Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat
in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
6 & 10-Day Hridaya
Silent Meditation Retreat
With Sasha Medvedovskaya & Kyle Brooks
Dates in 2026:
Dates in 2027:
Jan 2 - 13
Feb 5 - 16
March 5 - 16
April 10 - 21
December 11 - 22
Jan 2 - 13
Feb 4 - 15
April 8 -19
The Revelation of the Essence, Spiritual Heart
There are moments when life looks fine from the outside, yet something essential feels missing. Not dramatically. Just quietly. A sense of disconnection you can’t quite explain, even after years of growth, meditation, or inner work.
This retreat is an invitation to listen to that signal rather than override it.
Rooted in the non-dual teachings of Shaivist Tantra, the practices offered here point toward the spiritual heart, known as Hridaya — not as a metaphor, but as a living centre of knowing. Through silence, meditation, and embodied inquiry, we explore awakening not as an idea to understand, but as a reality to be felt, lived, and integrated into the body and everyday life.
Through this integration, the retreat becomes an opportunity to leave feeling more relaxed, more free, and more alive, with greater clarity, embodied wisdom, and a daily practice that can gradually transform your life on all levels.
More Than Just A Silent Retreat
We invite you into our retreat centre in the sacred mountains of Chiapas, in and around San Cristóbal de las Casas, the heart of one of the most intact indigenous cultures in Mexico.
Here, Mayan language, ritual, and cosmology have been preserved for centuries. This land has been prayed on, lived with, and listened to.
There is a simple balance here, in the land, in the way of life. A balance between surrender and activity, between withdrawing into stillness and learning to live fully.
When people arrive with sincere intention, the place enhances the process of transformation.
A Place of Power, Not a Random Location
Openness and Freedom From Contraction
This retreat is designed to release contractions, and soften spasms that have been armoured in the body, tightened in the mind, and protected in the heart.
Through silent meditation, somatic practices, emotional digestion, and gentle body-based inquiry, we access a deep healing ground that meditation alone often does not reach.
You will leave more embodied, more open, more present, relaxed and clearer than when you arrived.
Life Changing Daily Practice
By the end of the retreat, you will have a clear, embodied understanding of how to practice on your own.
A simple 20–30 minute daily routine, without teachers, apps, or external support.
This is the kind of practice that brings your life to a new level of safety, peace and love.
No fluff.
Just deep work, in a powerful place, that continues long after you go home.
Retreat Testimonials
In Silence... We Find Ourselves
This retreat offers practical and accessible spiritual teachings that seek to reveal the true nature of the self, not as an abstract idea or philosophy, but as a lived and embodied experience.
In the non-dual traditions of Shaivist Tantra, the term Hridaya refers to the spiritual heart, understood not as an emotional centre, but as the essence of reality itself. The heart is recognised as a direct point of contact with that reality, a place where being knows itself. In this retreat, meditation and self-inquiry are oriented toward this living centre of knowing.
For many sincere practitioners, meditation brings clarity but also a subtle distance from life. Thoughts quieten, yet the body feels less inhabited and presence becomes abstract.
This retreat responds directly to that pattern. Awareness is explored not as something separate from the body, but as its most subtle dimension. Meditation is guided not as a struggle to stop thoughts, but as a practice of opening to and relaxing into being, allowing silence to meet the human experience more honestly and intimately.
Retreat Contents
Simple Somatic Meditation Techniques
Introducing the basic principles of effective and enjoyable meditation practice. Here we do not struggle with thoughts, but learn how to relax the scope of attention to include the entire field of present-moment experience, allowing awareness to settle naturally.
Practical, Personal, and Relatable Perspectives
On ancient spiritual philosophies, drawing from decades of dedicated practice. Both facilitators have dedicated more than half a lifetime to the study and practice of Classical Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, and Tantra.
How to Effectively Practice Self-Inquiry
Inspired by the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Inquiry is introduced as a living method for recognising the heart of awareness directly, rather than as an abstract question or mental exercise. It serves as one of the primary ways the revelation of the spiritual heart is clarified and stabilised.
Subtle and Energy Body Cultivation Practices
Traditional techniques for developing sensitivity to the life force as it expresses itself through sensation, emotion, and perception, supporting a more refined and embodied relationship with experience.
Practices of Emotional Digestion
A grounded integration of ancient Tantric understanding with modern psychotherapeutic insight, supporting the digestion and integration of unresolved emotional residues that can otherwise shape our lives and relationships unconsciously.
This work is not about emotional discharge or analysis, but about restoring the body’s natural capacity to process experience as it arises.
A Meditative Approach toYoga Asana
Yoga is practiced as embodied meditation, allowing awareness to express itself through movement and posture rather than observing the body from a distance.
Together, these practices offer participants a coherent set of tools for continuing spiritual practice beyond the retreat and for supporting meaningful change and integration in daily life.
This retreat seeks to create conditions similar to that of a solitary environment.
We do this because in the temporary absence of:
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Distracting social interactions,
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Electronic devices
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Other forms of sensory stimulation
We may more easily develop an intimacy with ourselves and begin to experience life more deeply than the second hand narratives of the conceptual mind.
What to Expect?
Many participants describe not only greater clarity and inner stability, but also a renewed sense of aliveness. A feeling of being more at home in the body, more present in ordinary moments, and more available to the quiet richness of life as it is.
It is also common for a clearer sense of direction, purpose, and meaning to emerge.
The retreat is held in a small, intimate group setting, with a maximum of 22 participants (plus staff). This allows for a supportive container, personal attention, and a sense of shared presence without crowding or anonymity.
What Does a Silent Meditation Retreat Entail?
Participants are required to refrain from:
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Talking and other forms of communication (including eye contact and written notes to other participants)
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Use of cell-phones, tablets, kindles and other electronic devices
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Reading books
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Use of caffeine, nicotine and any other stimulants, including consciousness altering medicinal plants
Each day all participants are requested to adhere to a set schedule of:
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Meditation sessions, broken up by short breaks
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Hatha Yoga classes, where you will practice meditation while moving the body
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Themed talks to support our understanding of the practices in which we are engaged.
What is Allowed During A Silent Meditation Retreat?
During a retreat, outside of mandatory scheduled retreat sessions, participants are welcome to:
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Rest - it is very common to be more tired than normal and to takes naps during the day as the body adjusts to a new rhythm.
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Journaling - It is quite common that insights, creative inspiration, clarity on problems you face or have faced may come to the surface during a retreat and it can be inspiring to make notes of these.
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Gentle exercise - especially stretching and anything that can help loosen up the body and remedy tightness that may be caused by sitting for longer periods than you may be used to.
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Walk in the forest - We have a beautiful pine forest that starts on the property with various trails for walking and enjoying nature.
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Your own spiritual practices - Many people come to retreats with their own personal Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or various meditation practices.
We do not require you to give these practices up during your retreat, so long as they are quiet and do not disturb others. However, we do ask you to practice what we are teaching during the scheduled meditation sessions.
Additional Support to the Retreat Process
Participants are also supported through a nourishing, wholefood vegetarian and vegan diet, prepared with care to support physical health, digestion, and the subtler aspects of retreat practice. The retreat environment is held within a culture of respect, kindness, and attentiveness, creating a sense of safety and care that many describe as deeply supportive.
Why Go on a Silent Meditation Retreat?
Alright, so you might be wondering: Why would anyone go on a meditation retreat, especially a silent one? Well, it turns out there are some pretty powerful reasons people feel drawn to this experience. Here are some of the biggest ones:
✅ Deep Inner Peace & Clarity
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Modern life is noisy. Silence offers genuine mental quiet, allowing attention to settle and clarity to emerge naturally.
✅ Self-Discovery, Personal Growth & Breaking Free from Societal Expectations
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Without constant social feedback, there is space to explore who you are beneath conditioning and expectation, often leading to a deeper sense of alignment with what truly matters.
✅ Spiritual Awakening & Seeking Deeper Meaning
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Silence creates conditions to listen inwardly and reconnect with a sense of meaning and guidance that feels lived rather than imposed.
✅ Deepening an Existing Spiritual Journey
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If you have already explored meditation or yoga and sense something essential is missing, a silent retreat offers a coherent and distraction-free environment to deepen practice. For many, this includes learning how insight remains present and embodied during challenge, relationship, and everyday life.
✅ Reinvigorating Your Spiritual Search
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Periods of silence often renew clarity and inspiration, helping practitioners move through plateaus with fresh perspective.
✅ Stress Relief, Emotional Healing & Mental Reset
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With fewer distractions, unresolved emotions and mental clutter surface and can be processed, often leading to greater balance, resilience, and creativity.
✅ Detox from Technology & Social Media Influence
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Stepping away from screens helps reclaim attention and reconnect with the immediacy of the present moment, which many experience as unexpectedly rich and alive.
If you are feeling drawn toward something quieter, deeper, and more honest, this retreat may be a natural next step.
It is not a break from life, but a way of meeting it more directly.
Cost Breakdown
10-Day Retreat:
Course Fee: 8,940 MXN
Meals: (3/day per 10 days + dinner on the arrival day + breakfast + fruits and herbal teas all day long) - 5,250 MXN
Accommodation per 11 nights:
Option #1: a single bed in a dorm (1 bunk bed - max. 2-4 people per room): 4,750 MXN
Option #2: a single bed in a twin room/triple spacious cabin w/a private bathroom &terrace: 9,600 MXN
*Check below for the Low Income discount
TOTAL:
Option #1: 18,940 MXN
Option #2: : 23,890 MXN
6-Day Retreat:
Course Fee:
6,980 MXN
Meals: (3/day per 6 days + dinner on the arrival day + breakfast on the check out day + tea and fruits all day long)
3,980 MXN
Accommodation per 7 nights:
Option #1: a single bed in a dorm (1 bunk bed - max. 2-4 people per room): 3,570 MXN
Option #2: a single bed in a twin room/triple spacious cabin with a private bathroom &terrace:6,680 MXN
TOTAL:
Option #1: 14,530 MXN*
Option #2: 17,640 MXN*
** ! LOW INCOME DISCOUNT !
If you current income is less than 1300 USD/ month and your savings are not more than 5000 USD (we count very much on your honesty) we are happy to offer you a special Price for the 10-Day Retreat so you can join us : 13 750 MXN (about 700USD). Please, fill out this form to apply for the scolarship.
You can also find us on Bookretreats.com
Is it this the same as the regular Hridaya Silent Retreat?
Yes and no
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The essence and overall structure of the retreat are the same. However, here we place a stronger emphasis on non-dual Tantric teachings, with a particular focus on embodiment, emotional digestion and the integration of practice into daily life and relationship with the world.
The approach to meditation and practice is also more relaxed and organic. Rather than pushing or striving, we work deeply with opening the body–mind–heart and gently releasing long-held contractions.
Group sizes are intentionally small (8–15 participants), which creates a more intimate, family-like atmosphere and allows for a more personal, attentive approach to each participant.
“I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.”
- Rumi
Schedule
07:00-09:30 Morning Practice
A mix of postural yoga, conscious movement, breath based practices, tantric yoga and meditation to open the body and prepare for the days teachings.
09:30-11:00 Breakfast Break
11:00-13:00 Teachings and Practice
13:00-15:30 Lunch Break
Lunch Served at 14:00
15:30-16:30 Afternoon Practice
16:45-18:00 Afternoon Teachings & Practice
18:00-19:00 Dinner
19:00-20:30 Q&A/Teachings & Evening Practice
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
― Lao Tzu
FAQ's
Is it Safe to Travel to Mexico/to Your Centre?
Mexico’s reputation regarding safety, while not entirely untrue, is often exaggerated by the news media, especially in neighbouring countries where opposition to Mexico/Mexican people supports political agendas and dramatic media coverage drives clicks, views etc. There are certain areas of Mexico where there is a high rate of crime. These areas are thus less safe for foreign travellers. However, millions of travellers and holiday makers pass through Mexico each year without incident. This particular area had seen a little instability in 2024, surrounding the presidential elections in Mexico, however the situation has stabilized considerably and the area is generally safe. A huge movement by local authorities has recently removed hundreds of known cartel members from the area and made big steps in increasing general safety in San Cristobal de Las Casas and Chiapas in general. Additionally, our centre is nestled in a mountain valley outside the historic city of San Cristobal de Las Casas, an area protected by native peoples and indigenous laws. Regarding travel here, we have a long standing relationship with a particular taxi driver and his brother. They provide safe and reliable airport and local shuttle services for guests coming/leaving the centre.
What is the easiest most direct way to get to the retreat?
There are generally 2 main airports that you can fly into. Of these, by far the most popular is MEX Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City airport). The other is CUN Cancún International Airport. (There are other international airports in Mexico, into which you may find cheaper flights from your specific location from time to time, but these are the most convenient and common) From either of these airports you can catch a connecting flight to TGZ Aeropuerto Internacional Ángel Albino Corzo. This flight takes around 1.5hrs from Mexico City. From this airport we can arrange a taxi to pick you up directly from the airport and bring you either directly to us, or to San Cristobal de Las Casas (around 1000MXN). Or you can take an airport shuttle (you will need at least some basic Spanish) into San Cristobal de las Casas (around 300MXN). Either option takes around 1.5hrs From San Cristobal de Las Casas, we arrange a shuttle to our centre on the day that your retreat is schedule to begin, at 13:30. The cost of this suttles service is 150MXN per car, shared between however many people are in the car. the ride is about 20 minutes to arrive at the centre.
I have previous experience with Yoga &/or meditation will this retreat be to basic for me?
Years of feedback from participants have shown clearly that this retreat is well adapted to suit both beginners and experienced practitioners. The first few days will start slowly, and if you have quite a bit of sitting/retreat experience you will find this to be a gentle warm up and lead into longer sitting. You will also likely find that the attitude towards and theoretical aspects of the practice of meditation to be quite fresh and very profound. While the retreat embraces the visions of classical yoga, Advaita Vendanta and early Buddhism within it’s philosophical framework, our approach to practice draws heavily on the tantric traditions, in which an incredibly all-embracing and embodied approach to spiritual practice is emphasized. For experienced meditators this comes as a very welcome, complimentary and sometimes evolutionary deepening to their practice.
I’m new to yoga &/or meditation will I be able to keep up?
We start the retreat at a very beginner friendly level. We start with shorter sittings and build up over the first couple of days, we have found that even the most restless of people are able to adapt to the sitting practice after about 3 days and that many/most of the beginners that come for retreats both appreciate this graduated approach to learning to sit, and are surprised that within a few days they can sit for an hour without struggle. We have also found that our approach to teaching meditation, which is quite practical with guidance offered during the first 10-15 minutes of each practice sessions before we transition to simple silent sitting together, plus our emphasis on an attitude of acceptance and simplicity during meditation both make great conditions for learning, even if you have never sat before.
I have some physical injuries, will I be able to join the yoga/sit for meditation?
The style of yoga that we practice is primarily meditative and therefore very gentle physically. We emphasise awareness of the body/sensations and eventually the flow of subtle energies within the body. For this to be effective we must be able to find a balance of effort and relaxation in the poses, which means we generally keep them quite simple and therefore accessible to beginners. Advanced practice here refers more to the subtlety of attention and capacity to feel than it does to complicated postures. If you have any physical injuries please let us know in advance and we will adapt the practice sessions to suit your ability.
I’m Interested in this retreat primarily for psychological healing, will the contents and practices be appropriate for me?
Generally speaking, meditative, contemplative and spiritual practices can be incredibly beneficial for psychological health, stability, well being etc. This is especially true when those practices and teachings are body oriented and encompassing of a life guided by a genuine spiritual search and longing while living a well adjusted life in society, including making money, having relationships, jobs, projects, families etc. The teachings and practices of this retreat fit 100% in that category of spiritual teachings and practice. (This is certainly not always the case as many approaches in spirituality directly emphasise or are drawn from a cultural context in which genuine spirituality is seen as something incompatible with such a lifestyle. In such cases the practices and teachings may be entirely unhelpful, even damaging to someone seeking to heal deep traumas and psychological disorders). If you are passing through a difficult moment in life, like a loss, breakup or major change in life direction and circumstance, or if you have a history of trauma or psychological disorder that is well managed through therapy and previous personal development work, we know from experience that this retreat can be massively beneficial. Having said this, this retreat is not specifically designed to address people or situations of extreme psychological need. While everyone is welcome here, regardless of background and psychological state, if you are actively seeking to heal from traumatic life events or seeking alternative forms of treatment for diagnosed psychological disorders (such as bipolar, schizophrenia etc.) we would not recommend you attending this retreat. The reasoning behind this is that while we can help (Sasha is a licensed and practising psychotherapist and we both have years of experience working with people in quite extreme situations), in the context of this retreat (which is silent and by definition avoids direct personal contact and interaction between participants and/or facilitators) we are not able to provide the specific 1:1 support that is required in such delicate situations.