VIVA LA VIDA

A sacred journey of remembrance, celebration, ancestry and life.

There are moments when the veil between the worlds feels thin—when we can hear the whispers of those who came before us and remember that love does not end with death.

This Día de Muertos, we journey by sea to the small village of Yelapa, México, to create a living ofrenda between heaven and earth.

We will remember our loved one .
We will speak their names.
We will carry their photographs.
We will build ofrendas with flowers, food, music and memories.
We will dance with our ancestors.

And through remembering their lives, we will remember the preciousness of our own.

Viva la Vida. Viva el Amor. Viva nuestros Ancestros.

The Journey -

OCTOBER 30 — CROSSING THE THRESHOLD

Between Heaven & Earth

We gather at the port in Puerto Vallarta at 10:00 AM, where our private boat will carry us across the sea to Yelapa.

Our pilgrimage begins before we ever reach the shore.

As we approach Yelapa, we pass through the stones rising from the water—a symbolic portal and threshold between worlds.

We arrive with an invitation:

Leave the ordinary world behind.
Enter the mystery.
Walk between heaven and earth.

That evening, we gather for our Opening Circle.

Each person brings a photograph of an ancestor or beloved who has crossed over and shares:

Who have you brought with you?
Why are you being called to this journey?
What do you want to remember?
What prayer or question are you carrying for your ancestors?

We open our sacred container together and invite the journey to begin.

OCTOBER 31 — THE WISDOM OF THE WATER

Opening to Receive

Morning Yoga overlooking the sea

We begin with breath, movement and the sound of the ocean.

From there, we embark upon a Walking Your Prayers pilgrimage to the waterfalls, allowing water to become our teacher.

What are you ready to release and give birth to ?
What has life been trying to teach you?
What wisdom has traveled through your bloodline to reach you?

After lunch, we enter a profound Toltec Sacred Journey Breathwork Ceremony, opening our hearts to receive the wisdom, love and medicine of those who came before us.

That evening:

Dancing with the Ancestors

Music. Movement. Memory. Joy.

We begin opening the doorway to Día de Muertos not through sorrow alone, but through celebration.

NOVEMBER 1 — BUILDING THE BRIDGE

La Ofrenda

Today we begin creating our collective Día de Muertos ofrenda—a living prayer connecting heaven and earth.

With the heavenly scent and brilliant color of marigolds, we create pathways inviting our beloved dead home.

Together, we build a great Butterfly Ofrenda, honoring transformation, migration, remembrance and the mysterious journey of the soul.

Each person will also create a personal altar for their loved one or ancestor.

Bring photographs and mementos. Bring what they loved.

Their favorite candy. Food. Music. Letters. Flowers. A treasured object.
Even the cigarette, tequila, coffee or little pleasure that makes you laugh because it was so completely them.

This is not an altar to death.

It is an altar to LOVE.

That evening, beneath the stars and moon, we gather around our illuminated ofrenda for a Cacao and Fire  Ceremony, meditation and communion with our ancestors.

We listen. We remember.  We receive.

NOVEMBER 2 — DÍA DE MUERTOS

Viva La Vida

Today we celebrate.

We continue tending and building our ofrenda while remembering our loved ones in ways that would make them smile.

We paint our faces. We create and wear our coronas. We tell stories. We sing their songs. We eat. We laugh. We dance.

And we step into the traditions of Yelapa itself, joining the village in whatever local Día de Muertos celebrations and remembrances are being held.

If possible, we will visit the local cemetery and respectfully witness or participate in the community’s traditions of honoring their beloved dead.

Today we remember:

Death does not get the final word.
Love does.

And perhaps the greatest way to honor those who have left this life is to fully inhabit the life we still have.

Dancing with the Ancestors

Tonight, heaven and earth meet on the dance floor.

Viva nuestros muertos.
Viva el amor.
Viva la Vida.