Women's Holiday Yoga & Sound Healing Retreat in Joshua Tree Desert

Sandy Duarte created this retreat after a year she couldn't go home for the holidays. Instead, she found herself in the desert, and what started as a necessity became a tradition she now shares with other women. The retreat is structured around rest, reflection, and connection, with a schedule that balances gentle movement, sound healing, and facilitated workshops on mindset and intention-setting. A silent meditative nature hike into Joshua Tree National Park or its surroundings is included, along with a fire ritual to close the year.

The sound work is central, and it's not generic—Sandy leads sessions with crystal singing bowls, Peter Hess Sound Massage bowls, Tibetan bowls, and tuning forks. Her practice was born during her own chemotherapy for stage IV cancer, so the sound baths carry that weight of lived experience. She's also written a book, Cancer Ramblings, about that period, and shares the mindset tools she used then as part of the retreat programming.

Beyond the structured pieces, there's room to simply be. The Airbnb is chosen after the group size is confirmed, and it always has a pool, hot tub, and cold plunge. Guests can read by the garden, wander the property, or curl up with tea. Quiet hours start at 10 PM to preserve the calming atmosphere. Many women arrive solo, and the retreat is explicitly designed so that coming alone doesn't mean being alone—meals, activities, and free time are all chances to connect or not, as you prefer.

Meals are homemade, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner served daily, plus tea, coffee, and water throughout the day. Dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and sugar-conscious options are available on request. Guests also receive a curated gift bag on arrival as a thank-you gift from the host.

What's included

- 2 nights' accommodation in a shared or private room - 3 daily nourishing meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Snacks, tea, coffee, and water throughout the day - Daily sound bathing with crystal singing bowls, Peter Hess bowls, and tuning forks - Daily yin yoga and slow-flow vinyasa sessions - Daily pranayama (breathwork) and guided meditations - Chi-gong sessions - Gratitude and reflection workshops - Fire ritual to release and renew - Freedom Flow Movement Dance - Silent meditative nature hike in Joshua Tree - Transport to excursions - Welcome gift bag - Luggage storage - WiFi and parking - Pre- and post-retreat support from the host

What's not included

- Flights - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Additional activities not in the itinerary