Dark Room Retreat
San Cristóbal de las Casas, México
Step Into the Profound Silence of Total Darkness
Our Dark Room offers a rare opportunity to disconnect from the world of constant stimulation and reconnect with your deepest self. In this sanctuary of absolute darkness, free from all visual distractions, you'll discover what ancient practitioners have known for millennia—that profound transformation emerges from the depths of stillness.
This isn't ordinary meditation. When sight is removed, your other senses heighten and your inner landscape becomes vivid in ways you've never experienced. The chatter of daily life fades, replaced by an intimate dialogue with your own consciousness. Many emerge with clarity about life's direction, creative breakthroughs, or simply a profound sense of peace they've been seeking.
Our Dark Room retreats honor the ancient Ayurvedic and Tantric wisdom traditions while providing the comfort and safety of a modern sanctuary. Whether you're seeking to deepen your existing practice, break through mental barriers, or explore the edges of human consciousness, the darkness becomes your teacher.
What awaits you in the darkness is not emptiness, but everything you've been too distracted to notice. Be warned this includes not only the profound beauty of your being, but also the pain that you have been avoiding or simply never acknowledged.
Our Dark Room
We've designed our Dark Room as a true sanctuary for deep inner work—a comfortable, naturally-built cabin that feels more like a refuge than a retreat space. The room breathes with you through careful ventilation, while thick walls and natural materials create the perfect cocoon for your journey inward. Your private bathroom ensures complete autonomy during your stay.
Important Considerations Before You Begin
Dark Room retreats are profoundly personal experiences that require inner readiness and emotional stability. Beginners to the path of meditation, spirituality, personal transformation and consciousness exploration are welcome but expected to come prepared for a self guided and completely solitary retreat experience.
For first-time participants, we limit stays to three nights maximum. This allows you to safely explore the experience while building familiarity with the unique challenges darkness presents.
Your wellbeing is our priority. If at any point during your retreat we sense you're becoming emotionally overwhelmed or psychologically distressed, we'll compassionately transition you to one of our regular solitary cabins where you can continue your retreat with natural light and additional support.
This practice demands respect, preparation, and honest self-assessment.
If you feel ready to meet yourself in the depths of darkness, get in touch
What to Expect?
In the embrace of complete darkness, your inner world awakens in remarkable ways.
Many participants discover vivid, meaningful dreams that feel more like guidance than sleep. Others find their intuition sharpening, creative solutions emerging, or long-held emotions finally finding release.
Some experience profound stillness they've never known, while others encounter parts of themselves that have long been forgotten
There's no "right" experience—only yours, unfolding exactly as it needs to.
What remains consistent is the sense of coming home to yourself in a way the light-filled world rarely allows.
Dark Room Retreat Packages
3 Nights Dark Retreat + 1 night before and 1 night after.
Includes:
Total 5 nights accommodation Dinner on the day of arrival, (day 1) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room briefing (day 1) Breakfast and dinner on the following day (day 2), the day that you will enter the darkness 2 meals per day for the duration of your stay in the dark room 3 nights stay in the dark room (entering mid-late afternoon on day 2, exiting early morning, before sunrise on day 5) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room debriefing, sharings, reflections, integration advice (day 5) Breakfast and Dinner on this day (day 5) 1 night stay after you come out of the darkness, for integration purposes Breakfast on day 6 before you leave. NOTE: If you are applying for your very first dark retreat (here or anywhere else) we will ask you to start with a 3 night retreat. Isolation in complete darkness can be a very intense experience for some people and we have learned through experience that it is always wise to practise caution and humility when approaching intense spiritual practices.
Price Breakdown
5 nights - 6,650 MXN
5 breakfasts - 950 MXN
5 dinners - 1300 MXN
Total = 8,900 MXN
5 Nights Dark Retreat + 1 night before and 1 night after.
Includes:
Total 7 nights accommodation Dinner on the day of arrival, (day 1) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room briefing (day 1) Breakfast and dinner on the following day (day 2), the day that you will enter the darkness 2 meals per day for the duration of your stay in the dark room 5 nights stay in the dark room (entering mid-late afternoon on day 2, exiting early morning, before sunrise on day 7) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room debriefing, sharings, reflections, integration advice (day 7) Breakfast and Dinner on this day (day 7) 1 night stay after you come out of the darkness, for integration purposes Breakfast on day 8 before you leave.
Price Breakdown
7 nights - 8,800 MXN
7 breakfasts - 1,330 MXN
7 dinners - 1,820 MXN
Total = 11,950 MXN
7 Nights Dark Retreat + 1 night before and 1 night after.
Includes:
Total 9 nights accommodation Dinner on the day of arrival, (day 1) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room briefing (day 1) Breakfast and dinner on the following day (day 2), the day that you will enter the darkness 2 meals per day for the duration of your stay in the dark room 5 nights stay in the dark room (entering mid-late afternoon on day 2, exiting early morning, before sunrise on day 9) Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room debriefing, sharings, reflections, integration advice (day 9) Breakfast and Dinner on this day (day 9) 1 night stay after you come out of the darkness, for integration purposes Breakfast on day 10 before you leave.
Price Breakdown
9 nights - 10,400 MXN
9 breakfasts - 1,710 MXN
9 dinners - 2,340 MXN
Total = 14,450 MXN
10 Nights Dark Retreat + 1 night before and 2 nights after.
Includes:
Total 12 nights accommodation. Dinner on the day of arrival, (day 1). Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room briefing (day 1). Breakfast and dinner on the following day (day 2), the day that you will enter the darkness. 2 meals per day for the duration of your stay in the dark room. 5 nights stay in the dark room (entering mid-late afternoon on day 2, exiting early morning, before sunrise on day 12). Meeting with an experienced meditation practitioner/instructor, with dark retreat experience and dark room debriefing, sharings, reflections, integration advice (day 12). Breakfast and Dinner on day 12 & 13. 2 nights stay after you come out of the darkness, for integration and adjustment purposes. Breakfast on day 14 before you leave.
Price Breakdown
13 nights - 15,050 MXN
13 breakfasts - 2,470 MXN
13 dinners - 3,380 MXN
Total = 20,900 MXN
Longer Than 10 Nights
We can of course accommodate retreats of longer than 10 days, some of our teachers have completed dark room retreats of longer than 1 month. However we will only consider applications for longer retreats in complete darkness from practitioners with more than 3 years of consistent meditation practice, previous experience with group and solitary retreats and previous experience with shorter dark room retreats.
These requirements are absolute, please do not apply if you do not meet or preferably exceed them.
*Check-in is at 3:00 pm and check-out is at 11:00 am unless other arrangements have been made.
“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.
Will it be Cold in There?
Our dark rooms have heating. At the time, it is sometimes cold here and during long period of inactivity in complete darkness you may some times feel the cold. We have many blankets we can bring you, plus the already mentioned heating.
Are There Any Yoga Classes or Guided Sessions During the Dark Retreat?
No. A darkroom retreat is an entirely solitary experience. there is generally no interaction with anyone on the outside. (Unless there is an emergency, in which case you can reach us via the panic button that is in each room). We expect participants to come prepared with their own personal practice. If you desire, we can offer meditation or yoga classes on an individual basis, according to our availability, any day that you are here and not in the darkness.
How Will You Bring Me Food in the Darkness?
Each room was built with a light proof wooden box in the wall. The box has a door on the inside and the outside, so that no light will enter when we bring you your meals. When you are done eating you simply leave the dishes in the box and we collect and wash them for you.
What Are the Bathroom Facilities Like?
Each of our Darkrooms have small, fully functioning bathrooms with flushing toilets and hot water for showers. I know there are darkrooms in other locations that have very rudimentary facilities, but this is not the case at Hridaya Family. We try to make your stay as comfortable as possible, so that you can focus on what matters, your practice!