Women's Initiation Ecuador

Uncover and transform the patterns that prevent you from being in your utmost integrity in the potency of the Ecuadorian mountains, jungles, and rivers.

Date: Oct 19-Oct 25, 2026

Early Bird Deadline: July 1, 2026 | Final Registration: Sept 15, 2026

Early Bird  Pricing (CAD) $4250 | Regular  (CAD) $4500

~ Secure your spot with a $500 deposit  ~

This retreat is for you if you are ready to return to what is most natural and alive in you. Come join us in a potent container that includes horses, mountains, rivers, conscious intention, and two highly experienced wild-loving therapists in the incredible landscapes of Ecuador.

This experience will challenge you physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually.

The horses, the land and the facilitators have the ability to uplift you, challenge you to show up authentically, to transform the habitual patterns that prevent you from experiencing true contact with yourself and others. Ecuador is a special, magical place, and we have the privilege of being hosted in both the high country — the Andes, at a rugged and beautiful horse ranch surrounded by volcanoes – and in the jungle, the Amazon River basin, the source of one of the planet’s most biodiverse and abundant ecosystems, with millions of species, dense rainforest, and networks of rivers.

What to Expect

The first 4 days of this 7-day initiation retreat begin in the Andes, where the volcanic landscape and the warm invitation of Corrales Viejos Ranch provide the backdrop for a magical, supportive, challenging, and transformative experience. The second half of the week brings us into the warm, lush, aliveness of the Amazon jungle to be held, nourished, reminded of our true nature, and to integrate all that has been transforming.

  • Experiential depth, equine & nature-based healing,
  • Growth work, specific to you and what is most important in your life, 
  • Healthy and delicious meals, family crafted, authentic to Ecuador,
  • Guided, relational and embodied practice with your horse partner 
  • Presence-centred horseback riding into the Apa Ilinezas – this is a somatic experience with your body, horse, and place, 
  • Introduction to the Indigenous plants of the different regions we will be visiting,
  • Experiences with the sacred waters and jungle of the Amazon River basin, including a day spent on the Napo River, a major tributary carrying water into the Amazon River
  • Ceremony and acknowledgement of what is evolving in you,
  • Opportunity to experience a traditional Quichua (Kichwa) ceremony, including an overnight visit to a women-run traditional village
  • Being deeply supported by an intentional circle of humans and two experienced Gestalt therapists with over 40 years of combined experience

"Lisa and Megan wove together an experience that felt nothing short of enchanting, an immersion in the mystical essence of the Andes and the untamed wonder of the Amazon basin. Within this sacred space, they cultivated a profound sense of safety, inviting us to explore and express the full spectrum of what it means to be human. Every emotion shared, every story spoken, was held tenderly by landscapes vast enough to contain it, by horses attuned enough to feel it, and by facilitators whose mastery brought it all to life in its deepest form.

I feel profoundly blessed to have walked this path, to have stood alongside extraordinary women whose presence amplified the magic. This retreat is now etched into my being, guiding me toward a life lived with greater vibrancy, openness, and aliveness."

 

J.M.

Designation

“I felt seen, heard, held, challenged in all the best ways, safe, protected, and empowered. The elements came alive for me in new and surprising ways and it was like falling in love again with earth, wind, fire, water, and the ethereal space between. River rafting on the Napo was fun, playful and reverent for me. The horses, though: What an expansive, heart-opening, relational, magnificent, and truly unforgettable few days with them. Horseback-riding through tall-grass paramo trails in the presence of volcanoes to a pristine water source, epic. Something cracked open in me a couple weeks after returning from Women's Initiation in Ecuador. I am so grateful that when things start to feel heavy, overwhelming, or lonely, I can call upon the friendships I made on that journey.”

 

R.C.

Designation

“As someone who has always felt on the outside of things and groups, my defense mechanisms and protective boundaries were challenged working with the horses in a positive way. The horse's acknowledgement of my presence gifted me the feeling of acceptance, that I do belong and I am connected to the herd.As I continued to transform from the old self to my new self throughout the week, the magic and ancient wisdom present around us seemed to hold the group and make its presence known through the horses, misty faerie fog, an Amazon rainbow revealing its beauty, and the moonlight shimmering next to a bonfire on the riverbank, reminding us that we are always loved and supported.”

 

R.Q.

Designation

“It’s hard to pick a favorite part of this trip. The ride into the crooks of the mountains – pouring rain – emotionally cleansing – and life renewing. The chance to step into the lungs of the earth, the Amazon… I will always carry in my bones.

So vast. So mysterious. So, teeming with life. Swimming in the tributaries of the Amazon River. The jungle invites you to live in a delicate balance between respect and fun. So, I invite you all to take this journey of faith. Trust the women who have chosen this adventure with you. Put your faith into Lisa and Megan – their crazy, wonderful ideas and GROW!”

 

K.B.

Designation

Your Guides

Headshot

Lisa Hartwick

I am passionate about good relations and discovering elegant pathways through complexity. With over 25 years of experience as a therapist, my work is intimately informed by clients, teachers, and mentors over time, and my personal journey.

What fuels my work is a love for aliveness, depth, adventure, and the wisdom of the natural world, including horses. I divide my time between two very different, equally nourishing places: the remote, wildness of Tatlayoko Lake, BC and the beautiful city of Victoria on Vancouver Island. I regularly teach and supervise other therapists in Gestalt and equine therapy, and I am honoured to serve as international visiting faculty at the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies (GEIR).

Megan Powers

Megan Powers, MA LPC

I have always been drawn to being in service to others. I have been blessed with the opportunity to support many amazing humans over the last 2 decades in remembering their true nature, supporting their ability to connect in integrity with their surroundings, with others, the divine, through major life transitions, and the final transition out of this physical world. I help people come home to a sense of security and centeredness, learning to trust in themselves, so they can navigate the challenges of their lives and the times that we live in. I spent a number of years leading spiritual retreats with my mentor and later began work as a Gestalt and Equine Assisted Therapist. Now I want to combine all of my life’s work and experience to offer these powerful and life changing initiation retreats for women to come together to grow, learn to feel truly powerful in relationship, and live in integrity with oneself. I look forward to creating magic together!