With a deep commitment to personalized healing and a unique approach that blends ancient wisdom with cutting-edge techniques, she invites us to explore the limitless potential within ourselves and the world around us. Through her work, she aims to bring about transformation, connection, and inner peace, one retreat at a time.
Can you tell us about your journey into holistic health and wellness?
My path to holistic health, somatic healing, and overall wellness began as I navigated my own struggles with mental health, an eating disorder, substance abuse, and toxic relationships. Although I had been in traditional talk therapy since the age of 15, it wasn’t until I fully immersed myself in practices like yoga, meditation, breathwork, and inner child healing that I experienced a profound internal shift. These practices not only began to heal deep-seated trauma but also transformed my mindset, perspective, and values in a lasting way. The impact was so life-changing that I felt a deep calling to share these healing techniques with others. I truly believe that as we heal ourselves—our relationships with ourselves, others, the earth, and animals—we contribute to healing the collective consciousness. My deepest desire is to see more harmony, peace, unity, and love in the world.
We heard that at Amanecer Wellness, you do personalized retreats for your clients. Can you tell us more about this?
Yes, through my company, Amanecer Wellness, I create fully customized retreats in Baja California Sur, Mexico. These retreats are tailored for individuals, couples, families, or groups who have specific intentions and need a private, discreet environment to support their healing journey. I often work with clients facing mental health or substance abuse challenges who benefit from a specialized approach. Additionally, I design retreats for those seeking to deepen connections—whether for weddings, corporate groups, or families navigating a collective challenge.
The process begins with a conversation to understand the client’s needs, whether it’s managing stress, healing trauma, or navigating a life transition. From there, I curate a customized itinerary and bring together a team of practitioners tailored to support the client’s journey. Depending on the client’s needs, we may incorporate various modalities such as breathwork, yoga, bodywork (like craniosacral therapy), therapy (including IFS, EMDR, or CBT), and a wide range of activities from surfing to sound healing.
In some cases, we conduct bloodwork before the retreat to design meals that address specific nutritional needs. The food is always clean, healthy, and nutritious, emphasizing food as medicine. We also offer cooking lessons for clients who would benefit from learning how to prepare healthy meals as an act of self-care.
For those in recovery or detoxing, a doctor and nurses are on hand to monitor and support the process. While each retreat is bespoke, common themes include over coming limiting beliefs, burnout recovery, and stress resilience, which address core wounds like lack of self-love and self-worth and lack mentality in general. The approach is deeply holistic, focusing on integrating various modalities and activities to best serve the individual or group.
See also: Ersin Pamuksüzer on Longevity, Stem Cells, and the Future of Wellness at TheLifeCo
Are there any resorts that you work with? Can you tell us more about how you collaborate with them?
Yes, at Amanecer Wellness, we sometimes work with clients who prefer a resort setting over a private villa with personal staff. I currently partner with two exceptional resorts: Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in San José del Cabo, and The Four Seasons Papagayo in Costa Rica. The process is similar to our private retreats; we begin with a consultation to design a bespoke retreat within the resort setting. I collaborate closely with the resort’s spa team and amenities, alongside my team of therapists and healers. The resort provides meals and accommodations tailored to the client’s needs. Our list of collaborators is always expanding, so there are always new options available!
Can you share a memorable experience or success story from one of your retreats at Amanecer Wellness?
One memorable experience involves a successful woman who came to me suffering from burnout and heartache after working in a demanding, male-dominated environment and enduring a toxic, abusive marriage. She sought an opportunity to slow down, reset, and reconnect with herself while finding clarity about her future. We stayed in a luxurious beachside villa, incorporating daily yoga, meditation, pranayama, and a mix of beach activities like paddle boarding and surfing. Afternoons were devoted to breathwork, inner child healing, and meditation workshops, all supported by healthy, nutritious meals and ample sleep—a crucial element in the healing process.
During our time together, the combination of rest, nervous system regulation, and healing practices allowed her to reconnect with her intuition, which had been compromised by stress and burnout. She cultivated inner peace, self-love, and the confidence to make empowered decisions for her present and future. Today, she enjoys a healthy, supportive relationship, maintains a balanced work-life dynamic, and continues to use the tools and practices we explored during the retreat. Each Amanecer Retreat is entirely individualized, with activities and therapies tailored to the client’s needs, allowing for flexibility and integration of the modalities we practice.
What are some of the most common problems people come to you for help with?
People often come to me for help with depression, burnout, substance abuse, eating disorders, and patterns of abusive or toxic relationships. Others are navigating transitional phases or feel stuck and uninspired. Sometimes, individuals are so exhausted and disconnected from themselves that they aren’t even sure why they’ve reached out—they just feel drawn to me and my retreats. In these cases, we work together to uncover the intentions for their retreat.
Many people struggle with stress and burnout. What initial steps would you recommend for someone beginning their journey towards stress resilience and burnout prevention?
Stress and burnout are often rooted in perfectionism, a sense of not being enough, and a desire to control life tightly, usually stemming from childhood trauma. While some stress is a natural part of life and can help build resilience, the key is in how we respond to it. Practices like breath awareness, breathwork, journaling, and meditation are fundamental in shifting our response to stress, thereby minimizing its impact on our system. Anything that regulates the nervous system, such as yin yoga, is highly beneficial.
Starting with a morning routine that includes breathing techniques, meditation, and journaling is an excellent first step. This helps regulate the nervous system and strengthens the mind-body connection, allowing us to pause between stimulus and response, and choose more skilful ways of handling stress. It also counters the brain’s natural negativity bias. A morning routine is an act of self-love, signalling to yourself and the universe that you prioritize your physical and mental health. This is a beautiful way to re-establish trust with yourself and your body after periods of self-abandonment, which often accompany burnout.
Additionally, I encourage creating space for joy, play, and creativity. At Amanecer retreats, activities like surfing, horseback riding, painting, and spending time in nature help reconnect with the wonder and beauty of life. This also begins to heal the inner child, an essential component of this work, as many tendencies towards perfectionism and control are born in childhood.
Couple connection and communication are also themes in your retreats. What unique approaches do you use to help couples reignite their passion and improve their communication?
It’s natural for connections to ebb and flow under the pressures of life. An Amanecer couples retreat offers the opportunity to slow down together in a beautiful, luxurious setting with the shared intention of deepening their connection. We facilitate this through practices like eye gazing, conscious connected breathing, inner child healing, and heart-opening meditations. We also incorporate playful activities like horseback riding and snorkeling to reignite joy and playfulness in the relationship. Additionally, I provide tools and practices that couples can take home to maintain the magic long after the retreat ends. Often, the simple act of embarking on this journey together helps re-solidify the couple’s bond.
What philosophy or approach guides the work you do at Amanecer Wellness?
As a seeker and generally curious person, I am always trying out and learning the latest cutting edge tools and techniques in wellness as well as deepening my understanding and practices in the ancient healing lineages. In doing so, I am fortunate enough to meet and assemble the most beautiful and talented practitioners in their respective fields and take immense joy in bringing together the most aligned team for each individual’s specific intentions and desires assuring that you will have a fully customized Amanecer retreat with your highest benefit in mind.
At Amanecer (which means sunrise in Spanish) we believe that each sunrise, like each breath, is a new beginning, a fresh start, a new lease on life and that is what we offer our clients through our private bespoke luxury holistic wellness retreats. Whether you are battling addiction, mental health challenges, navigating a turbulent time, or simply want a relaxing reset, we are here to assist you in beginning a new chapter in your life. We will create a fully customized retreat experience solely for you in our beautiful ocean front locations. Surrounded by stunning, untouched nature and her restorative powers, our team of diverse wellness practitioners such as yoga and mindfulness instructors, somatic therapists, healers, bodyworkers, and medical professionals will support you on your healing journey. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, what will you create? This is what we are always asking ourselves and our clients, helping us stay in our passion and purpose.
Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for your work in holistic wellness and retreats?
My intention is to work with as many people as possible, spreading love, healing, peace, and joy. In the future, I plan to open an off-grid wellness center in East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico. This center will be the home for my private and group retreats, daily classes, and private sessions, both for the community and guests. The wellness center will feature an oceanfront spa with a cold plunge, steam room, and sauna where guests can watch whales frolic in the ocean while they soak. We’ll also have a beautiful food garden for our luxury chefs, emphasizing environmental awareness and living in harmony with nature and animals. I believe that how we treat the earth and animals reflects how we feel about ourselves.
The center will be a hub of love, offering sliding scale sessions and scholarship programs for those who may not otherwise have the means to experience this healing oasis. Stay tuned, as you won’t want to miss the opening of the Amanecer Wellness Center!
What would you say to those who are scared to take the first step in receiving help?
I would say, welcome to the club! It’s completely understandable and natural to be afraid. We’re creatures of comfort, and change, no matter how beneficial, can feel uncomfortable. But fear is actually a good thing because it signals growth. It means we’re stepping out of our comfort zone and evolving, which is one of the reasons we’re here in this life.
I believe we all reach a breaking point where we become tired of repeating the same destructive patterns and the desire to change outweighs the fear of doing so. That’s often when people reach out to me. Of course, fear may creep back in along the way, but we use tools to bring love into the equation and override that fear. As Chris Stapleton says, “No one wins afraid of losing, and the hard roads are the ones worth choosing. Someday we’ll look back and smile and know that it was worth every mile.” I believe this applies to all aspects of life.
What would you say to critics of holistic healing?
I’m not here to convince or persuade anyone to do something they don’t feel drawn to. That’s actually the opposite of what I believe in. Holistic healing might not be for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay. From my own experience, and that of my clients, friends, and family, holistic healing can be life-changing. However, it requires a willingness to be open, to honestly examine oneself, step out of comfort zones, and shift deeply ingrained patterns. It takes courage.
What’s one crucial part of your morning routine?
My morning routine is non-negotiable and a sacred time that I cherish deeply. It can vary depending on what’s happening in my life, but ideally, it includes breathwork, prayer, meditation, journaling (with a gratitude practice), and either surfing or yoga. When time is limited, I may shorten or skip some practices, but I always devote at least 30-45 minutes, which includes breathwork, prayer, meditation, and a gratitude practice.
What quote do you live by?
That’s a tough one—I do love a good quote. One that really sums up my work and its importance in living a fully present and awakened life is by Carl Jung: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” This quote captures the essence of why self-awareness is crucial for actualizing our full potential and contributing to the betterment of the world.
I’m also deeply inspired by Mary Oliver’s words: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Although I believe in reincarnation, this is the one life I have right now, and this quote always reminds me of its magic and limitless potential. What a call to action!
Agathe will be hosting a group retreat, Choosing Love over Fear from March 9 – 16, 2025 in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Finf out more and book below.
