JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 3, 2024
EL TUNCO, EL SALVADOR

The Anatomy of Stress
Breathe, align, and thrive:
a week of renewal

Join us for a powerful retreat led by Lindsay Gonzalez, featuring deep alignment practices, volcano hikes, and Central American surf adventures. Dr. Jared Young presents the Anatomy of Stress, helping you understand and release its impact. Enjoy additional healing modalities like private chiro alignment sessions, massage, and sound healing.

The Anatomy of Stress is an exploration into the profound impact of stress on your entire being, from body and mind to emotions. Our holistic approach embraces yoga, anatomy, and breathwork, offering a path to relaxation, balance, and vitality. With the fusion of yoga postures, anatomical insights, and breathwork techniques, you'll discover the power to nurture resilience and equip yourself with invaluable tools for effectively managing and relieving stress in your daily life.

Yoga Perspective:

In yoga philosophy, stress is often seen as a result of an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Stress can manifest as physical tension, emotional distress, and mental agitation. Through yoga postures (asanas), practitioners seek to release physical tension, improve flexibility, and enhance body awareness, all of which can help alleviate the physical aspects of stress. Additionally, mindfulness and meditation in yoga assist in managing the mental and emotional aspects of stress.

From an anatomical viewpoint, stress triggers a complex cascade of physiological responses. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated, leading to the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Chronic stress can lead to muscle tension, increased heart rate, digestive issues, and compromised immune function. Understanding the anatomical effects of stress highlights the importance of practices like yoga, which can help release muscle tension, improve circulation, and reduce the physiological impact of stress on the body.

Anatomy Perspective:

Breathwork, particularly in practices like pranayama in yoga, plays a crucial role in managing stress. Stress often leads to shallow, rapid breathing, which further exacerbates the body's stress response. Focused breathwork techniques help regulate the breath, activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the relaxation response), and promote a sense of calm and balance. By consciously working with the breath, individuals can reduce anxiety, increase oxygen supply to tissues, and enhance overall well-being.

Breathework Perspective:

Experience

  • In this offering we look at stress from the perspective of breath, body alignment and daily ritual practices. When you start breathing in a way that supports your body, you support your stress responses. This retreat is a place to learn management tools for daily life, reset your system and form new rituals that you can take home with you!

  • Exploring movement through breathing practices, cacao ritual, and Transformational Breathwork, along with hiking, healing touch massages, surfing, and moments of pure relaxation.

  • Tucked away but yet just steps away from the waterfront, cafes, and restaurants El Tunco has to offer. The lush green space invokes a peaceful ambiance. Guests can enjoy the refreshing pool, shade under almond trees, and lounging on the deck.

    This peaceful sanctuary invites guests to mingle, reflect, and everything in between.

  • Our culinary experience at the retreat is a celebration of vibrant, homemade meals crafted from the freshest and healthiest ingredients. Our café is rooted in Ayurveda with a latin flare! We are dedicated to a vegetarian and vegan focus with light meat and fish options, ensuring a nourishing journey that accommodates various dietary restrictions and allergies. Prepare to be nourished, energized, and delighted throughout the week with our thoughtfully prepared and delicious food offerings.

  • From the sounds of sunrise to the color display of the sunsets, El Salvador is vibrant in every way! The landscape of the coastline was formed by volcanic activity making this the Hawaii of Central America. The food is colorful, fresh, organic and grown locally. The people of El Salvador make the experience with bright smiles, warm hearts and a welcoming energy.

    We like to use the #dontskipelsalvador because it is truly a hidden gem.

The rooms are spacious, inviting and come dressed in premium bedding linens and towels. Additional amenities include hot water showers, air conditioning, mini fridges, mosquito screens, and a 5-gallon purified drinking water dispenser that we keep refilled throughout your stay. Please bring your own refillable water bottle.

Lodging

STANDARD DOUBLE SHARED SUITES
$2290 USD /person

Agua, Tierra, Madera
Shared queen bed

(Ideal for partners or close friends)

Almond, Bamboo
Two twins or one king bed

PREMIUM DOUBLE SHARED SUITES
$2415 USD /person

Fuego
One king bed

(ideal for partners or close friends)

Viento
One king bed & one twin bed

Mango
One king bed & one queen bed

TRIPLE SHARED SUITE
$2180 USD /person

Mango
One queen bed & two twin beds

TRIPLE SHARED $2490 USD /person
or
QUADRUPLE SHARED $2290/person

PRIVATE VILLA

(Private pool, lounge, kitchen)

STANDARD PRIVATE ROOM
$2870 USD /person

Agua, Tierra, Madera
Queen bed

PREMIUM PRIVATE SUITE
$3095 USD /person

Fuego, Viento
King bed

Week’s Schedule

SATURDAY -
Arrival Day

  • 3:00pm Check-in

  • 5:30pm Opening Circle Breath & Movement

  • 6:30pm Dinner  

  • 8:00pm Yin & Breathing

SUNDAY

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga 

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

  • 9:30- 12pm Surf lessons
    (times change depending on the tides)  

  • 1:30-3:30pm Anatomy of Stress Lecture

  • FREE TIME

  • 5:30pm Yin Breathing

  • 6:30pm Dinner

MONDAY

  • 5:00am Free Surf 

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga 

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

  • 9:30- 12pm Surf lessons
    (times change depending on the tides)  

  • 1:30-2:30pm Cacao Ritual & Breathing Class 

  • FREE TIME

  • 6:30pm Dinner

TUESDAY

  • 5:00am Free Surf 

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga 

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

  • 9:30- 12pm Surf lessons
    (times change depending on the tides)  

  • 1:30-2:00pm Breathing Class 

  • FREE TIME

  • 6:00pm Dinner

  • 7:30pm Breathwork Journey

WEDNESDAY

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga 

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

  • 9:30- 12pm Surf lessons
    (times change depending on the tides)  

  • FREE TIME

  • 1:30 - 4pm optional waterfall hike

  • 6:00pm Dinner

  • 7:30pm Breathwork Journey

THURSDAY

  • 6:O0am Breath & Yoga (45 minute class)

  • 7:30 am Breakfast

  • 8:00am Volcano Hike

  • 6:30pm Dinner

  • 8:00pm Yin & Breathwork

FRIDAY

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga 

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

  • 9:30- 12pm Surf lessons
    (times change depending on the tides)  

  • FREE TIME

  • 6:30pm Dinner

  • 8:00pm Salsa Shakeout

SATURDAY

  • 5:00am Free Surf 

  • 6:30am Breath & Yoga /Closing Circle

  • 8:00 am Breakfast

***FREE TIME can be spent resting, reflecting, relaxing. It is also a great time to schedule chiro sessions with Dr. Jared, massages, or any of the additional items from Balance´s list of offerings.

What’s Included

● Daily Yoga

● 7 x nights accommodations

● Round-Trip airport transportation

● Daily Breathing exercises

● 2 x Transformational Breathwork

● Daily morning snack (early morning) & full breakfast (after yoga or surfing)

● 1 x daily smoothie or wellness drink

● 1 daily fresh coconut

● Daily health focused gourmet dinner

● 1 x volcano tour

● 1 x Salsa Dance Embodiment workshop

What’s Not

● International Airfare

● Lunch, snacks and additional beverages

● Activity add-ons (surf lessons, massages, board rentals, etc)

● Alcoholic beverages

● Medical insurance

● Laundry service for personal items

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • All bookings require a $500 nonrefundable deposit to guarantee your reservation. The balance of the will be due by December 27th. The balance can either be paid in full or broken into 2-3 payments. Please note payment plans will have an additional fee.

    Private and shared rooms availability are on a first-come, first-served basis. Please book your reservations early to receive your preferred accommodation. Want to share with a friend? Share the booking link. We will do our best to get you into your preferred shared room. If we cannot find someone to share with you, you will be upgraded to a private room.

    We reserve the right to refuse bookings at our discretion.

  • Any cancellation within 30 days of the retreat start date will be nonrefundable.

    There is no refund for arriving late or departing early.

    We recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover cancellation costs. The cancellation policy is firm. Please do not make any travel arrangements before receiving confirmation of registration.

  • Please plan on arriving at the San Salvador airport between the hours of 12pm - 3pm. A shuttle will be provided to bring you to Balance´.

    Hotel check-out is 11am, so please plan your departure flights accordingly.

  • When your reservation is confirmed, you will receive a Welcome Guide. This comprehensive packet provides you with valuable insights for your upcoming week, offering informative details about the area, packing suggestions, recommended additional activities, and a wealth of other helpful information.