Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - May 2023
Over a weekend in May, a group of students and teachers from Art of the Seer Academy gathered in the heart of the lively Zona Romántica District. The retreat destination was chosen with thought and care – steps away from the beach and surrounded by the laid-back, artful, and cosmopolitan culture of the region. It all reflected the weekend ahead, full of a kind of vitality that represented kundalini energy itself.
Being an online-based academy, an in-person retreat experience becomes something uniquely special for both teacher and student. William (Owner and Creative Director) and Fiona (Teacher and Host) designed a three-day experience packed with information on how to turn on and work with Kundalini energy while giving plenty of time for clairvoyant reading and healing exchanges, self-reflection, and even some adventure!
Journey to the Retreat
A retreat can be considered a practice of leaving one’s everyday life, disconnecting from the day-to-day, and reconnecting with one’s spirit in an extra ordinary way. Many spiritual practices incorporate some sort of retreating as a way to connect with the divine or as a way to rekindle a relationship with self.
Leading up to the retreat, Fiona and William focused on the logistics and setting the energy just right. When it comes to setting a spiritual space for a group of energy sensitive people who are moving towards mastery of their abilities, it takes a certain kind of care and maintenance. We also encourage students to prepare by setting their goals or dreaming up what they want to have out of the experience. The purpose of why we construct retreats the way we do is to make sure the bodies of all participants are much more comfortable and focused on why they are there in the first place – to relax and retreat!
Surprisingly, it seemed quite easy to cozy up to the notion of being versus doing upon arrival. I think a lot of it had to do with the location and the people of PV.
“My experience [leading up to the retreat] was fantastic. Having a person to contact for rides [and] knowing he was safe [made] traveling easier. Fiona sent me a map of where the retreat was being held, and I can’t thank her enough because I could browse the area which helped to find my hotel, and check out what was all around us. Having the email sent with all the details took any guessing and effort out of the way. I liked the packing list so I knew what I should bring. Having the information class about kundalini beforehand helped in many way. Getting to exchange readings and healings with other people who were interested in the retreat was really cool and special.” - Karri
Igniting Kundalini
So what is Kundalini Energy? As defined by retreat teacher Fiona Yun, Kundalini is the body’s own vital life force energy. Everyone has it. It is creative, powerful, dynamic, and healing for your body when you consciously know it and choose to use it. Traveling can take a toll on the physical body in both unexpected and subtle ways, so it was important for us to spend time paying attention to and nourishing that before activating and running the Kundalini, so it can be done properly.
Tieara and I kicked off the weekend with the class of just doing that. Then passed the baton to our retreat teachers so we can get on to why we were gathering in the first place – turning on and running Kundalini!
Both Fiona and William curated an unforgettable series of classes that culminated in turning on and embodying kundalini energy during a unique and magical night-time bioluminescence kayaking excursion on the new moon - truly once in a lifetime - to Los Arcos off the Pacific Coast. - Ryan Fukuda
✨ Reflections from Fiona
Leading up the Kundalini Retreat in Puerto Vallarta, it was easy for me to get lost in all of the doing - making sure everyone had what they needed, including my two kids, husband, and elderly dad. Taking care of this prep ahead of time meant I could leave and turn my attention to my practice and my own energy work. For me all of this was just a lesson in letting go; an opportunity to release control and just trust to let it happen, to set things up and then just let the cards fall. After all, that is the essence of Kundalini – to let go of controlling it so the magic of it can do its work.
Once the retreat got started, it all fell into place and it was magical. I had so much fun! I surrendered to the incredible experience of bliss on Night 2. Our kayak trip to the Bioluminescent Bay was reflective of the lessons of the day for me, holding space and helping students feel safe and finding freedom kayaking in the water, while letting my kundalini run and be seen. It culminated with a dive into the water, the bioluminescence blooming like stars around me with every move I made. I have rarely experienced joy like that. The entire trip was an experience of being in right relationship: to my colleagues, to the students, and to the world around me, and trusting that I am exactly where I need to be. I will never forget those three days. - Fiona Yun
Some Student Reflections
“The in-person experience of energy work is not same as online - everything was elevated, whether running energy, reading, healing, etc. [It was] also a valuable opportunity to build and deepen relationships with people from a range of experience levels - in a group environment that still allows you to have a very individual experience. Personally, it was really meaningful for me to have so much face time with people with a shared interest in the psychic and spiritual space.” - Judson
"Awwww what an amazing experience we had. I was just thinking about my gratitude for this wonderful group of people today. 🌹💫🌹✨ " - Kate
“Being in person is a whole new world, and there is so much to have in a different way, it's a lot of fun meeting up with a bunch of folx who know how to run energy/work energy and doing it together while having our own spaces. Whatever the topic is - you're more likely to have it in a really deep way and learn unexpected things about yourself in the process. There's something about the retreat energy that brings a lot of unexpected information and there's a lot to be surprised by if you can let yourself be open to what's happening. It's a very different process than taking an online class. But it was also a beautiful compliment (or ending) to a class.” - Jessica
🧙🏻♂️ Reflections from William
It's easy to look around in the world and "see" that everything has gone back to "normal" after the wild years of 2020-2022; it's easy to think that everyone and everything is back to "fine" - but how much of that is actually true?
As someone sensitive to energy, the experiences I've had over the last few years have changed me in ways I'm very conscious to - and many I'm still deeply unconscious to and learning about, inside of myself, every day. This retreat experience, and the intensity of coming together with an intimate group of seekers to do energy work was definitely a step forward on my healing journey from the personal and global experience I've been trying to digest.
I knew when I decided to do this it felt "important" to me, but I don't think I knew how significant it would end up being for so many of us. I left Mexico a different, more "present" version of myself, and I'm so grateful I got to experience that shift in community with others.
Spiritual musings aside, it was a lot of fun to share with this group of folx my love of the people, culture, and stunning natural beauty of Puerto Vallarta, as well as sit for a few days and just "be" with others, wherever we each are in our growth and healing. Bonus unlocked: I got to have and share with friends my favorite tacos in the world. 🌮 I feel like those of us who were present connected and deepened relationships in ways that will reverberate out in unknown ways in the future. And isn't that the magic of time spent with others in communal interest, shared passion, and collaborative space?
- William
