Welcome to The Light Within Retreats
Have you experienced the devastating loss of your partner or spouse to suicide? If so, we understand your pain and the grief you face every single day.
Join us for this 5-day ocean retreat — designed by suicide widows for suicide widows — to restore the light and love within you once again. Located on the beautiful Pacific coastal town of Sayulita, Mexico, our retreat focuses on healing your broken heart, finding the ability to breathe again, and providing you with education and tools to teach you how to restore your happiness. We combine grief therapy, surfing (optional), yoga, meditation, breath work, and group discussions to help you transition back to living fully.
Trust us. While it may not seem like it, it is possible to heal and there is hope. We invite you to this safe, loving place where we find a space for grief and forgiveness.
What’s included? Todo!
Your 5-day excursion includes:
Ground transportation to/from Puerto Vallarta’s international airport.
4 nights lodging in your own a private casita at Casa Cinetica.
All food and non-alcoholic beverages on campus. All of our chef-prepared meals are locally sourced and served in the authentic family style of Mexican cooking. (Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited at our retreats.)
Morning Yoga + Meditation + Mindfulness practices.
(Optional) Daily Surf Lessons. We welcome all levels of surfing — new and experienced. We invite you to learn to surf with us!
Small group therapy in a safe place with a licensed therapist trained in suicide loss.
Sound therapy and deep breath work to release stored trauma that is holding us back.
Psycho-education on the neurological effects of PTSD & Widows’ Brain.
A highly spiritual session with our staff medium to connect us with our departed.
A final night beach bonfire ceremony designed to let go and forgive.
Relaxation and massage sessions to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Imagine waking up rested and restored
in a your own casita
overlooking the sun-drenched
blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Behind you is a lush jungle with birds welcoming in the morning, and in
front of you is the sleepy little
beach town of Sayulita.
This is Casa Cinetica.
Casa Cinetica - (translated to Kinetic Energy Home) are the accommodations for all of The Light Within’s women’s events. The six guest houses are fully functional with either a king or queen bed, luxury linens, a private rain shower, and either shared or private kitchens. Individual residences maintain your privacy and peace — while the common spaces allow for the vibrant flow of conversation, family-style meals, and poolside fun.
Rooms are available for registration in either king or queen bed sizes. Visit Casa Cinetica online to view room options. We do not have a shared option avialable for our widows’ retreat.
Designed for Small Groups (6 guests)
“No two stories are the same — however the pain, emotions, and questions we hold are.”
If you've ever been in a grief group or a widows club, you may have experienced a feeling of not quite fitting in. This is a common experience for those whose spouses died by suicide, as opposed to from a car accident or terminal illness. The layers of complexity that come with a suicide death can create a profound sense of loneliness and isolation.
At The Light Within we host only a small group of women (max of 6 guests) per event. We respect your privacy and honor your loved ones. We create a safe, intimate circle of widows supporting other widows.
LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS ARE MADE.
Free time every day helps forge new relationships
Safe group sessions
Bonfire & ocean ceremonies together
“Explora Noche” in Sayulita (free time)
Girl-time in the water
But, what if I don’t surf?
Not to worry! While we love to surf, and want to share in healing power of being on a board, surfing is always an optional activity at our retreats. We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable or pressured to paddle out.
Likewise, our experienced instructors have helped countless individuals master the art of standing on a surfboard for their first time. Daily, we hand select the best local surf spots based on the experience level of the group. Don't let age, ethnicity, or body type deter you because surfing is for everyone. The choice to surf is yours.
Meet Risa!
Local Sayulita surfer and business owner, Risa Mara Machucara, is our Event Manager for this week’s program. Risa has been surfing since she was a young girl and is now an advocate for empowering women and diversity in the sport. Here is Risa recently teaching one of her students, 77 years young with two knee replacements, how to find joy in surfing.
Risa is a Mexican National Longboard Champion, a successful filmmaker, and the owner of Belle Curves swimwear.
Surf therapy combines surfing with structured individual or group activities as a means of therapy to promote psychological, physical, and social well-being.
-MedicalNewsToday
We are here to serve you!
Our staff is comprised of the highest quality of professional practitioners, instructors, and therapists. Every team member lives here locally and is excited to share their home, compassion, and knowledge with you.
Our clinical staff of licensed therapists are available to lead both group and individual therapy sessions. Our safe containers allow for open and honest sharing. We are also happy to coordinate your care pre- and post-event with your local clinicians and therapists.
We are honored to welcome you to Sayulita and are happy to answer any questions you have!
Check out our Team Page for more details.
Hi, I’m Andi.
I am the founder of The Light Within retreats and will be your host. I am here to pay forward all of the love and compassion this place has shown me. I promise you an experience of a lifetime, a community that will hold you up, and some amazing time with Mother Ocean.
I am a business & life coach by day, a serious water girl, and a suicide widow myself. I lost my amazing husband, Joel, to suicide in October ‘22. These retreats are in his memory, and together, we are glad you are here.
Bienvenidos!
Reserve your spot today
for $3,495
Pay in full or pay $199 down with
the remainder in easy, monthly installments.
We never want financial ability to be the reason someone cannot join us. That is why we offer a number of financial options — including full scholarships and personal and corporate gifts. Visit our Financial Options page for more information.
“She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts.”
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