• No surf experience required • Hosted by trauma-informed facilitators • A Portion of proceeds will be donated to Warrior Surf Foundation
What Is The Root & Return Retreat?
This somatic wellness retreat in El Paredón, Guatemala, combines surf, yoga, breathwork, and nervous system coaching to help participants reconnect with purpose and community. This retreat was created by veterans with a simple intention: to offer a space where people can slow down, reconnect, and return to themselves.
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Through a blend of community, surf instruction, breathwork, yoga, wellness coaching, and intentional rest, the experience is designed to help participants reconnect more deeply with their bodies, their purpose, and the people around them. In many ways, it’s a homecoming to self.
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El Paredón, a small Pacific coast fishing village known for its world-class surf, quiet atmosphere, and welcoming community. Surrounded by ocean, mangroves, and open sky, it’s a place that naturally invites reflection, connection, and renewal.
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Participants leave not only with new friendships and meaningful connections, but with practical tools and practices they can carry into everyday life. Tools that help them feel more grounded, resilient, and aligned long after the retreat ends.
The facilitators bring their own lived experiences of healing and transformation. Along that journey, they have become artists, leaders, breathwork coaches, therapists, and guides. Having discovered a deeper purpose in their own lives, this retreat is their way of sharing that experience with others.
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WHY El PAREDON, GUATEMALA?
We’ve known the incredible owners of Swell, Elan, and Marie for almost a decade, and we’re grateful to count them among friends. The retreat's main hosts were among the first to travel to the quaint fishing town of El Paredon through the Warrior Surf Foundation. The welcoming, thoughtful environment they’ve created is what first drew us to host wellness retreats in their space. Swell offers a rustic yet elevated, barefoot boho-chic atmosphere. It’s an easy place to exhale, unplug, and settle in. It’s designed for travelers (and retreat groups) to gather, kick back, and share in a small piece of paradise. This retreat blends nervous-system support with real-life practices: breath work , yoga, and somatic coaching to help you regulate, reconnect, and come home to yourself, without pressure or performance. El Paredón is a historic fishing village nestled between the Pacific coast and the mangrove forests, with deep roots and a steadily growing surf culture. Its reputation as a surf destination is rising, and for good reason. Whether you’re a beginner, experienced surfer, or have never surfed a day in your life, you’ll love the uncrowded waves and laid-back rhythm of the town. And beyond the waves, it’s the heart of El Paredón that makes it special: a welcoming community, warm smiles, barefoot evenings, and a grounded energy that makes it easy to settle in and feel at home.
This is not a “just relax” vacation. It’s structured support & real practice in an environment that makes it easier to downshift, so you can discover new sustainable ways of being in the world.
SKILLS YOU'LL LEAVE
WITH
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A simple nervous-system roadmap you can use at home
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Tools for stress, conflict, shutdown, irritability, overfunctioning & communication
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Stronger boundaries (without withdrawal)
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More capacity in your body, not just insight in your head.
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A rhythm you can replicate in real life
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A sense of mastery
AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RETREAT THAT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
What’s Included in the Retreat
Most wellness retreats focus on a single experience, such as surfing, yoga, meditation, or workshops. Root & Return is intentionally designed to integrate several approaches that support real change: somatic coaching, breathwork, surf instruction, group work, and time for rest and reflection. These practices work together to help participants move beyond insight alone and develop skills that can be applied in everyday life.
WELLNESS OFFERINGS
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Daily Yoga
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Daily Somatic coaching groups
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Daily Breath Work
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Sunset Rivermouth Boat Outing With Intention Ceremony
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation to and from the airport​​​. You must arrive by the allotted shuttle departure time. see FAQs
FOOD
A private chef on staff
​3 meals a day plus tea, coffee & water all day
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SURF INSTRUCTION & BOARD RENTALS
Daily Surf Instruction & Board Rentals offered by local surf instructors ​​​
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LODGING
Tropical accommodations at Swell Guatemala—a short walk to the beach.​
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Your Choice of Private, or shared accomodations.
OPTIONAL AD ONS
There are optional ad-ons available including massage, Kayak Mangrove Tour, Mangrove turtle tour, Local Cooking Experiences​​
WHO'S THIS RETREAT FOR?
This retreat is for people who feel the need to step out of the momentum of everyday life and spend time in a place that allows things to slow down.
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It’s for people who are curious about themselves and the ways their body, thoughts, and environment shape how they move through the world. Some people come because they feel stretched thin. Others come because they’re at a transition point in life or simply want time to reconnect with what matters to them.
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You do not need experience with surfing, yoga, or somatic practices to participate. What tends to matter most is a willingness to be present, to try new things, and to share space with others who are also interested in living with more intention.
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The retreat brings together movement, time in nature, conversation, and guided experiences that help people reconnect with themselves and with each other. Many participants leave with new friendships, new perspectives, and practices they can carry back into their everyday lives.
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SELECT YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS
How Booking Works
Choose between private suites, shared rooms, or individual beds in shared spaces, depending on your preferred level of privacy.
Reserve your room by selecting the accommodation and occupancy option that works best for you. You can choose one of the following payment options at checkout:
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• Pay in Full → reserve your room with full payment today
• Reserve with an $800 non-refundable deposit → remaining balance due before the retreat
• 3 Monthly Payments → split the total cost into three equal payments
Payment plans affect how you pay, not the total retreat price.
SELECT YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS
Room Options & Pricing
How Booking Works
Spaces are intentionally limited to keep the retreat intimate. Once rooms are reserved, they are no longer available. Reserve your room by selecting the accommodation and occupancy option that works best for you. To make planning easier, we offer flexible payment options:
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Pay in Full
Secure your room today with full payment.
Reserve with a $1,200 Non-refundable Deposit
Secure your spot with a $1,200 non-refundable deposit, with the remaining balance divided into
two scheduled payments due 4 months and 60 days before the retreat.
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Three-Payment Plan
Divide the total retreat cost into three scheduled payments beginning at booking.
Regardless of the option selected, all retreat balances must be paid in full no later than 60 days before
the retreat begins.
Payment plans change when you pay, not the total retreat price.
Private Suites
Private Suites room can be reserved solo or with a partner who will share your bed
Shared Accommodations
Shared rooms involve reserving an individual bed within the room.
MEET THE FACILITATORS
Jordan Dasher
Chief Ideas Officer, world’s best host, and the reason these retreats exist at all, Jordan Dasher is a former Army combat veteran, a graduate of the Warrior Surf Foundation program, and a teacher.
Jordan is an artist, musician, and muralist who uses creative expression to share powerful messages about lived experience that resonate with veterans and non-veterans alike. Through his work and leadership, he inspires reflection, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the stories that shape who we are.
At the retreat, Jordan serves as host and coordinator. He's the person making sure everything runs smoothly and that guests feel welcomed, supported, and at home from the moment they arrive. He is often the person participants interact with the most, helping create the sense of community and connection that makes the experience so meaningful.
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A dedicated leader in his community, Jordan is passionate about serving others, building strong relationships, and helping veterans reach their full potential through mentorship and peer support.
He is also a proud husband and father to four beautiful children.
COMMON QUESTIONS
01.
Do I need surf experience?
No. This retreat is designed for both beginners and experienced surfers. Local instructors provide daily surf lessons, and beginners are fully supported in learning the basics.
02.
What is somatic coaching?
Somatic coaching focuses on the relationship between the body, nervous system, and behavior. It combines conversation with bodily awareness to help people notice and work with patterns held in the body related to stress, communication, and emotional regulation.
Participants will learn practical tools for working with their nervous system that can be applied in everyday life.
03.
What airport do I fly into?
Round-trip group transportation between La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City and El Paredón is included for retreat participants.
Arrival:
Flights should arrive no later than 12:00 PM (noon) on the retreat arrival day in order to join the group shuttle to El Paredón.
Departure:
The return shuttle will leave El Paredón at 6:00 AM on the final day. Participants should schedule departure flights no earlier than 11:30 AM.
Participants whose flight schedules do not align with the group shuttle times may arrange private transportation.
04.
Do I need to participate in every activity?
No. The retreat is intentionally structured to include both guided experiences and time for rest. Participants are welcome to engage in as much or as little of the schedule as feels right for them.
05.
How do shared rooms work?
Some rooms are shared and include either a queen bed or a single bed. When booking, you reserve the specific bed you will use. You will share the room and bathroom with one other retreat participant.​
06.
Can I bring a partner?
Yes. Several rooms allow a plus-one option. Select the "With Partner" occupancy option when reserving your room
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07.
How do payment plans work?
You can reserve your spot with:
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• A non-refundable $1200 deposit (then two additional payments)
• Three equal payments
• Or pay in full
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Payment plans affect how you pay, not the total retreat price.
08.
What is included in the retreat?
The retreat includes:
• accommodations
• daily surf instruction and board rentals
• daily yoga and breathwork sessions
• somatic coaching and group work
• three meals per day plus tea, coffee, and water
• airport transportation
Optional add-ons such as massage or excursions are available.