The Ritual Retreat:
Honoring Life as Ceremony
[Location here]
Join Jumakae and friends for a week immersed in the Andes mountains alongside other professional women of color and LGBTQIA+ folks as we reconnect with ourselves as future ancestors through mindfulness, movement, and the power of storytelling.
[Dates here]
Connect deeper with the ancestors beyond your blood lineage, from chosen ancestors to non-human relatives through plant medicine and Andean + Buddhist cosmology as we reflect on the legacies we’re here to leave behind.
This is for you if…
𓆸 You’ve been at the forefront of social change, are seen as leaders in your community, have spent your entire lives fighting and are ready to soften so that you can receive the wisdom of your wise ancestors.
𓆸 You’ve been an overachiever and are celebrated for your accomplishments, yet inside you’ve been feeling exhausted and desire a space to nurture your imagination while returning to a creative and spiritual practice.
𓆸 You’ve been closeted in your gifts as a healer, and while you’ve been a great chameleon in professional settings, there is a pinging sense of loneliness as you question where your kind of people exist.
𓆸 You have an interest in herbalism and plant medicine, though you desire to approach these sacred teachers and mother earth in the right relationship through ritual and ceremony.
𓆸 You’ve been dreaming to travel to sacred places to be more than just a tourist, but don’t know where to begin without feeling like a colonizer - and would like to create reciprocity with the indigenous people of the land.
When all the body has known is fight or flight, peace and pleasure can feel like a threat to the nervous system.
It's only in letting go of who you are that you have an opportunity to discover who you can become.
As a result of our time together, we will:
Connect with ancient earth-based healing modalities while reclaiming the wisdom of your ancestors so that you can always call upon them for guidance and support
Tap into your power as a sensual being so that you can explore your body as a wise teacher and fall in love with who you see in the mirror
Embody your inner warrior while learning to lead life as an everyday ceremony so that you can become a magnet of possibilities
Cultivate a meditation and mindfulness practice so that you can stay grounded in times fear and uncertainty while exercising your energetic boundaries
Gain confidence to share your story medicine so that you can use your voice as an instrument for healing and your lived experience as wisdom
Nurture a community of other storytellers and radical healers so that you can decrease feelings of isolation and expand your village of support
If you landed on this page, you are on the right path. And you are not meant to do any of this alone. We will go so much further in the liberation of all beings when we do this together.
The Experience
Please note that everyday will have a storytelling, mindfulness, and gentle movement component. All activities are consensual, though we encourage you to participate in what you can to deepen your relationship with the community. Schedule is subject to change, though our intention for each day remains the same. Details will be sent in your welcome packet as we come closer to the date.
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✨Transportation provided from Cusco airport to the the venue (45 minutes)
Take the day to settle and ground yourself with the land.
We encourage arriving the day before in case of any delays while traveling, or early in the morning. This will ensure you will be on time for our shuttle that will depart by 1:00PM (CST). If you miss this shuttle, we can arrive private transportation on your behalf for a separate fee ($20-$30).✨ Evening: Opening Despacho Ceremony to give gratitude and ask for permission from the land.
✨ Connecting with Our Ancestors through Altar Making
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The Muladhara, or root chakra, represents our foundation. On the human body, it sits at the base of the spine and gives us the feeling of being grounded.
When the root chakra is open, we feel confident in our ability to withstand challenges and stand on our own two feet. When it's blocked, we feel threatened, as if we're standing on unstable ground. We will explore our connection to our ancestors and the earth to strengthen our foundation.
✨ Morning Yoga Flow with the Apus
✨ Exploring Our Relationship to Our Sensual Bodies
✨ Cacao Ceremony and Womb Activation -
The third chakra, the solar plexus chakra, speaks to your ability to be confident and in control of your life. It also governs our gut, also known as our “second brain,” and invites us to lean into our intuition.
If your solar plexus chakra is blocked, you might feel overwhelming amounts of shame and self-doubt that could manifest as digestive issues. We will explore the fires within us, and alchemize our fear into a guiding torch toward our desires while gaining clarity on our purpose through our connection to the cosmos.
✨ Journey to the lagoons and the Paru Paru community (gentle hiking is involved)
✨ Learning about medicinal plants and traditional farming in the region
✨ Andean and Buddhist Cosmology Workshop -
The Anahata, or heart chakra, is the bridge between the lower chakras and the upper chakras. As the name suggests, this chakra can influence our ability to give and receive love—from others and ourselves.
Someone with a blocked heart chakra will have difficulty fully opening up to the people in their life. If someone's heart is open, they can experience deep compassion and empathy. Today is the opportunity to give what your heart needs while learning to exercise our “heart coherence”.
✨ The power of sound healing for heart entrainment and soul attunement
✨ Option to participate in Psilocybin Ceremony (microdose only)
✨ Evening Integration Circle
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The Vishuddha, or throat chakra, gives voice to the heart chakra and controls our ability to communicate our personal power.
When it's functioning at full capacity, it allows us to express ourselves truly and clearly. Someone with a blocked throat chakra will feel like they have trouble finding the words to say how they truly feel. Today, we’ll learn how to activate our voices and explore how it connects to other parts of our body so that we can amplify our story beyond words.
✨Vocal Liberation
✨Activating Your Story Medicine through Creative Expression
✨Open mic and community sharing
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As we move up the body, we're getting closer to communion with the divine. The Anja, or third-eye chakra, controls our ability to see the big picture and connect to intuition. Think of it as the eye of the soul: It registers information beyond the surface level.
Visions and intuitive hits are not uncommon for someone with an open third-eye chakra. We will be envisioning ourselves as future ancestors and the legacy we’re here to leave behind.
✨Exploring the local town of Pisac
✨Envisioning ourselves as future ancestors
✨Herbal Flower Bath in our Japanese Peruvian jacuzzi
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The Sahasrara, or crown chakra, the highest chakra, sits at the crown of the head and represents our ability to be connected spiritually. When you fully open your crown chakra, you're able to access a higher consciousness beyond this physical realm. Today is our opportunity to integrate all the stories we’ve moved through in our bodies so that we can encapsulate ourselves in time as ancestors in the making.
✨Embodiment Coaching
✨Future Ancestor Photoshoot
✨Closing Ceremony
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Check-out; transportation back to the airport or option to stay in Pisac
What’s Included:
𓆸 Transportation to and from Cusco airport.
𓆸 Lodging (double suite, twin size bed rooms) with internet access
*Your own private room is available for an additional fee
𓆸 3 vegetarian meals a day, freshly prepared with ingredients straight from the land
𓆸 All guided activities listed above
𓆸 Excursion to the Paru Paru community
𓆸 Plant Medicine (Cacao and Psilocybin) Ceremonies
𓆸 Group Preparation Zoom Calls and Integration Calls, including one 1:1 Support
What’s NOT Included:
𓆹 Your flight to/from Cusco at designated times (Arrival Nov 17, 2024 and departure Nov 24, 2024 with times TBA)
𓆹 Personal, medical or trip cancellation insurance (highly recommended!)
𓆹 Personal taxi transport to the airport outside of scheduled group transport.
𓆹 Souvenirs, phone calls, taxis, and laundry services
𓆹 Additional activities during free time: Exploring Pisac, shopping, spa services, etc.
𓆹 Tips and gratuities
Choose your plan
Full Investment
$3,997
*Pay in full to save $500, and receive a bonus healing session with Jumakae (can include sound healing, vocal alchemy, ancestral invocation, focus on your story medicine).
Payment Plan
$750/mo
for 6 months
Payment Plan
$1,125/mo
for 4 months
Extended Payment Plans
$347/mo
available through Afterpay or Klarna if qualified.
Hear from our beloved community:
Frequently Asked Questions
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This retreat is already discounted at a considerable rate and affords us the ability to ensure we are also paying our facilitators and the caretakers of the space. Also, payment plans are available if you’re unable to pay in full. *If you need to cancel, we will apply your payment to another upcoming program or retreat within Your Story Medicine.
Much of our relationship with money is connected to our root chakra, so I invite you to lean into the possibilities versus the price (which is so much of what we'll be working on in our time together)!
As a small and women-of-color owned business, scholarships may become available when we're provided external funding so please keep a look out.
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While Your Story Medicine has predominantly served women of color, this is open to individuals that expand beyond the gender binaries and are seeking a connection to their sensual body as well as their path as a healer.
In many indigenous traditions, those who identified as two spirited or didn’t resonate with their assigned gender at birth were seen as the most powerful channel between the seen and unseen realm.
A part of our decolonization journey is returning to these ways of beings, where those that would be persecuted today are celebrated as the ones that carry great wisdom.
*Gender expansive folks include those that identify as nonbinary and trans, and have a desire to explore their sensuality as femmes.
Sensuality has little to do with s.ex, but is about awakening our felt senses by exploring our body as a guide through movement and meditation.
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We understand that many may not know of their ancestry due to colonization, displacement, immigration, adoption, and other historical barriers and are mindful of the pain that this may cause.
We can only be experts of our own lived experiences, so we will be exploring these questions in our time together! We also acknowledge that ancestors go beyond blood, so will be connecting with chosen ancestors and non-human ones.
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While we do encourage you to be with us to strengthen your connection to this beloved community, we also want this to be a time of respite for you!
Therefore, if you are not feeling called to participate, there are plenty of spaces for you to relax and tend to your well-being. Our facilitators will also serve as our care team if you need additional emotional and spiritual support when stories begin to arise during our exploration together. <3
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The retreat will be for YOU, and our accommodations are only available for participants. However, you’re welcome to have your loved ones stay nearby to meet them afterward!
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Travel insurance is not a necessity, but it is helpful to get for your own precaution as we cannot be liable for any injuries or illnesses that may occur. You can check out worldnomad.com for an affordable one
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We’ll be sending out a welcome packet at least one month in advance, and will also have preparation calls so you can ask additional questions while getting to know your group in advance.
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At the time of this writing (April 2024), the exchange rate is 25 cents for 1 sole. You can exchange money or withdraw money from the ATM in town with the shuttle driver prior to your arrival to the venue. Trips to the local town of Pisac on your own are about $1 in a collectivo (tuktuk) and takes less than 10 minutes, with meals averaging from $3-$20 depending on your style and budget. Please check with your bank about transaction fees.
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Because we are at a higher elevation, temperatures may fluctuate and it’s common to experience all four seasons in a single day! Overall, the days average to about 70 F with sunny skies, and cooler nights. We will be in between dry and rainy seasons, though showers are sporadic and create beautiful clouds with lush greenery at this time of the year.
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We will be sending out an intake form to understand a little bit more about who you are and will be intentional about who is paired. If you are coming with a friend that you’d like to roommate with, please let us know and we will adjust accordingly. If you have any specific requests, we’ll do our best to accommodate to ensure that this is a comfortable experience for you.
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✨ At the time of this writing (April 2024), there are no requirements for vaccination or masks on this retreat, but you’re always welcome to wear a mask if you like. If you’re concerned about rooming with someone who has made a different vaccination choice than you, please let us know your needs in the pre-event forms and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
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✨ A minimum of $500 USD nonrefundable deposit is required at time of registration. The balance is due within 60 days of our retreat for paid-in-full. Any cancellation made after September 1, 2024 can be credited and transferred to coaching services, an upcoming program, or retreat inside of Your Story Medicine. We reserve the right to cancel the trip if it is not meeting the trip minimum (if we do so your deposit and any balance paid is refunded in full). Trip cancellation insurance is always recommended whenever making travel plans.
Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please email hello@yourstorymedicine.com
MEET YOUR HOST
Hi, I'm June! aka "Jumakae"
Retreat Host & Life Doula
Fun Fact: "Jumakae," is a combination of my first, middle, and last name...
(It was also my artist name back in the day as a rapper and spoken word poet!) I'm a wellness consultant, storytelling guide, and life doula that supports others who are in the process of rebirthing themselves and their story medicine.
After spending my twenties as an arts educator and community organizer inside of nonprofit organizations, I began craving an alternative narrative to healing and justice that went beyond the stories of struggles. If racism is only 500 years old, then how can we tap into our ancestral wisdom that precedes beyond that? Curiosity led me back to Thailand, where I studied with a traditional midwife to learn the birthing ways of my lineage - and realized the importance of treating life as an everyday ceremony that is worth celebrating until our last breath. Thus sparked my calling to assist others in remembering their purpose on this planet, while reflecting on the legacy they’re here to leave behind when they, too, become an ancestor.
In 2022, I shut down my operations and took my first 6 month sabbatical to rediscover my own medicine after experiencing massive burnout and heartbreak. I immersed myself in the Andes mountains of Peru during a political lockdown where I radically fell in love with my own company, and the Caribbean jungles of Costa Rica where the spirit of Harriet Tubman was invoked during a plant medicine ceremony with a request to do more than just talk about liberation, but to actively embody it. I also tapped into my ancestors that went beyond my own bloodline! From there, I knew it was time to shift my services by creating spaces for others to reconnect with what brings them joy.
Today, I'm excited to host local and international wellness retreats for women and gender-expansive folks, and facilitate storytelling workshops for social impact organizations. You can find me meditating in the morning and dancing in the moonlight as my spiritual practice.
Check out my Tedx talk, “How to Connect with Your Ancestors” or listen to my weekly(ish) podcast at yourstorymedicine.com for some inspiration!