New Years Reset Retreat
December 28th, 2025 - January 4th 2026
Tzununa, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Join Nova Yoga for an extraordinary 7-day journey to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, where ancient Mayan wisdom meets modern transformation. This New Year's retreat combines daily yoga and meditation, traditional ceremonies including temazcal sweat lodge, heart-opening cacao rituals, volcano views, and meaningful community service in the sacred village of Tzununa. Experience the power of this volcanic lake that has been transforming lives for thousands of years. Step into 2025 with peace and clarity, immersed in nature.
Reserve your space with a $500 deposit.
Here are 5 things you will experience
The Temazcal Sweat Lodge:
This traditional Mayan sweat lodge ceremony helps you shed old identities and step into your power. Guided by a local Guatemalan from the neighboring village.
The Cacao Ritual:
Daily ceremonial cacao daily isn't just trendy, it's a heart-opening practice that connects you to your intuition in ways that will surprise you. Locally sourced cacao will flow throughout this retreat. Cacao is high in anti-oxidants and mood boosting
The Yoga Reflection
Practice yoga with the backdrop of ancient volcano guardians shows you strength you didn’t know you had (and why this particular landscape is perfect for life-changing realizations)
The Service Integration Practice: Deliver corn to local families isn't just nice – it's essential for understanding your place in the web of connection to this land and it’s robust history
The Fire Release Ritual:
We will use New Year's Eve to burn away what no longer serves and call in what you're ready to receive
Here’s what you will recieve
7 night accommodation in Casa Awanima Retreat Center
3 abundant vegetarian meals per day. Option to add organic locally sourced meat.
Daily yoga practices adapted to your energy and needs
Meditation and pranayama to fuel your inner flame
Philosophy Talks on the Yoga Sutras
Day trip to San Marcos with option to swim in the nature preserve
Sweat lodge
Mayan Fire Ceremony
Service trip to deliver corn to local elders in Tzununa
Lifelong relationships with people who understand your journey and will support your growth long after we leave Guatemala
Picture this: You're standing on the edge of an ancient volcanic lake, a mile high in the Guatemalan mountains, and for the first time in years... you can actually breathe.
Not the shallow, anxious breathing you've been doing while juggling deadlines and doom-scrolling. We’re talking about that deep, soul-filling breath that makes you remember what it feels like to be fully alive.
When you're surrounded by ancient volcanoes, drinking ceremonial cacao that connects you to the land, and practicing alongside people who understand your hunger for something real – magic happens. The kind that doesn't happen in your regular Tuesday yoga class.
Using this sacred reset, you can…
Finally release the weight you've been carrying that isn't even yours. Step into the New Year as the person you're meant to be, not the person you think you should be.
Your Guide
Lila Day (Diala Hamed), E-RYT 500
Lila is an experienced yoga teacher whose journey began over a decade ago under the guidance of Adi Shakti in Costa Rica, studying both Vinyasa and traditional Hatha yoga. Her love of practice led her across the globe - from the jungles of Central America to the banks of the Ganges in India, where she completed her 500-hour certification at the Akhanda Yoga School in Rishikesh. Over the years, yoga has become as essential to her as breathing. Rooted in the teachings of movement, breath, and Vipassana meditation, her classes and trainings are an invitation to come home to yourself - where the inner world reflects the beauty of the outer one.
Lila is a yoga style nerd at heart, blending wisdom from multiple lineages into accessible, heart-opening practices. She has taught thousands of classes around the world and now leads Yoga Teacher Trainings and retreats that explore not just what happens on the mat, but how yoga can shape how we live, relate, and lead. For her, yoga is more than a practice - it’s a lifelong relationship with mystery, truth, and transformation.
When she is not on the mat you can find her strumming her ukulele or sipping cacao reading in a comfy chair.
Venue
Rooted in permaculture principles and a commitment to care
Casa Awänímä is an eco-retreat where creativity flourishes, dreams come into form, and community thrives. This sanctuary was created to inspire and empower individuals to develop regenerative lifestyles, a deep appreciation for nature, and a sense of possibility within themselves and the world.
PRICING
Fuego Room (Queen Bed)
$2,000 $1,700
Earlybird Pricing
1 Queen Bed per room. Price per person. 2 person minimum to book.
Ideal for a couple, or private. Private toilet, shared shower.
Save 15% when you book before October 1st, 2025
Save 15% when you book before October 1st, 2025
Agua Room (Queen Bed)
$2,000 $1,700
Earlybird Pricing
1 Queen bed per room. Price per person. 2 person minimum to book.
Ideal for a couple, or private. Private toilet, shared shower.
Colibri (3 beds)
$2,118 $1,800
Earlybird Pricing
Private toilet, shared shower.
Montana (3 beds)
$1,765 $1,500
Earlybird Pricing
Outdoor shared shower and compost toilets.
Private Room option (LEO) $2,270. $1,930 (only one available)
Tzukasa
$2,500 $2,125
Earlybird Pricing
Shared Cabin. One Queen loft bed. One Queen day bed.
Private full bathroom, kitchen, and deck for the cabin.
Price per person. 2 person minimum.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space.
The remaining payment is due on October 1st, 2025
Save 15% when you book before October 1st, 2025
Save 15% when you book before October 1st, 2025
THERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HOW THIS RETREAT CAME TO BE...
The first time I came to Lake Atitlán, something shifted.
Not just a “this is beautiful” kind of shift.
I mean rewired-my-DNA, cracked-me-open kind of shift.
I kept returning.
Once, twice, three times…
And with every visit, I shed another layer of who I thought I had to be.
Then in April, something unexpected happened:
While I was back at the lake, I received word that my Spanish visa had been approved, a dream I had held for years.
At the exact same time, a local retreat center invited me to stay and manage their space.
My logical mind said:
“Go to Spain.”
But my heart whispered:
“Stay. There’s something here for you.”
And I listened. Again.
Because the peace I found in Tzununa (a quiet village tucked far away from the tourist trail) was unlike anything I’d experienced in all my years of traveling.
THIS PLACE CHANGES YOU
You can spend years searching for the right mix of meaning, connection, and inner peace.
You can read every book, try every class, hop from one retreat to the next hoping something finally clicks.
Or... you can come here.
To a place where the magic is already happening.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF RETREAT
I’ve condensed everything that makes this land so transformational into 7 potent, intentional days.
This is not a bypass.
This is not about pretending everything is love and light while you’re still navigating grief, doubt, or uncertainty.
This is real healing in a place that’s been holding people through transformation for generations.
WHAT MAKES THIS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT?
By the time this retreat begins, I’ll have been living in this village for 5+ months,
Learning the rhythms of the land.
Building real connections with the locals.
Discovering the trails, traditions, and hidden treasures most tourists never access.
This is not spiritual tourism.
This is deep integration.
An invitation into a living, breathing relationship with this sacred place, and with yourself.
~ Lila
What’s In A Day?
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner served at the retreat center
Group excursions throughout the week
Plenty of free time to relax or explore on your own
A more active vinyasa/power/flow morning session and a more passive yin/restorative/gentle evening session
All classes are suitable for all levels. Beginners welcome.
*All activities are optional*
Sample Itinerary
7:30 AM Morning Yoga
8:30-9:00 AM Meditation
9:00 AM Breakfast
9:30-12:00 PM Free time for relaxing on the property or exploring the area
12:00 PM Lunch
2:00-4:00 PM Evening yoga session or workshop
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Relax or group activity like a sharing circle, yoga nidra, or bonfire
FAQs
Do I need to be good at yoga and can beginners join?
Beginners are absolutely welcome. This retreat offers longer practices with more time to dive into instruction and the purpose of each pose. Your instructor will work individually with you to correct alignment, achieve goals, and answer any questions. It’s a great way to start your practice, equipping you with every tool you’ll need for a successful yoga journey.
What can I expect daily?
You can expect a yoga practice once or twice daily. When there are two classes, one will be more active vinyasa style in the morning, and the other will be a gentle, yin, or restorative evening flow. Our teachers are highly qualified and incorporate yogic wisdom, pranayama (breathing practices), and mantra throughout each class.
Between classes, you are free to explore the area, enjoy some rest and relaxation, journal or socialize with other guests. You may also explore the area and join excursions to other parts of the lake. Take a deep dive into the practice through informative sessions on ancient yogic principles, yoga energetics, and more.
What is the typical retreat group size?
This retreat will be limited to 12 participants.
Who typically attends yoga retreats?
We have a variety of attendees with a wide range of ages and backgrounds. We appreciate variety and the wisdom that each person brings from their unique background.
Do I need to know someone going already?
Most of our attendees are solo, but we sometimes have couples, friends, daughter-mom duos, etc. All are welcome.
What kind of meals are served, and will my dietary restriction be an issue?
This retreat has vegetarian meals with the option to add organic locally sourced meat for $35 per person. We will have 3 meals a day on-site. We gladly accommodate all diet restrictions and allergies. Our retreat host Diala is a licensed Dietitian Nutritionist who ensures our delicious meals are packed with fuel for our transformational experiences! As they say, yoga starts in the kitchen.
What does the rooming situation look like?
Depending on your room choice, we will match you with another participant. You can also opt for a private room if preferred.
If booking Fuego, Agua, or Tzukasa rooms, these have one queen bed each. Price is per person.
How do I book?
Bookings can be made on our website on the retreat page once the retreat is open for registration. A $500 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold your space, and the remaining payment is due October 1st. You can also pay in full, or make a custom payment plan that concludes before the start of the retreat.