Andes to Amazon

A Sacred Journey of Initiation

Upcoming Dates

  • October 19 – October 25, 2026

  • March 15 – March 21, 2027

Register

A Transformational Journey

A 7-day immersive retreat for transformation, reflection, and deep connection — To yourself, to others, and to the living world.

For much of human history, important life transitions were honored through rites of passage—sacred experiences that invited individuals to step away from the familiar, face themselves honestly, and return with greater clarity, purpose, and connection.

In modern life, many of these rituals have been lost.

Without intentional space for reflection and transformation, transitions can feel uncertain, unsupported, or disconnected from deeper meaning.

This retreat restores that sacred process.

A space to step away, listen deeply, and reconnect, not only with yourself, but with others and something greater than yourself.

This 7-day initiation retreat unfolds across two of Ecuador’s most powerful landscapes—each offering a distinct and complementary experience.

Experience Details

Early Bird Deadline
July 1, 2026

Final Registration
Sept 15, 2026

Ready? Register now

Early Bird Pricing
$3995 USD / $4250 CAD

Regular
$4250 USD / $4500 CAD

Contact Us

Itinerary

Days 1–4: The Andes

Set at Corrales Viejos Ranch, at the base of the Ilinizas volcanoes, this portion of the journey invites depth, challenge, and transformation.

Surrounded by expansive mountain landscapes and working closely with horses, you will engage in:

  • Equine-guided relational work

  • Nature-based and somatic practices

  • Guided reflection centered on your current life threshold

The mountains and horses offer a powerful mirror—supporting honesty, awareness, and new possibility—while the shared experience of the group begins to foster meaningful connection and support.

Days 5–7: The Amazon

From the high Andes, the journey continues into the lush, living intelligence of the Amazon.

Here, the focus shifts toward integration, nourishment, and connection.

You will be invited to:

  • Deepen into presence and embodiment

  • Integrate insights from earlier in the retreat

  • Reconnect with your natural rhythm and inner knowing

Experience a deeper sense of connection with others through shared reflection and time in community

The Amazon offers a different kind of holding—one that is warm, alive, and deeply restorative.

What You’ll Experience

Throughout the retreat, you will be supported through a blend of experiential, relational, and ceremonial practices, including:

  • Guided, embodied work with horses

  • Presence-centered horseback riding in the Andes

  • Nature immersion and somatic awareness practices

  • Introduction to Indigenous plants of the regions

  • Time in the Amazon jungle, including a day on the Napo River

  • Ceremony honoring personal transformation

  • Optional traditional Quichua (Kichwa) ceremony, including an overnight visit to a women-led village

  • Daily support circles fostering reflection, authenticity, and connection

  • Nourishing, locally prepared Ecuadorian meals

This is a living, responsive experience—designed to meet you where you are while being held within a supportive group container.

The Role of Initiation

Initiation is not about becoming someone new—it is about remembering who you are.

This retreat offers:

Space to step away from daily life

Opportunities to face yourself with honesty and support

A balance of personal reflection and shared experience

The possibility of forming meaningful connections with others on a similar path

Through this process, many participants return with a deeper sense of clarity, direction, and connection—to themselves, to others, and to life itself.

  • “It’s hard to pick a favorite part of this trip. The ride into the crooks of the mountains – pouring rain – emotionally cleansing – and life renewing. The chance to step into the lungs of the earth, the Amazon… I will always carry in my bones. So vast. So mysterious. So, teeming with life. Swimming in the tributaries of the Amazon River. The jungle invites you to live in a delicate balance between respect and fun. So, I invite you all to take this journey of faith. Trust the women who have chosen this adventure with you. Put your faith into Lisa and Megan – their crazy, wonderful ideas and GROW!”

    K.B.

  • “As someone who has always felt on the outside of things and groups, my defense mechanisms and protective boundaries were challenged working with the horses in a positive way. The horse's acknowledgement of my presence gifted me the feeling of acceptance, that I do belong and I am connected to the herd.As I continued to transform from the old self to my new self throughout the week, the magic and ancient wisdom present around us seemed to hold the group and make its presence known through the horses, misty faerie fog, an Amazon rainbow revealing its beauty, and the moonlight shimmering next to a bonfire on the riverbank, reminding us that we are always loved and supported.”

    R.Q.

  • “I felt seen, heard, held, challenged in all the best ways, safe, protected, and empowered. The elements came alive for me in new and surprising ways and it was like falling in love again with earth, wind, fire, water, and the ethereal space between. River rafting on the Napo was fun, playful and reverent for me. The horses, though: What an expansive, heart-opening, relational, magnificent, and truly unforgettable few days with them. Horseback-riding through tall-grass paramo trails in the presence of volcanoes to a pristine water source, epic. Something cracked open in me a couple weeks after returning from Women's Initiation in Ecuador. I am so grateful that when things start to feel heavy, overwhelming, or lonely, I can call upon the friendships I made on that journey.”

    R.C.

  • "Lisa and Megan wove together an experience that felt nothing short of enchanting, an immersion in the mystical essence of the Andes and the untamed wonder of the Amazon basin. Within this sacred space, they cultivated a profound sense of safety, inviting us to explore and express the full spectrum of what it means to be human. Every emotion shared, every story spoken, was held tenderly by landscapes vast enough to contain it, by horses attuned enough to feel it, and by facilitators whose mastery brought it all to life in its deepest form. I feel profoundly blessed to have walked this path, to have stood alongside extraordinary women whose presence amplified the magic. This retreat is now etched into my being, guiding me toward a life lived with greater vibrancy, openness, and aliveness."

    J.M.

Your Guides

Megan Powers

I have always been drawn to being in service to others. I have been blessed with the opportunity to support many amazing humans over the last 2 decades in remembering their true nature, supporting their ability to connect in integrity with their surroundings, with others, the divine, through major life transitions, and the final transition out of this physical world. I help people come home to a sense of security and centeredness, learning to trust in themselves, so they can navigate the challenges of their lives and the times that we live in. I spent a number of years leading spiritual retreats with my mentor and later began work as a Gestalt and Equine Assisted Therapist. Now I want to combine all of my life’s work and experience to offer these powerful and life changing initiation retreats for women to come together to grow, learn to feel truly powerful in relationship, and live in integrity with oneself. I look forward to creating magic together!

Lisa Hartwick

I am passionate about good relations and discovering elegant pathways through complexity. With over 25 years of experience as a therapist, my work is intimately informed by clients, teachers, and mentors over time, and my personal journey.

What fuels my work is a love for aliveness, depth, adventure, and the wisdom of the natural world, including horses. I divide my time between two very different, equally nourishing places: the remote, wildness of Tatlayoko Lake, BC and the beautiful city of Victoria on Vancouver Island. I regularly teach and supervise other therapists in Gestalt and equine therapy, and I am honoured to serve as international visiting faculty at the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies (GEIR).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No prior horse experience is required. The equine portion of the retreat is designed for individuals of all experience levels. Whether you have spent years around horses or have never touched one before, you will be supported throughout the experience. The horses are not there to teach riding skills—they are partners in the process of self-discovery, awareness, and connection.

  • This retreat includes moderate physical activity. One day includes approximately six hours of horseback riding in the Andes, with breaks throughout the day. Another day includes a guided hike in the Amazon that involves uneven terrain, water crossings, and some technical sections of trail. Participants hike approximately 1.5 hours into the jungle and about 1 hour back out. You do not need to be an athlete, but you should feel comfortable spending extended periods outdoors and engaging in moderate physical activity.

  • Many women+ come with different fitness levels. The most important qualities are a willingness to participate, openness to the experience, and a reasonable level of mobility and endurance. If you have concerns about your ability to participate, we encourage you to discuss them with us during the application process.

  • Initiation is an intentional process of stepping away from the familiar in order to engage a period of reflection, challenge, growth, and transformation. Traditionally, cultures around the world created rites of passage to help people move through significant life transitions. This retreat draws inspiration from that understanding while offering a modern, supportive experience grounded in nature, relationship, and personal exploration.

  • Every participant arrives with her own story. Women often join while navigating:
    • Divorce or relationship transitions 
    • Career changes 
    • Grief and loss 
    • Empty nesting 
    • Spiritual awakening 
    • Questions of identity and purpose 
    • Entering a new phase of life 
    • A desire for deeper connection with themselves 

    You do not need to be in crisis to benefit from this experience. Sometimes the call comes simply from knowing that something new is trying to emerge.

  • Yes. While the retreat includes structured experiences and group activities, there is also time for rest, reflection, journaling, and simply being in relationship with the landscape. We believe transformation requires both engagement and spaciousness.

  • Participants are invited into group dialogue and reflection throughout the retreat.

    Sharing is encouraged but never forced.

    Everyone engages at their own pace, and we strive to create an environment where authenticity, respect, and emotional safety are valued.

  • Accommodations are shared with other women participating in the retreat. Everyone will have their own bed across three rooms, so roughly 4 women sharing each room with one bathroom with shower for each room. There are two extra bathrooms without showers on site as well. 

    Specific lodging details will be provided closer to the retreat date.

    The accommodations are better described as comfortable-rustic, as this experience is not designed as a luxury vacation. The focus is on meaningful connection, immersion in nature, and personal transformation.

  • Many retreats focus primarily on relaxation, education, or recreation.

    This experience is designed as a rite of passage—a carefully held journey that combines nature, horses, reflection, ceremony, community, and guided process work.

    Participants are invited not only to step away from daily life, but to engage it differently when they return.

  • The landscapes of Ecuador offer a unique opportunity to experience two dramatically different environments within a single journey.

    The vast mountains of the Andes invite perspective, challenge, and self-reflection.

    The Amazon offers a different kind of wisdom—one of connection, vitality, relationship, and belonging within the living world.

    Together, they create a powerful container for transformation, renewal, and initiation.