Step into a sacred journey toward the purest essence of your being, in the vibrant heart of the Amazon – a sacred land where the pulse of the forest echoes the rhythm of your own becoming. Here, within this living temple of nature, you are invited to pause… to listen… and to remember.
Rooted in Tantric philosophy, somatic wisdom, and ancestral shamanic practices, this retreat invites you to remember your innate connection to life in its most expansive expression.
Your sacred journey begins upon arrival at the Quito International Airport, where a representative of La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat will receive you.
After assisting with your check-in and sharing a brief orientation, you’ll board a 30-minute flight to the jungle town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana, also known as “El Coca”, the threshold to the Amazon.
From there, a private transfer will take you to the banks of the mighty Napo River, where the great crossing begins.
For two and a half hours, you will glide downs- tream in a motorized canoe, entering the living heart of the rainforest. We will provide you a box lunch and extra drinks for this part of the trip.
Let the rhythm of the river soften your rough edges. This is the beginning of your descent into the wild within.
As the sunset, we meet at the edge of Garzacocha Lake, where still waters reflect the soul of the jungle.
In this sacred space, you’ll enter a Water Blessing Ritual, a moment to anchor your intention, release expectations, and let the waters gently carry away what no longer serves.
This is a baptism of return -a portal into presence- where your heart is invited to begin again: soft, clear, and surrendered.
As night falls, the lake becomes a realm of mystery.
Guided by soft light, we journey once more across its surface, witnessing the quiet stirrings of nocturnal life—caimans, owls, bats, and other beings of the dark.
The forest reveals a different kind of magic under the stars.
We begin the day with a sacred walk into the embrace of the forest, crossing the serene waters of Mandi Cocha Lake to arrive at the Hidden Sanctuary of Mandi Forest.
Here, we gather in a circle, held by the whispering trees and the Medicine of Cacao to awaken the heart through The Inner Flame, a ceremony of remembrance and return.
In this sacred space, cacao opens the gates of feeling, softens our inner armor, and illuminates the quiet voice within.
You are invited to navigate the landscape of your heart not as metaphor, but as sacred truth, where silence speaks and the body remembers your essence as whole.
In the afternoon, we rise. Climbing the Observation Tower above the emerald canopy, you’ll be held between earth and sky, suspended in the breath of the forest.
Here, guided by the element of Air, we enter a contemplative practice to clear the mind and awaken our inner vision.
This is an encounter with clarity, where the vastness before us reflects the truth within: unclouded, open, and vast.
Weather permitting, the stars will emerge at night in radiant silence.
You are invited to step outside, breathe with the cosmos, and feel your belonging to something infinite.
This is not stargazing—it is soul-gazing. A moment of intimate awe. A prayer without words.
We begin the morning with a visit to one of the Amazon’s vibrant rituals of nature: the Parrot Clay Lick.
Here, in a stunning symphony of colors and wings, parrots gather to feed on the sacred clay that cleanses their bodies, reminding us of the wisdom of listening to our own needs for healing and balance.
From there, we continue toward the heart of the Pilchi Amazon Community. You’ll be welcomed into their ancestral ways through stories, traditional dress, and sacred foods.
This is not just a cultural visit – it is an exchange, where curiosity becomes communion, and respect becomes prayer.
You are invited to witness, to honor, and to remember a way of life rooted in harmony with the living Earth.
As the sun begins to descend, we gather for a somatic exploration guided by the Element of Earth.
Through grounding postures and breath-infused movement, Rooting to Bloom invites you to reconnect with your inner soil—your roots, your truths, your source of vitality.
You’ll be gently guided to discern what truly nourishes and protects your authenticity, and what needs to be released to allow your being to flourish.
This is an embodied remembering: you are supported, you belong, and your roots are sacred.
As the day softens into dusk, we gather in ceremony one last time. Through a water blessing ritual, we honor the path behind and the path ahead.
Water, as the great mirror and memory keeper, receives your prayers, intentions, and gratitude. In this sacred offering, you’ll release what no longer serves, and invite in the clarity, trust, and softness needed to take steps forward with grace.
The jungle has witnessed your becoming, and now the waters carry it onward.
Our lodge manager will gently share the details of your journey back. Meanwhile, our bartender will offer a handcrafted farewell elixir to toast the completion of this sacred cycle.
Gathered once more under the jungle sky, we share our final dinner.
Let your meal be a quiet celebration, a soft landing, a remembering that what has awakened within you will continue to bloom beyond the forest and into your life.
The morning greets you softly, as the forest offers its final whisper.
With hearts expanded and spirits attuned, we gather for one last breakfast in this sacred land that has held, healed, and rewilded us.
Each sip, each bite, is a quiet honoring of the deep transformation that now lives within you.
According to the guidance shared during last night’s departure briefing, we begin our journey back.
Lodge staff will assist you with your luggage and accompany you on the motorized canoe, tracing the path upstream along the Napo River.
As the water flows beneath you, let this be a moment of reflection – a gentle passage between worlds. The jungle recedes, but its wisdom remains woven into your breath, your body, and your heart.
Upon arrival in Coca, you’ll have a brief moment to pause at the La Selva office before continuing to the airport. Our team will kindly assist you with your boarding passes and checked luggage, ensuring a smooth transition.
Though your time here comes to an end, the retreat lives on within every choice made with presence, every moment remembered with reverence, and every step taken in deeper union with the wild and your sacred self.
