wood. You will have the opportunity to let your imagination fly and make your own work of art from the hands of a professional of Cuban plastic arts.
Know before you go:
This tour complies with the general license category Support for Cuban People for individuals (515.574). The tour provides the basis and support for your compliance with the law. Our tours are original and tailor-made. A Cuban plan them, and a Cuban run it.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance preparing your visa (also called Travelcard).
Yalorde Yoga Villa - Accommodation
Colonial Style Private Room with Private Bathroom
Colonial style share room with share bathroom
Trip Facts
What is included?
- Individualized and personalized guide of Ludisis
- Hatha Yoga classes and meditation sessions
- Walking tour of Old Havana in English
- 6 nights accommodation in beautiful Villas
- Airports transfers
- Excursions in Havana, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad
- Transportation to and from Havana, Viñales, and Trinidad
- All breakfasts at our Casas in Cuba
- Afro Cuban music workshop
- Tobacco Plantation Excursion
- Behind our African roots in Cuba excursion
- Self-acceptance session circle
- Afro-Cuban Dance Workshop
- Visit to Temples and magic surprises
- Unique custom-made itinerary created with Love for you
What is not included?
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa
- Personal expenses
- Additional activities not included in the itinerary
- Meals
- PCR test
- Medical Insurance
Summary Of Travel Times:
- Havana to Viñales – 3 hours
- Havana to Cienfuegos – 2 h 45 min
- Cienfuegos to Trinidad – 1 h 22 min
- Trinidad to Havana – 4 hours
- José Martí International Airport to Casa Particular – 35 minutes
Cancelation Policy:
- 100% deposit refund for cancellation 1+ days before retreat start date.
- 50% deposit refund for cancellation 1-0 days before retreat start date.
- 0% deposit refund for cancellation 0-0 days before the retreat start date.
Remaining Payment:
- The remaining balance is due upon arrival.
- If paid at the time of booking, a full refund of the remaining balance is available up to the day before your retreat start date.
Questions & Anwsers
Notice for travelers in relation to Coronavirus (COVID-19):
- Vaccinated travelers are allowed to enter Cuba.
- All travelers must carry a COVID-19 negative RT-PCR certification, carried out no more than 72 hours before traveling, in a certified laboratory, in the country of origin. and a vaccination certificate.
- Children under 12 years of age, regardless of their nationality, upon arrival in Cuba, will be exempt from presenting a vaccination schedule or RT-PCR test.
- When boarding the flight at origin, airlines will require their passengers to provide evidence of a vaccination scheme, and a negative RT-PCR test applied within 72 hours beforehand.
This tour complies with the general license category “Support for Cuban People” for individuals (515.574).
The tour provides the basis and support for your compliance with the law. Our tours are original and tailor made. A cuban plan them, and a cuban run it.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance preparing your visa (also called Travelcard).
While the weather can’t be predicted, it’s usually nice and sunny in Cuba.
June, July, and August are the hottest months.
Tropical showers usually come through in August – November, but they usually pass quickly.
They leave clear blue skies, lots of warm weather, and sunshine.
A part of the proceeds of this retreat is used to support the children of the local community in Havana.
If you wish, you can contribute with donations that you can personally deliver to the children and families most in need in Havana.
The electrical supply in Cuba is 110 volts / 50 cycles standard, and all appliances use flat, two-pronged plugs (like the ones used in the US and Canada).
We recommend bringing adaptors and converters with you if your appliances don’t use 110 volts or flat, two-pronged plugs.
Documents:
• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
• Required visas or vaccination certificates (required) (With photocopies)
• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required).
Health & Safety:
• Face masks (required)
• Hand sanitizer (required)
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Rubber gloves
Warm Weather:
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)
• Sun hat/bandana
• Swimwear
Essentials:
• Binoculars (optional)
• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)
• Cash, credit and debit cards
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)
• Ear plugs
• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Fleece top/sweater
• Footwear
• Hat
• Locks for bags
• Long pants/jeans
• Moneybelt
• Outlet adapter
• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)
• Reusable water bottle
• Shirts/t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Toiletries (Preferably biodegradable)
• Watch and alarm clock
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Windproof rain jacket
Fly to Havana Jose Marti Airport Cuba (HAV) and you will be greeted by Ludisis at the airport.
This tour complies with the general license category “Support for Cuban People” for individuals (515.574).
The tour provides the basis and support for your compliance with the law. Special arrangements may be available for travelers who prefer to travel under the “People to People” category.
Our tours are original and tailor-made. A Cuban plans them, and a Cuban runs it.
Americans can actually join any of our Cuba tours, as long as they take the steps to fulfill the requirements for legal travel to Cuba.
This involves traveling to Cuba in a way that satisfies conditions for a general license for Cuba. We recommend you to travel under the category: “Support to the Cuban people”.
Our retreats have a full itinerary of cultural activities included and use services that support private locally owned businesses in Cuba.
Having a full schedule of tour activities included, as well as most meals, these tours represent an alternative to our original style Cuba tours which involve only essential inclusions, and mostly free time at each destination in Cuba.
The currency in Cuba is the Cuban Peso (CUP).
We do not recommend you bring travellers cheques, as it is very difficult to exchange them in Cuba.
Illegal drugs will not be tolerated on any trips. Possessing or using drugs not only contravenes the laws of the land but also puts the rest of the group at risk. Smoking marijuana and opium is a part of local culture in some parts of the world but is not acceptable for our travellers.
Please note inoculations may be required for the country visited. It is your responsibility to consult with your travel doctor for up to date medical travel information well before departure.
You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit and hand sanitizers / antibacterial wipes as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that quite often we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our leaders are prohibited from administering any type of drug including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. When selecting your trip please carefully read the brochure and itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel.
