If you’re a dynamic, spiritually-centered woman at midlife who is deeply curious about what is next in your life – whether it’s moving abroad, traveling the world, diving into your art & soul, or going deeper into self — join us in the jungle where the rhythms of nature open the possibilities for your personal evolution for a creative retirement.
Find YOU in the solace of nature, creating clarity on your path.
As the morning sunrise brings light to the luscious, green jungle above, its well-orchestrated songs of brightly colored birds fill the air. You pull your soft white sheets up to your chin and roll over, embracing the beauty of simplicity.
Your eyes feast upon the crystal blue waters of the secluded cenote, only for us. You drop your robe as you descend into the cool, clear fresh water that refreshes your spirit the very moment you’re immersed by the sweetness of mother nature. She is tender and kind, caressing your heart and soul that has been thirsting for this embrace.
Standing before the stones of the pyramid in Coba, your feet feel the stories of the Maya people who still live on this land. You connect to all that was, all that is, and all that will be – time becomes fluid as you imagine your existence as part of the great cycle of life.
You now understand at your core what your next steps in this lifetime will be. With your soul sisters as witnesses, you speak your truth.
You have the most magnificent feeling of gratitude that your life will never be quite the same …
The Mysteries Await …
Are you ready?
So tell me … is this you?
- You’re driven to infuse each day with a vibrant zest for self-discovery, and a willingness to take risks in pursuit of your dreams. DONE.
- You are craving a richer understanding of who you are as an empty-nester. DONE.
- You yearn for experiences that are awe-inspiring, soul-stirring, heart-opening, and above all … LIFE-changing. DONE.
- You desire to forge life-long connections with other fierce women and bond over share experiences. DONE.
- You crave laughter and the feeling of pure liberation as you dance under the stars. DONE.
- You can literally taste that it’s your time to shine, to explore, and to manifest your wildest ambitions into glorious reality. YES!
This IS me, Lisa!
What You’ll Take Home
A Synopsis of The Symposium
Inner Clarity: Through intentional, centering meditations and guided sacred ceremonies you’ll learn how to tap into your inner wisdom, to the core of who you are. This journey will allow you to achieve clarity, create heart-space, and develop an unwavering trust in yourself.
Lifestyle & Investment Insight: Access to locals and real estate professionals who will share the essentials of living and investing in Mexico. Guided walking tours will offer invaluable insights into the unique vibe of each city, empowering you with knowledge.
Positive View of Aging: You will go on a personal journey using progressive art journaling intended to recalibrate what it means to be an aging woman. This process will enable you to create a clearer vision of living well, dying well, and aging positively.
Connect With Divine Wisdom: The wisdom of the Mayan Goddess Ix Chel will guide your steps to the top of the ancient pyramid at Coba. There, you will shed outdated stories of yourself in order to create the space for your new intentions to be nurtured and take root.
Circle of Women: When you gather around the evening fires sharing your thoughts, feelings, and dreams with your new tribe, you’ll be seen and accepted exactly as you are; finding gifts of connection, kindness, inner peace, and lasting friendships.
Personal Manifesto: This is your roadmap, your vision, your plan that will become your guiding document as you move forward with clarity and purpose.
The Power of Humor: You’ll remember the importance of laughter and how to integrate playfulness into your life, allowing it to transform your struggles into sources of strength and joy.
Oh, Lisa, I'd love to go!
Our Venue
Smell the richness of the jungle flora where the earth sprouts with life. Lofty palms and leafy greenery create sanctuaries around you where toucans dance, gracing you with their vivid, colorful presence.
Ahhhh … the essence of freedom!
Feel the gentle flow of intentional designs inspired by nature. Stone paths curve throughout the sanctuary as you meet yourself in the quiet, sacred moments accessing your authentic self.
As we gather, the scent of Mayan copal wafts through the air reminding you to breathe deeply and take in the beauty of the silence of now.
You’ll feel like you’ve found a secret oasis that only YOU know about …
We’ll spend six fabulous nights at Onze Xpuha, our very own secluded, private retreat, intimately close to Mother Earth (without the rocks under your sleeping bag). It sits just into the jungle between Tulum and Playa del Carmen … about 30 minutes from each … close enough, yet so far away.
The entire estate is reserved for us alone to gather, sleep, eat, cry, dance, create, and BE. Your luxurious bed in your own private casita (fluffy pillows and soft sheets included) will lull you into relaxation and tranquility in preparation for your deepest desires to be set free.
Each morning, awakening to the sunshine, take time to reflect in your journal before you stroll to the pool for an arousing dip to enliven your senses. Then, each evening, you will be invited to burn your old stories in the fire pit, allowing space for the new visions to take root for your personal evolution to be nurtured.
Luxurious Accommodations
This really resonates with me, Lisa!
The Cuisine
The freshest avocados, tomatoes, and lime adorn nearly every meal. I love Mexican food!
Each meal at Onze is made from scratch with a harmonious fusion of flavors to delight your senses. You’ll feel the love poured into each bite prepared by our local chef who fully enjoys creating traditional meals to nourish your body and enliven your senses.
Be prepared for your mouth to water in anticipation of each meal, taken family style in the gracious “la cocina” (Spanish for dining room). Be tempted by delectable slow cooked pork tacos served in crispy homemade tortilla shells, fresh salsas, and locally-caught fish. It’s an experience in and of itself!
How amazing will it be to have the richest, freshest single-origin coffee every morning with your desayano (breakfast) of fresh fruits, breads, and eggs. You are in the world’s Coffee Belt that stretches around the equator, meaning that some of the world’s best coffee is grown nearby in Chiapas.
Can’t eat this or that? Vegan, vegetarian, gluten or dairy free? No problemo – we’re happy to accommodate any of your food preferences and all food is handled using American standards.
You had me at homemade tacos!
The Journey
IxChel, the revered Mayan goddess of midwifery, medicine, fertility, and the moon, holds profound wisdom. As the Divine Feminine, knowing about her can infuse your Yucatan journey with a powerful framework for embracing the changes with creativity and inner strength.
Walking to IxChel’s sacred site in Cozumel and the ancient site of Coba, where you will experience the Nohoch Mul pyramid and gaze over the jungle, she will guide you in reflecting on your purpose during this season of life.
Dipping into the clear waters of a our private cenote can be a cleansing ritual, a moment to let go of past burdens and embrace the clarity and tranquility of inner understanding.
The Yucatan offers a rich tapestry of experiences that will leave you inspired, renewed, and deeply connected to your inner self.
Additional Highlights
- Tour the cities of Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Puerto Morelos where you are offered a glimpse into the diverse lifestyles that exist in this region of Mexico.
- Local experts will be available to educate you on the ins-and-outs of living and buying in the area, including information on healthcare, visas, cost of living, and more.
- Enjoy ample free time to relax, reflect, and document your thoughts and experiences. As an introvert, I understand the importance of nothingness so we will have both — quiet time and sharing time.
- Gather with your tribe around the evening fire pit to share stories and insights, fostering a sense of community and connection.
- Participate in guided meditation sessions to deepen your self-awareness and promote inner peace.
- Daily writing and art journaling prompts provide you with new perspectives and creative energy that open your heart, mind, and soul.
Our Experiences
Uncover hidden treasures and allow yourself to be immersed in the local culture and glorious ceremonies.
Our Onze Sanctuary Days
Days at our jungle oasis will be easy and inspiring — with gatherings where we dive into what it’s like to be an aging woman in today’s world.
We are no longer the vision of “grandmas on the front porch,” but active, alert, and aware! You’ll have time to create your vision of this season in your life lively and purposeful.
At our jungle sanctuary we will eat, drink, journal, create, nap and swim. And, of course … more!
Isla de Cozumel Visit to Diosa Ixchel
Step on the same earth where the women of the Yucatan walked (and some still do) during their annual pilgrimage in honor of Mayan Goddess Ixchel on the island of Cozumel.
Explore Ancient Coba Ruins & Pyramid
In Coba, the ruins pre-date those of Chichen Itza and house an ancient city and a pyramid where you can see over the entire area above the canopy of trees.
We will rent bicicletas (what fun!) at the entry and ride through the jungle to the pyramid as toucans fly and monkeys jump from tree to tree above us.
As we connect to the stories of the past, we will connect with to the stories of our future.
Sound Bath Immersion
If you’ve never experienced a “sound bath” you’re in for a sacred treat. You will reset your vibration to that of centered intention with a local, trained guide who will take you on an immersive ride by feeling the sound throughout your body. Wow!
Dip Into Our Private Cenote
Cenotes are fresh water, crystal clear pools that absolutely delight the senses.
Cenotes are sacred places for the Maya, and were considered access points to the underworld. They performed rituals and ceremonies in the cenotes, making offerings and worshipping their gods.
Available to you all day and night!
What People Are Saying
"Exceeded My Hopes"
“It’s not just the resourcefullness or creativity or imagination you use to create these retreats with, it is also you who are blessed and equippped to gather and guide from a connected, intuitive flow perspective.”
~Angie, Alaska
Your Title Goes Here
~Penny, Colorado
"Connection Between Nature & Core Values"
“I did a thing… Went by myself to Mexico and met up with four other women who were strangers to me at the time, but now are friends. It was a women’s retreat and I guess you can also call it a journey towards self-awareness and personal growth, a connection between nature and core values. The retreat was at the Lunita Jungle Retreat and organized by the amazing Lisa McIntyre.”
~Susie, Washington
"Culturally Enriching"
“I found the field trips, ceremonies and people we met culturally enrighing at a sould level, which was an extremely valuable eperience to me. I especially enjoyed getting to know, and forming bonds with, all the other women who attended.”
~Deborah, Colorado
This is exactly what I've been looking for!
What’s Included:
- 6 Nights at Onze Xpuha: Our Private Jungle Sanctuary
- Double Occupancy Villas with Ensuite Bath, AC, and fresh Linen Sheets included. Option to reserve a single-occupancy villa as well.
- Delicious Homemade Meals in La Cocina at Onze (ALL breakfasts, lunches & dinners while at “home”).
- Sacred Ceremonies allowing you to Connect with your Divine Nature.
- Guided Immersion Journey to the Coba ruins including a local guide, lunch, transportation, and entry fees.
- Tour of San Gervasio on the Island of Cozumel where we will learn about Goddess Ixchel with a local guide. Our lunch on the island, transportation, and entry fees are included.
- City Tours and Converstations about Living in Mexico with local experts; transportation & meal included.
- Daily Topics for Juicy Discussions
- Art Journaling & Materials
- Transportation to/from Cancun Airport to Onze Xpuha Jungle Retreat.
- A donation to a local non-profit from our tribe, discussed and decided upon together.
What’s Not Included:
- Your round-trip airfare to Cancun from home
- Your personal spa treatments
- Personal, medical, or trip cancellation insurance
- Souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, phone calls, laundry, etc.
- Other non-included items not mentioned in the “What’s Included” list above
- Tips for the housekeepers (we recommend $1-2 USD per person/day)
- Any extra tips you’d like to give to our amazing local guides and drivers (beyond what I am gifting them).
Let's do this!
To Deepen the Experience,
You’ll Also Receive These Bonuses:
A Clarity Call. 30 minutes of 1:1 time with Lisa over ZOOM. It’s the perfect time to get to know her and share what you hope to gain by attending the retreat. You may also reach out to her before you register so she can answer any questions. I can’t wait to meet you!
Get to know your fellow travelers in our private retreat Facebook group. Receive up-to-date trip info, get tips on how to prepare and make the most of our time together.
Build a deeper connection with everyone on our pre-trip Zoom call. Get clear on what you want for yourself on this journey and how to set your intent and begin the process of the retreat before we leave.
Post-adventure group call. We’ll check in with each other and see how we’re doing post retreat, what has changed, and what new actions we’re putting into place in our lives and businesses. We’ll make sure we’re not getting pulled back into any old habit patterns, so we can move forward knowing we’re exactly where we need to be right now.
FAQs
- What is a Modern Wise Woman? She is an aging goddess who is excited about crafting the final years of life precisely to her liking! Sometimes the heart needs to be opened up to remind her of her value and other times she just needs some guidance and community. Both will be present at this retreat!
- What is Creative Retirement? We are healthier, wealthier, and fiercely curious about the world – more so than in previous generations. So … let’s make a vibrant plan to live abundantly while we’re still able to do so!
- How fit do I need to be? At a minimum, you’ll need to be able to walk comfortably for about a mile at a medium pace without assistance. There will be stairs and vans and stones to navigate and I want to make sure you are safe doing these things.
- Where do I fly into? There are two airport options, Cancun and Tulum. However, the provided transportation to the retreat center is only from Cancun. If you opt to fly into the new Tulum airport, then you’ll just need to pay for your own transportation to the center. I can help you arrange that if you like.
- Can you accomodate dietary restrictions? Yes! Please contact me so we can ensure to understand your needs.
- Is it safe to travel to the Yucatan? Yes. I recommend you also check The State Department Website.
- What’s the weather like? January is one of the best months to travel to Mexico. Warm sunny days and cool evenings.
- What should I pack? I’ll send a list of suggestions once you’re registered. Think loose & flowy clothing!
- Do you offer this retreat on other dates? Yes! I’m always planning destinations in Mexico and globally. Upcoming are Oman exploring the culture, Spain’s Galacia region, and Miochacan, Mexico for the Monarch butterfly migration.
- What if I don’t speak Spanish? It’s all good! We will have English/Spanish speaking guides along with us. The locals are very sweet and kind, and most speak English. Yet they always appreciate if you try.
- What about extending my stay to explore more? Yes! I’d highly recommend it. If you need recommendation on areas, things to do, and guides, I can help!
- How long does it take to get there from the US? Trips into Cancun Airport are easy to find, affordable, and only take about four hours to get to this paradise.
Meet Your Facilitator
Lisa McIntyre ~ I’m a seeker
From the age of two when I ran away from home the very first time I’ve been curious of what is on the other side … of the street, the city, the world … and my personal mission. I live for experiences where I can immerse myself into new things. I’m a serial entrepreneur, Realtor, spiritually inspired, and an avid traveler on the slow roads, the scenic routes.
While walking as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain in 2022, something began to stir inside me about 200 miles in.
Who am I now that my kids are grown? Do I even want a lover anymore? Are facelifts what the cool kids are doing now? Do I want to be cool? Where is the best place to live out my final years with grace, grit and ladybugs? Get the “Under the Tuscan Sun” reference?
I’ve also discovered that I’m not alone … there are MANY women like me who desire “all the things,” and I’m not talking about diamonds and a Porsche. We are eager to live wholly, which may mean different things: we wish to be near the grandkids and the old family home or it may not be that at all. Maybe we go rebel and buy an RV to live by the beach or move to Panama with our sister to photograph birds until the day we die.
It is finally becoming clear to me that all those years as a classroom instructor, a property manager, and an event planner could be put to good use, that I’ve got all the skills to facilitate amazing events.
Enter my mission: Design transformative and comfortable retreat experiences for my tribe that is less about 5:00AM yoga (although I love yoga, just not in the morning) and more about honoring all parts of ourselves – where we sleep late, dive deep into being-ness, learn about living abroad without feeling pressured, immerse ourselves in culture, history, and meet around the fire for a lively discussion about the benefits of honey and bees and plants and trees.
It’s like summer camp for evolving women!
Contact Lisa
Did you say "Creative Retirement?"
Cancún Airport
Onze Retreat Center
Our retreat location!