She Rises
Softly
February 14–20, 2027
Villa Laguna • Laguna de Apoyo • Nicaragua
Open Heart Retreat • 7 Days / 6 Nights • Women Only
For Women Who Have Been Carrying Too Much for Too Long
An intimate six-night women’s retreat at Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua, created for the woman who has been carrying too much and is ready to be held by warm water, nourishing meals, gentle practices, meaningful connection, and space to remember herself again.
At a Glance
A simple overview of the retreat experience, so you can quickly understand what is included, what is held for you, and whether this week feels aligned.
6 Nights at Villa Laguna
Stay beside the warm volcanic waters of Laguna de Apoyo, surrounded by nature, stillness, and beauty
An Intimate Women’s Group
A small circle for rest, reflection, connection, meaningful inner work, and evening rituals such as cacao and firelight.
Meals + Managua Transfers
Nourishing meals and round-trip airport group transfers from Managua are included.
Nicaragua Experiences
Experience Masaya Volcano, artisan markets, the horse rescue sanctuary, Catarina viewpoint, and San Juan de Oriente.
Solo Travellers Welcome
Come on your own, with a friend, or with a partner. Thoughtful room pairing is available.
Investment: $2,777 USD per person, shared occupancy, with all mandatory retreat package charges included.
You Have Carried Enough
Life can quietly become an act of carrying.
Responsibilities. Expectations. The needs of others. The invisible weight few people ever see.
And while you keep showing up, it can become easy to lose touch with yourself.
Not because you are doing anything wrong, but because you have been holding so much for so long.
Your worth was never meant to be earned through achievement, caregiving, productivity, or sacrifice. You do not have to prove your value by how much you can hold.
This retreat is a gentle invitation to pause, be nourished, and set down what no longer belongs on your shoulders.
A place to rest.
A place to receive.
A place to remember yourself again.
For one week, the meals, the rhythm, the details, and the care are not all on you.
Let the Water Hold the Week
Laguna de Apoyo is a warm freshwater crater lake surrounded by forest, open sky, and the quiet rhythm of nature.
Here, the days invite a different pace. You may swim, float, kayak, rest by the shore, journal, or simply take in the beauty around you.
The lake is not just a backdrop. It becomes part of the retreat: warm, spacious, steady, and always nearby when you need to float, breathe, rest, or simply be.
You May Feel Called to This Retreat If…
You are a woman longing for something quieter than pressure, deeper than a vacation, and more supportive than simply getting through another season of life.
You have been carrying a lot and feel ready for a space where you are not responsible for holding everything.
You want rest with meaning: beauty, nourishment, reflection, adventure and experiences that meet you beneath the surface.
You are drawn to gentle inner work, including meditation, breathwork, Qigong, self-love, inner child connection, and body-based practices offered with care and choice.
You want connection with other women that feels honest, kind, spacious, fun and pressure-free.
You are learning how to receive care, support, and the reminder that your worth is not something you need to prove.
You do not need to arrive with everything figured out. You only need a willingness to pause, listen inward, and let this week meet you where you are.
Soften
Before we can open, we need to feel safe enough to land. Through nourishing meals, warm water, gentle practices, and unhurried rest, your body is invited to settle and receive.
What You Will Experience
Every part of the week has been chosen to support a gentle arc: arriving, softening, opening, and returning home with more connection to yourself.
There will be time to rest, laugh, reflect, be by the water, experience Nicaragua, connect with other women, and listen inward without pressure.
Open
As trust begins to grow, the heart may open in its own time. Through breathwork, meditation, Qigong, reflection, and body-based practices, you are invited to meet yourself with curiosity and care.
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Rise
From a steadier place, there is room for more joy, ease, connection, and aliveness. Not as pressure to become someone new, but as a remembering of what has always been within you.
Meet Your Retreat Guides
This retreat is guided by two women who bring different paths, lived experiences, and ways of seeing the world. What we share is a belief in the power of presence, compassion, and intentional care.
We believe every woman carries a light within her. A beauty. A knowing. A worth that may have been hidden beneath years of carrying too much.
Together, we bring a blend of therapeutic depth, body-based practice, sensory awareness, grounded facilitation, and lived understanding of what it means for women to carry much more than others may see.
Emely Alcina
REGISTERED PSYCHOTHERAPIST · BREATHWORK FACILITATOR · HYPNOSIS-INFORMED & BODY-BASED PRACTICES
For years, I have had the privilege of sitting with women as they share the parts of themselves that are often carried quietly: fear, grief, self-doubt, exhaustion, and longing.
Again and again, I have witnessed how easily a woman can become disconnected from her own needs while caring deeply for everyone around her.
My work is rooted in the belief that beneath the layers of protection, self-criticism, and striving, there is already something deeply worthy within us.
As a psychotherapist and facilitator, I draw from breathwork, hypnosis-informed practices, compassionate self-inquiry, and body-based awareness to create spaces where women can slow down, listen inward, and meet themselves with more kindness.
Creating this retreat feels deeply personal to me.
My hope is that you leave with more than beautiful memories. I hope you leave feeling a little more connected to your own voice, your own needs, and the quiet truth that you matter.
May Denis
Guide in Sensory Awareness & Holistic Wellbeing
For as long as I can remember, I have been curious about what helps us feel truly alive, not simply busy or productive, but present, connected, and grounded within ourselves.
My path through different cultures, personal and professional transitions, studies, and teachings has shaped my understanding of sensory awareness, mindful movement, well-being, and the quiet wisdom of slowing down.
Over the years, I have accompanied women through uncertainty, growth, and new beginnings, creating spaces where they feel seen, supported, and gently reminded of their own wisdom and strength.
Through movement, reflection, nature, and practical awareness practices, I help people reconnect with themselves, nurture self-trust, and create more space for joy, belonging, and meaningful connection, all of which lie at the heart of The Art of the Senses.
Creating this retreat alongside Emely feels deeply meaningful to me.
My hope is that you leave more present in your life, more connected to yourself, and more open to the beauty and possibility around you.
How the Days Unfold
The retreat is being intentionally shaped to offer both structure and spaciousness. Each day will include invitations into rest, breath, reflection, movement, connection, and inner work, while still leaving room for the natural rhythm of the group, the weather, and the land.
This will not be a rigid schedule or a week of constant activity. It is a retreat designed to let your body soften, your heart open, and your nervous system begin to feel what it is like to be supported.
Morning Practices
Mornings may begin slowly, with practices such as meditation, mindfulness, Qigong, breath awareness, gentle movement, or time in quiet reflection.
Some mornings will invite you inward. Others may offer spaciousness to rest, swim, journal, walk, or simply be by the water.
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Evening Rituals & Firelight
Some evenings will invite us to gather in a slower, more ceremonial way.
The retreat will include a cacao ceremony with a bonfire, creating space for heart connection, reflection, music, silence, sharing, and the warmth of being together under the night sky.
Time by the Water
There will be time to enjoy the warm volcanic waters of Laguna de Apoyo, rest by the shore, swim, kayak, float, journal, or simply let the spaciousness of the lake meet you where you are.
The final retreat schedule will be shared closer to the start date. Specific practices may shift slightly as the program is finalized and to honour the needs of the group.
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Nourishment & Connection
Meals will be part of the retreat experience, offering time to slow down, be cared for, and connect with the group in a natural way.
One evening will include a mindful sensory dinner experience designed to invite presence, trust, curiosity, and a deeper relationship with how you receive nourishment.
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Guided Inner Work
Throughout the week, you will be invited into guided experiences that may include self-love practices, open-heart reflections, inner child work, breathwork, somatic awareness, journaling, sharing circles, and meaningful conversation.
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Local Experiences & Integration
The retreat includes meaningful local experiences that invite beauty, culture, awe, and connection beyond the retreat space.
There will also be time for integration, rest, and choice. Some moments will be guided, and others will remain open so you can listen to what your body and heart need.
You Will Not Arrive as a Stranger
Your retreat experience includes optional ways to connect before and after our time in Nicaragua, helping you arrive feeling informed and familiar with the group.
By the time you arrive, you will already have a sense of who is coming, how the retreat will unfold, and where to bring your questions.
Private WhatsApp Community
INCLUDED · OPTIONAL
Before we travel, you will be invited to a private WhatsApp community where you can meet other participants, ask practical questions, and share in the anticipation of the retreat.
Pre-Retreat Virtual Gathering
INCLUDED · OPTIONAL
Before we travel, you will be invited to one optional live online gathering to meet one another, ask practical questions, and arrive feeling more familiar with the women who will share this experience.
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Post-Retreat Virtual Gathering
INCLUDED · OPTIONAL
After our time in Nicaragua, you will be invited to one optional live video gathering to reconnect and reflect on what you are carrying forward.
Journeys That Open the Heart
Two included experiences bring beauty, culture, awe, and connection into the week. These outings are not here to fill the schedule. They are chosen to support the retreat’s deeper intention: to step outside your usual rhythm, take in the world around you, and let yourself be moved by something larger.
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Witness the Power of the Earth
Masaya Volcano Evening Experience
We will begin with a brief stop at Masaya Market, where you may browse handmade crafts, colour, and local artistry before the evening continues.
From there, we will drive up to Masaya Volcano’s overlook. No hiking is required, only the rare opportunity to stand above an active crater and witness this powerful natural wonder.
As the light begins to change, there will be time to take in the evening air, the scale of the earth, and the perspective that can come from being somewhere so ancient and alive.
A moment of awe, perspective, and connection to something larger than the life you usually have to manage.
Compassion Changes Us
Horse Rescue + The White Villages
This day begins at a local horse rescue sanctuary, where horses formerly used for cart pulling are now receiving care, safety, and the chance to live with greater freedom.
From there, we will continue through two of Nicaragua’s Pueblos Blancos. In Catarina, we will pause for open views across Laguna de Apoyo.
In San Juan de Oriente, there will be time to wander through a village known for its pottery traditions and handmade craft.
A day of compassion, landscape, and local tradition, with space to notice what care can make possible.
Your Open Integration Day
One day is intentionally left open so you can choose what your body and heart need most: rest, water, massage, quiet time, or an optional local experience.
A Moment to Unwind
In-House Massage at Villa Laguna
Add an extra layer of care to your open day with an optional massage at Villa Laguna.
Relaxing, deep-tissue, and hot-stone options may be available, depending on scheduling.
A quiet invitation to tend to your body and let yourself receive.
OPTIONAL · PARTICIPANT-PAID
A Day by the Ocean
Popoyo Beach
Spend a slower day along Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, with time for sand, sea, wide horizons, and the ease of being by the water.
This is a full-day outing with approximately two hours of driving each way.
OPTIONAL · PARTICIPANT-PAID
Sail the Emerald Coast
San Juan del Sur + Catamaran
Explore the colourful coastal town of San Juan del Sur before boarding a catamaran for an afternoon sail along Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.
A full day of ocean air, open water, and expansive coastal views, with approximately two hours of driving each way.
OPTIONAL · PARTICIPANT-PAID
Granada & Las Isletas
Colonial City + Lake Nicaragua Boat Tour
Spend time wandering Granada’s historic streets before taking a small boat through Las Isletas on Lake Nicaragua.
A full day of colour, culture, water, and a different view of Nicaragua’s landscape.
OPTIONAL · PARTICIPANT-PAID
Optional activities, excursions, and wellness services are participant-paid and can be arranged separately.
An Intimate Sanctuary by the Water
Nestled between tropical forest and the warm volcanic waters of Laguna de Apoyo, Villa Laguna will be our home for six nights.
The setting matters because the environment itself helps create the exhale: warm water steps away, meals prepared for you, places to rest between sessions, and enough beauty around you to remember that life can feel spacious again.
Villa Laguna is also home to a few friendly cats and dogs. If you have significant animal allergies or discomfort around animals, please keep this in mind as you consider whether the retreat is the right fit.
• Comfortable shared accommodations, each with a private bathroom
• Direct access to the warm waters of Laguna de Apoyo
• Peaceful gardens and quiet corners for rest
• Homemade plant-based meals shared in community
• Daily housekeeping, with towels refreshed every three days
• An open-air shala overlooking the water
• Gathering spaces for meals, conversation, and connection
• Friendly resident cats and dogs on the property
Choose Your Space
The first four confirmed deposits will receive first opportunity to request a Lake View Suite, subject to rooming needs and availability.
Every guest has her own bed, and each room has a private ensuite bathroom. You are welcome to attend on your own, be thoughtfully paired with another participant, or reserve with a friend or partner.
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Lake View Suites
Shared accommodation · Private bathroom · Lake-view balcony.
Two queen beds + one twin bed · Up to three women per suite
A spacious suite with beautiful views across Laguna de Apoyo.
Patio Rooms
Shared accommodation · Private bathroom · Private outdoor patio
Two single beds that may be joined to create one king bed for couples or friends, with advance notice.
Cozy rooms located beneath the Lake View Suites, with a peaceful outdoor space to rest between retreat experiences.
Forest Rooms
Shared accommodation · Private bathroom · Surrounded by tropical greenery.
Two single beds that may be joined to create one king bed for couples or friends, with advance notice.
A quieter, tucked-away place to rest and recharge close to the gardens and natural beauty of Villa Laguna.
All accommodations are shared occupancy. Final room placement is based on registration timing, rooming preferences, and availability.
Your Investment
Here is the full retreat investment, what is included, and the details to help you decide with clarity.
She Rises Softly
February 14–20, 2027
Villa Laguna • Laguna de Apoyo • Nicaragua
This retreat has been intentionally designed as a small, cared-for experience where the essential details are already held for you: accommodations, meals, airport transfers from Managua, guided practices, included experiences, and space to rest.
$2,777 USD per person
Shared occupancy only
All mandatory retreat package charges are included in this price.
Limited to 14 women · Minimum of 6 participants required
Your retreat investment includes six nights at Villa Laguna, daily plant-based meals, round-trip transfers from Managua International Airport, guided retreat practices, two included excursions, and optional pre- and post-retreat connection gatherings.
Not included: international flights, travel insurance, transfers from airports other than Managua, optional experiences and wellness services, extra nights, alcoholic beverages, gratuities, personal purchases, and any applicable payment-plan, processing, or credit-card fees.
Reserving Your Place
To reserve your place, an $800 USD non-refundable deposit is required. This deposit is applied toward your total retreat investment and allows us to hold your space, begin rooming arrangements, and confirm retreat planning details.
Once availability and rooming arrangements are confirmed, the remaining balance is due by December 1, 2026.
Payment-plan options may be available upon request. Any applicable payment-plan, processing, or credit-card fees will be confirmed directly by the travel advisor before you proceed.
Retreat Confirmation
She Rises Softly requires a minimum of 6 participants to proceed. If the retreat cannot proceed, participants will be notified by December 15, 2026.
Whether you feel ready to move forward or still have a few questions, you are welcome to explore availability, rooming, payment options, and the next steps with us.
What Your Investment Includes
The intention is that once you arrive, many of the details are already cared for, so you can focus on rest, connection, and the experience itself.
Your Stay & Experiences
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Six nights at Villa Laguna in shared rooms, each with a private bathroom
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Three homemade plant-based meals each day, along with fresh tropical fruit, coffee, tea, and filtered drinking water
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Daily housekeeping and refreshed towels
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Direct access to the warm volcanic waters of Laguna de Apoyo
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Round-trip airport transfers from Managua International Airport
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Cacao ceremony with bonfire
Care & Connection
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Guided heart-centered experiences, including breathwork, meditation, Qigong, hypnosis-informed inner journeys, reflection, and meaningful conversation
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Two included excursions: Masaya Volcano Evening Experience with a stop at Masaya Market, and the Horse Rescue Sanctuary with Catarina and San Juan de Oriente
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A private retreat WhatsApp community
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One optional pre-retreat virtual gathering and one optional post-retreat virtual gathering.
Your retreat also includes a welcome gift, thoughtful touches throughout the week, and a contribution that supports the horse rescue sanctuary.
What Is Not Included
To help you plan with clarity and ease, please note that the following items are not included in the retreat investment and remain the responsibility of each participant:
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International flights to and from Nicaragua
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Transfers from airports OTHER than Managua International Airport
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Optional activities, excursions, wellness services, and massages
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Extra nights before or after the retreat
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Alcoholic beverages
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Personal purchases, souvenirs, gratuities, and incidental expenses
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Payment-plan, processing, or credit-card fees, if applicable
Travel & extras
Travel Insurance
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Travel insurance is not included and must be purchased separately.
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Emergency medical travel insurance is required for every participant. We also recommend choosing coverage that includes trip cancellation and interruption, so you have added support should plans change unexpectedly.
Frequently Asked Questions
We want you to feel informed and clear as you consider joining us.
Here you will find answers to practical questions about the retreat, accommodations, travel, participation, and booking.
Booking is coordinated through Isabella Meduri at RF Travel, a TICO-registered travel agency.
Once you are ready to move forward, Isabella will guide you through availability, rooming, payment arrangements, and travel-related details.
Retreat Policies & Important Information
Please review these details carefully before reserving your place. They explain payment, cancellation, insurance, participant responsibility, and what may happen if plans need to change.
The retreat investment is $2,777 USD per person, based on shared accommodation. All mandatory retreat package charges are included in this price.
An $800 USD non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place. The deposit forms part of your total retreat investment and is not an additional charge.
Once availability and rooming arrangements are confirmed, the remaining balance is due in full by December 1, 2026.
Payment-plan options may be available upon request. Any applicable payment-plan, processing, or credit-card fees will be confirmed directly by the travel advisor before you proceed.
If you need to cancel your participation, the $800 USD deposit and any retreat payments already made are non-refundable.
Because retreat planning involves advance commitments to accommodations, transportation, staffing, and venue arrangements, we strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip-cancellation and trip-interruption coverage.
Please review your insurance policy carefully to understand what circumstances may be covered.
This retreat requires a minimum of six participants to proceed and is limited to a maximum of fourteen women.
Keeping the group intentionally small allows for a more intimate experience, with space for warmth, ease, and meaningful connection.
If the retreat is unable to proceed because the minimum number of participants is not reached, we will notify you no later than December 15, 2026.
If the retreat must be cancelled by the organizer, RF Travel will contact you directly to explain your available options. These may include a refund of amounts paid toward the retreat package, an acceptable alternative arrangement, or a future travel credit if you choose it.
Please note that independently booked flights, travel insurance, extra nights, and other personal travel expenses are not included in the retreat package and cannot be reimbursed by the retreat organizers.
Emergency medical travel insurance is required for every participant and must be arranged independently before travel.
We strongly recommend comprehensive coverage that includes:
• Trip cancellation and interruption
• Emergency medical care and evacuation
• Lost or delayed baggage
• Travel delays and unexpected changes to your itinerary
Travel insurance is not included in the retreat investment. Please review your policy carefully to ensure it meets your individual needs and covers the full duration of your trip.
She Rises Softly is a wellness and personal-growth retreat. It is not psychotherapy, counselling, group therapy, mental health treatment, medical care, or crisis support.
Participation in all retreat practices and activities is voluntary. You are always welcome to participate at your own pace, take a break, observe, or choose not to join a particular experience.
Please consider your own physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing before reserving. If you have a health concern that could affect your participation in travel, shared accommodations, breathwork, movement, or other retreat activities, please speak with an appropriate healthcare provider before booking.
Participants are asked to respect the privacy of others and not share another participant’s personal story, image, or experience without their permission.
If you are currently a psychotherapy client of Emely Alcina and are considering attending, please speak with her before reserving so you can discuss whether participation is appropriate and clarify boundaries for the retreat setting.
We intend to deliver the retreat experience as described on this website. However, schedules, activities, transportation, facilitators, meals, or venue arrangements may need to change because of weather, local conditions, safety considerations, supplier availability, or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
When changes are needed, we will make reasonable efforts to preserve the overall intention and quality of the retreat. This may include adjusting timing, changing the order of activities, or offering a comparable alternative experience.
If a significant change to the retreat package becomes necessary, RF Travel will contact affected participants directly and explain the available options in accordance with the applicable booking terms and consumer-protection requirements.
We recommend keeping travel plans flexible and purchasing comprehensive travel insurance to support you if unexpected changes affect your journey.
Travel & Booking Information
Travel booking for She Rises Softly is coordinated through RF Travel, a TICO-registered travel agency, with travel advisor Isabella Meduri.
For questions about availability, rooming, payment arrangements, airport transfers, travel insurance, or booking details, please contact:
Isabella Meduri
isabella@rftravel.ca
RF Travel
TICO Registration No. 5003172
1003–55 York Street
Toronto, ON M5J 1R7
Canada
Once you are ready to reserve your place, Isabella will guide you through availability, rooming, payment arrangements, and the next steps.
Retreat Details
She Rises Softly
An Open Heart Retreat for Women Who Have Been Carrying Too Much for Too Long
February 14–20, 2027
Villa Laguna
Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua
Women Only
7 Days / 6 Nights
Shared Accommodations
Travel & Booking Information
Bookings for this retreat are processed through RF Travel, a TICO-registered travel agency.
RF Travel
TICO Registration No. 5003172
1003-55 York Street
Toronto, ON M5J 1R7
For registration, payment inquiries, or travel-related questions:
Isabella Meduri
isabella@rftravel.ca
A Gentle Note
This retreat is a wellness and personal-growth experience.
It is not psychotherapy, counselling, group therapy, medical treatment, or crisis support.
You are welcome to arrive exactly as you are.
© 2027 She Rises Softly Retreat • All rights reserved