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CUBA

HAVANA & VIÑALES
AUG 29 - SEPT 3, 2024
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CULTIVATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR ANCESTORS TO HEAL YOUR PAST AND SECURE AN EXPANSIVE FUTURE!

Surround yourself with the powerful experience of a country that has preserved its Indigenous & African Roots and Practices!

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We'll be diving deep into the heart of culture, history, healing workshops, yoga, and meditation as we journey through Havana, Viñales, and Matanzas!

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All while gaining invaluable insights from Cuban experts and having the opportunity to explore the homes of artists, eco-conscious farmers, and former freedom fighters through our retreat partner Reroot Travel! 

Immerse yourself in a society that has honored its Ancestral Wisdom and Traditions to reclaim this wisdom for yourselF.

Retreat Highlights

  • Our partner, Reroot Travel, has local experts in Cuban travel to support us in this travel experience!

  • Two Pre-Retreat Ancestral Healing Workshops

  • All Ground Transportation within Cuba

  • Accommodations at Local Family Hotels and Restored Colonial-Style Mansions included

  • All-Inclusive Cuban Cuisine and Beverages

  • Welcoming & Closing Ceremonies with Dinner

  • Explore Cuban History Through Food

  • Learn About Afro-Cuban Religions

  • On-Site Healing Workshops

  • Cultural Tours & Excursions

  • Visits to Indigenous Sacred Sites

  • Tour of the Enslaved Route & Rivers in Matanzas

  • Eco-Farming & Horseback Riding in Viñales

  • Dance Lessons

  • Percussion Classes

  • Art Tours

  • A Barbecue on the Beach

  • Professional Photoshoots

  • Motivational Yoga: A gentle healing practice that combines neuro-programming, somatic healing, breathwork, and yoga to stimulate positive thinking, overcome limitations, and release emotional blockages.

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two destinations in one trip

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Meet your Hosts

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Cynthia Santiago Borbón

Cynthia is a clinically trained therapist, healer, and Priestess of Obatala with over two decades of expertise in the mental health and wellness space. Cynthia’s multi-disciplinary, culturally informed, spiritual approach has always been deeply rooted in liberation, equity, and anti-oppression. She provides personal and professional development services including private coaching, clinical supervision, group coaching, workshops, and retreats for other clinicians, healers, leaders, transformational practitioners, wellness practitioners, and business owners that want to decolonize their work and businesses and ensure that they are not replicating harmful, oppressive practices within their lives, with their clients, and in their work.

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Cynthia credits her powerful and transformative approach to healing, growth, and personal and entrepreneurial development to the wisdom of her African and Indigenous Ancestors and to the Orishas that have guided her journey.

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Samora Suber

Samora is a certified Somatic Life Coach and Yoga Instructor who helps people feel connected  and confident in their bodies and in their lives through the power of movement, breathwork, and mindset coaching. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Essence, and Health Magazine to name a few, and she has worked with organizations such as Soho House, The Gathering Spot, UPenn, Athleta, and so many more.

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Samora also created a healing practice, Motivational Yoga, which fuses motivational affirmations and breathwork with specific yoga sequences to stimulate positive thinking, push physical limitations, and release emotional blockages.

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Samora is based in Los Angeles, loves to dance, is a travel addict, and can eat french fries every single day (does not, but would love to)!

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The Itinerary

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Day 1

Arrival

Welcome to Havana! Your ride awaits you at the airport where you’ll be whisked away to our colonial style mansion.

 

Our welcome dinner is at one of Havana’s hottest restaurants in the twinkling, romantic lights of Havana. Over dinner we will participate in a TABLE TOPICS WORKSHOP in order for all of us to connect in community. 

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Next we’re off to FABRICA DE ARTE — Cuba’s coolest art museum that also subs as a disco & bar all in one! Prepare to dance with art all around you. Fabrica de Arte was included in 2019 TIME magazine’s list of 100 World’s Greatest Places to visit!

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Day 2

Havana

We’ll start our day off with MEDITATION & LIGHT MOVEMENT followed by our first ANCESTRAL CONNECTION WORKSHOP.

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Then we'll head out for our first activity - A HISTORY OF CUBA THROUGH FOOD where we’ve worked with a Cuban chef to create a special 5-course menu just for us! Each course covers a specific period in history and there will be an on-site historian educating us as we eat together and learn more about Cuba.

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Day 3

Cuba & Africa

Our day starts with YOGA & MEDITATION and then we’ll salsa our way to our own private CUBAN DANCE lesson where our instructors are the world-famous dancers of the Tropicana Cabaret!

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Next, we'll learn how Cuba's African heritage has shaped its culture and present-day life from dance to music to religious beliefs. A Cuban soldier who fought in Angola alongside Che Guevara presents on CUBAN SOLIDARITY MISSIONS and how Cuba & African Nations have a long-standing positive relationship.

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We’ll end our day under the palm trees with snow-white sand under our feet and lobster at our tables as we watch the sunset at our BEACH BBQ.

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Day 4

Matanzas & The Stolen Tribes of Africa

We depart on a journey an hour away from Havana to Matanzas to the San Severino Castle Museum Slave Route where we’ll talk to the director about the SLAVE TRADE and how the majority of enslaved peoples arrived here to this very town.

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Next, we head to Cuba’s OLDEST ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE where we learn about the Indigenous Peoples who were the first revolutionary leaders on the island and how they lived and subsequently died.

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Following this experience, Cynthia and Samora will facilitate an ancestral healing circle by the huge RIVERS Matanzas is famous for.

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Day 5

Rumba & Lucum/Santeria

Today is a very special experience! We’ll start the day meeting the first female president of Yoruba who will teach us the basics of LUCUMI/SANTERIA and how it has preserved African culture, language, rituals, and customs on the island.

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Then we’ll head on to meet the Grammy-winning folkloric group, Muñequitos de Matanzas, who will perform the DANCE OF THE ORISHAS. We’ll learn about the different gods and goddesses that rule Cuba’s natural elements.

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Then we’ll get to dancing! We’ll learn the ceremonial dance called the RUMBA, which is very important to Afro-Cubans. 

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Day 6

Countryside of Cuba & Tobacco FARMS

Viñales is a small town where the landscapes take your breath away. We'll be welcomed into a typical Cuban family home and enjoy a fresh homemade meal leading to our FOOD ECONOMICS activity. Learn how sanctions have affected Cuban access to food and the strange laws created as a result.

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Our next lesson is on HORSEBACK RIDE as we trot through the farms of Cuba to learn about ECO FARMING. Here is where we’ll learn the tobacco growing process as you try your own complimentary cigar dipped in honey and sip mojitos at one of the best views Cuba has to offer.

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Day 7

Sunrises & Pig Roasts

Our day begins with an optional sunrise hike to the valley where we see the sunrise, watch the valley explode with a myriad of colors, and participate in YOGA & MEDITATION to rejuvenate our minds, bodies, and spirts.

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The rest of our day is open for us to explore the town on our own. Go shopping, zip lining, or enjoy other natural activities.

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We’ll celebrate our time together in a CLOSING CEREMONY and dinner with a traditional Cuban pig roast (don’t worry vegetarians, there will be plenty for you to eat).

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Day 8

DEPARTURE

Our journey ends today in tropical Cuba but we’re sure you’ll continue on your own

path with the memories made during your experience!

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SEE YOU IN CUBA!

Pack your bags for this all-inclusive experience where we will dive deep into our relationship with our ancestors while experiencing the beauty and culture of Cuba!
 

Investment: $3,985
Payment plans are available

Please be aware that you will be directed to our retreat partner, Reroot Travel's website, to secure your spot!

FAQ's

  • Do you offer a payment plan?
    Yes! Our partner retreat company, Reroot Travel, does offer payment plans to those interested. All information on potential payment plan options will be sent after your deposit is received. Please note: Reroot requires all tours fees to be paid in full 60 days prior to the start of the trip. Therefore, if you register the month of your trip, payment plans are no longer offered.
  • What if I need to cancel?
    Deposits are non-refundable. Our partner retreat company, Reroot Travel, does not return processing or transaction fees for payment (e.g. PayPal fees). However, Reroot Travel does offer ONE opportunity to transfer any monies paid to another tour/retreat within the same calendar year. Should you request a refund, the non-refundable deposit + transaction fees are withheld. For the remainder of any money paid, Rerootā€™s cancellation policy is as follows: >90 days Prior to Tour Date ā€“ 100% Refund 89 ā€“ 60 days Prior to Tour Date ā€“ 50% Refund 59 ā€“ 30 days Prior to Tour Date ā€“ 25% Refund If the cancellation notice is received less than 30 days prior to departure, no refund will be issued.
  • How do I get from the airport to the accommodations?
    Our retreat team will pick you up from the airport, and is available via Whatsapp*. We will ask for your travel itinerary in advance to keep track of delays. Group transportation is only available on the specified start and end dates of the retreat. You are responsible for your own airport transfer if you arrive early or later than the retreat dates of April 6th - 13th. *Please note: You will need to download Whatsapp prior to boarding your flight, as wifi or data may not be available post-landing.
  • When should I fly in?
    We advise that everyone aim to arrive in Cuba by midday on Day 1 of the retreat (April 6th). All relevant guidance on booking flights will be sent upon booking.
  • Are these tours safe for women, people of color, LGBTQ+, etc.?
    Our retreat team, Reroot Travel, is trained to be supportive, inclusive, and accommodating to all travelers, and theyā€™ve had travelers come from all backgrounds. Reroot Travel only works in countries with inclusive laws regarding sexuality, race and gender. That said, the tours intermix with a living, breathing society, and we cannot control every interaction.
  • What's Included?
    All Cuban-Style - Accommodations All Fresh Daily Meals Daily Ancestral Workshops and Motivational Yoga Sessions All Cultural Excursions and Activities Airport transfers & Ground transport *NOTE: Above items are included for specified tour dates, ONLY. You can arrange can arrange add-on activities, accommodations and transport with our partner retreat company Reroot Travel for an additional cost should you decide to extend your stay. Otherwise, us nor Reroot is not responsible for costs incurred when a traveler arrives before or departs after the tour.
  • Preparing for Your Trip
    On average, the weather in Cuba is high 84Ā° / 74Ā° low. The island truly has some of the most glorious weather in the world. Plan your usual tropical and fun outfits. Please make sure to bring a sweater or light jacket for potentially cooler evenings. Please make sure to also pack the following: Proof of Vaccination Face Mask Hand Sanitizer Sneakers & outdoor activity clothing for our cultural excursions Outfits for dinners Comfortable workout clothing for morning meditation and Yoga Clothing that you feel great wearing! We are inviting you into an experience that is meant to elevate you into the highest and most authentic expression of who you are. Let your clothing, your hair, your jewelry, and adornment represent all of who you are. We will add additional recommendations pre-trip.
  • How much cash should I bring?
    All activities, meals, and in-country transportation described in the itinerary is included in your retreat cost. Additional spending money is required for nights out and potentially cab fare home, cocktails and any additional spending. We suggest each person bring roughly $100 USD per day especially if you plan to purchase souvenirs. *Please note: There is NO banking relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, and you will NOT be able to use your ATM card. Our retreat team will facilitate the exchange of USD to local currency upon your arrival to Cuba.
  • We believe in Giving Back and Reaching Back!
    A percentage of our proceeds will be used to provide donations to the local Cuban people. We are committed to consciously participate in economically beneficial practices and ecotourism for our host communities. Therefore, we take great efforts to ensure that we outsource all services to local vendors. In our commitment to access and equity, we will also determine the use of a percentage of our proceeds to provide scholarships for women that would not otherwise have financial access to this retreat.
  • Is This Retreat A Fit For You?
    This retreat is for anyone that: wants to explore her own relationship to her Ancestors as a tool for healing, motivation, and accomplishing one's desires wants to explore her relationship with her Ancestoral lineage and learn how to use that relationship as a source of healing, growth, inner power, and greater joy wants to tap more deeply into her own spirituality - meaning her personal relationship and connection to Spirit - to enhance every aspect of her life is excited to connect more deeply with nature and wants to explore or understand how we can have a meaningful relationship with nature and Mother Earth envisions a world that can be better and wants to consciously participate in making it better through her daily actions and practices is looking forward to an experience that enriches and supports her spirit, body, and mind wants to have a historical understanding of the lands she visits and honor the original people of those lands believes in giving back and honoring the places that she visits This Retreat Is Not A Fit For You if: If you are someone that has strong religious beliefs that exclude your participation in the consideration of broader forms of spirituality. One of the ways we will be exploring joy is by tapping into practices that relate to Indigenous and West African cultural worldviews prior to colonization. If you are averse to this type of learning and exploration then this retreat is not a fit for you. This retreat is not meant to convert anybody to any type of religion or spiritual practice. Your Facilitator will simply be exposing you to practices, concepts, and worldviews that were deeply transformative and healing for her and which have allowed her to become more joyful and confident, and gave her the clarity to stand in her truth, heal trauma including intergenerational trauma, overcome numerous fears, and build a thriving business that she loves. These tools, strategies, and techniques are meant to support you in tapping into your truths so that you can live with greater joy and authenticity in your life and in your work and business. You are meant to take what you learn on this retreat and adapt the tools and practices in ways that feel honoring and healing for you. This is an Experiential Group Retreat Please be aware that you will be interacting with other women, participating in experiential exercises and interactive activities. Therefore, you must be willing to engage with other participants. You all will be sharing an experience together, so if you don't like group work this retreat is not a fit for you.
  • I have a disability, is this retreat right for me?
    We make every effort to accommodate each guest based on their specific needs. There is diversity in disability, and we encourage each person to email us (alexa@cynthiasantiagoborbon.com) or team@reroottravel.com directly to make sure we can make the appropriate accommodations.
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We can't wait TO SEE YOU IN CUBA!

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