December 3-8, 2024

A Women’s Circle Experience on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico

Just before the busy holiday season of 2024, we will be taking 11 women for an intimate women’s circle gathering on the remote island of Vieques. The stunning island of Vieques, just six miles off the coast, is home to a pristine wildlife refuge, wild horses, pristine white beaches, clear blue waters, laid-back lifestyle, and vibrant plant and wildlife. It truly is the Caribbean’s best kept secret.

Here, we will spend our time dropping back into the present moment before being swept away with the hustle and to-do’s of the holiday season.

This is our third annual women’s circle retreat. These experiences differ slightly from our Under The Stars offerings, and focus more on resting, embodiment, and intimate ceremonial practices. We still remain curious to our explorative selves and the world around us, with a bit more intentional time in-between.

Embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection with your body and leave behind narratives that no longer serve you. Our women’s circle retreats offers a safe and nurturing space to help you drop into your body, tune into your senses, and rediscover your inner wisdom. Through empowering workshops, yoga classes, ceremonies, group exploration and more….you'll learn to rewrite your life's narrative, replacing self-doubt with self-belief and self-criticism with self-compassion. Experience the incredible strength of a community of like-minded women and remember your own. Through trust-building exercises and heartfelt conversations, you'll form lifelong bonds with fellow attendees. Together, we empower and uplift each other.

Connect with a sisterhood of women who understand, inspire, and support you as you continue to grow and transform.

This week is for your creative curiosity - to remember all that can happen when we give ourselves the space to just be.

The idea behind this trip is that we disconnect from the pressure to create, the pressure to consume, and the pressure to perform.

We will focus our time in nature each day, as the group decides between jaw-dropping national parks, hikes, and scenic locations to explore as a community.

After hosting several retreats, we have found that relaxation and downtime is an essential part of this process as well.

As your hosts, we are here to nurture you, to love you, and provide experiences that encourage a sense of groundedness. Each of our retreat options work as a guide to release our everyday roles, and tap back in to our innate sense of curiosity and creativity.

Daily Yoga and Meditation:

our certified hosts and instructors will lead our group through communal movement practices each day to calm the mind, restore the nervous system, and build confidence in the body. these practices will be a beautiful way to start the day with intention and and movement. these are open to all levels, even if you have never tried a class before. this will be a safe space for you to drop into your body alongside the intimate community found here

Janzu Therapy:

about three-quarters of our body is made up of water, and janzu therapy encourages us to reconnect with the life source. This form of water therapy expands our sensory perception, leading to deep states of presence, relaxation and calm. Muscle tone in your body is active 90% of the time, even during sleep. Therefore, it is difficult to find complete muscle relaxation. The body enters a state of buoyancy when submerged in water. This state already allows you to stop feel the gravity and weight of your body. The total mobility of the body in the water allows us to manipulate it with freedom and weightlessness. we will work with certified therapists during our individual sessions using breathwork, chromotherapy, acupressure and sound with acoustic instruments.

Sound Baths and Journaling Therapies:

sound healing is a therapeutic and meditative practice where one immerses themselves in the soothing sounds and vibrations emitted by various instruments like gongs, tuning forks, and crystal bowls. These resonant tones create an environment conducive to mental and emotional relaxation, inducing a meditative state that promotes healing across multiple levels. it alters the brain's usual beta state—typical of waking consciousness—to more relaxed alpha, dreamlike theta, and even restorative delta states. As the mind surrenders to these frequencies, the body follows suit, exhibiting decreased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and deeper breathing.

Reignite your Feminine Energy

A women’s circle experience devoted to:

• exploring, re-defining and expressing your feminine power

• strengthening your voice

• exploring narratives that no longer serve you

• feeling nurtured, supported and inspired by other women

• harnessing your femininity into your life force, creativity, and relationships

• removing blocks or subconscious beliefs around who you are, your femininity and strength

• empowering women to step into their whole-self, rooted in confidence, power and authenticity

Nearing the winter solstice and the new year, we join together on a new moon and open ourselves to cyclical change. We find peace within polarity. We begin to understand the light within ourselves, through seeing the light in others. We will be working to witness, acknowledge and appreciate all aspects of ourselves; both light and the dark. We will be exploring the polarity of nature, in the outside world and within ourselves. As we gather on the winter solstice, we remember to honor the spark of inner light, the power of contrast, and the darkness before the dawn. The new moon cycle will heighten our exploration of the Bioluminescent Bay at night
.

Reconnecting to magic and wonder, in the natural world and within ourselves

We will be staying at a beautiful and award winning Ayurvedic Wellness Center nestled in the jungle, spread between houses, cabins and luxury treehouses. Located on one of the highest points in Vieques, this luxury resort enjoys amazing sunrises and sunsets.

Each room here was lovingly conceptualized and mindfully designed each unit by the owner, Sylvia. The details of the different spaces make each one unique and special in its own way.  All the units share the same amenities— comfortable, organic mattresses, high quality bedding, air conditioning, fully equipped kitchens with Ayurvedic spices and oils for your meal preparation, and a deck, terrace, or balcony to enjoy the fresh air from your hammock. Oh! and did we mention every room has an outdoor shower?! Perfect for settling in after beach days and ceremonies. All of the treehouses have spectacular views— some are nestled in the tree surrounded by palms and tropical vegetation, and others have a magnificent sea-view.

The beautiful pavilion will be a perfect gathering place; an open structure overlooking trees with a luxury sweet-water pool. Here you will find numerous lounging areas, as well as a work space with excellent WiFi. Complimentary, home-made teas and coffee are available 24/7. The Maloka is a beautiful yoga center with stunning ocean view. This area is dedicated to our daily yoga practices to start and end our day. There is also a full service spa for additional services, stunning gardens to wander through, and more x

The island of Vieques has hardly any light pollution— creating the perfect atmosphere to see the stars at night. On the clearest of nights, even the Milky Way becomes visible for stargazers to admire.

Vieques, our home for the week, offers the world's brightest bioluminescent bay.

This incredible natural phenomenon is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the brightest in the world due to the high concentration of microorganisms called dinoflagellates. These microscopic organisms react by flashing a blue-green light when agitated and the waters, creating a stunning glow. The lack of light pollution in the area means that a ride in a clear kayak during a new moon night is an unforgettable natural spectacle.

• 5 night, 6 day stay at our luxury wellness center

• Journaling ceremonies for group bonding

• Bioluminescent Bay Kayak Tour at night

• Daily Yoga Classes

• Sound Bath group ceremonies + more

• Psychedelic Breathwork Workshops

• Janzu Water Therapy Session

• Beach Entrance + Transportation, Snorkeling, and Caves

• Black Sand Beaches

• Breakfast and 1-2 additional meals per day (please budget for dinners out as a group as these are not included)_

• Transportation from Mainland Puerto Rico to the island of Vieques on private group ferry

• Memories, connection and self-confidence that will last a lifetime!

Hi! We’re Bri and Rachel!

If you’re new here, we have been hosting retreats since November 2021, joining the Ember & Solis team in January 2023. We met in 2014 while living in Charleston, SC and quickly bonded over our collective love for the ocean, traveling, outdoor living, and of course, sharing good wine and storytelling. Years later, living coast to coast from one another, we still prioritize traveling and exploring the world together as a necessary part of our overall health and wellbeing. One constant remains for the both of us: the more vulnerable we choose to be, the more authentic and full our lives become.

We have learned first hand the importance of cultivating healthy and supportive female friendships and desire to expand this to a larger community. We know we live in a world that is in desperate need of connection and true friendship and this is where our community comes in! Even if traveling solo, you will leave as a member of this community with memories to last a lifetime.

Want to learn more about us? Visit our websites below.

www.artbybri.com www.rachelpriest.com

$3900 USD

This retreat is a higher cost due to the incredible location of a remote island. The cost of private transportation, ferry rides, and more make this trip incredibly unique, and also a bit higher in cost. It will be worth every penny <3

We have you covered with our winter ‘Women’s Circle’ experience!

Please keep in mind that payment plans are available up until the event date. Once you sign up, we request a $500 deposit to hold your space. Each month until the experience, we will request a payment via a plan you’ve approved. All payments must be made before September in order to attend the retreat.

If you are longing for the feeling of new connection— the refreshment that comes after a day spent recentering— and the flow state that comes from a place of re-alignment— this is for you x

I don’t consider myself an ‘artist’ or ‘creative’. Is this the retreat for me?

The very reason we started Ember and Solis was to disprove the very notion of ‘gatekeeping’ in the sense of artistic expression: meaning, we believe we are ALL innately creative. You do not need to consider yourself an artist, own a business, or have artistic experience to attend a retreat. All we ask is for you remain open-minded and curious throughout the process— we all find unique ways to drop into that curiosity and right-brained way of life.

What is not included in this pricing?

Your flight or way of travel to San Juan Airport is not included, and your uber or taxi from the airport to our private water taxi is not included. We will help with ride sharing to accommodate and help with cost! We are planning to have some meal’s prepared for our adventure, but please factor in cash for additional snacks, alcohol and water during your stay. If you would like to add on spa-services, these are also your responsibility.

What if I am new to hiking or outdoor adventure?

Our favorite thing to say is that it’s never too late to start! The main goal of our Women’s Circles are to promote a safe community for those of us who have always longed for these adventures, but don’t always have the friends or family in our lives to explore them with! Lindsey and Sam have great experience traveling around the globe, and will be there to guide you through basic safety needs and group hikes. We will not be participating in activities that put anyone’s safety at risk, and all explorations will voted on by the group! Because this experience is created to ground you, each attendee has the choice to change their mind each day when choosing activities. That’s the beauty of this amazing location: there is always something to enjoy.

What is the room sharing situation like?

Each room has one king bed that will be shared between two attendees, unless you would like to book your own private room! Please reach out for this accommodation, we’d be happy to help :)

What about food allergies or other food concerns?

We will be sending out a survey prior to arrival to address any and all food concerns! We ourselves have strict diets and will gladly accommodate for the group meals.

I’m new to traveling on a trip like this. How do I know what to bring?

Each attendee will be sent a specific list of goodies that will help make the trip effortless and fun. We will be sure to include everything down to the details of toiletries! We will do the work for you and be sure you’re prepared.

Do you offer Payment Plans?

Ensuring these retreats are accessible is a core value of ours. Outside of offering several scholarships, we have created a payment plan system that is seamless and intuitive. To secure your space on a trip, we require a $500 deposit. After that, you have will be setup on a monthly auto-payment for a small amount up until the date of your trip. If you have questions about how this works, let us know!

Simply fill out the form below and we will send over your contract and deposit request!

If you have any questions or concerns, we are all ears. Feel free to send us an email, we’re happy to help you work it out

xxx