OAXACA YOGA & CULTURAL RETREAT -
with Leigh Evans
Jan 31-Feb 6, 2027
I am thrilled to invite you to a retreat in the magical city of Oaxaca. The city is pulsing with art and celebration. Oaxaca city is known as the culinary capital of Mexico, the complex and delicious flavors reflecting the mixture of indigenous and Mexican people. For six months of the last three years, Oaxaca city has been my home. On this retreat, I am excited to share my life here with you so that you can experience the joy, creativity, and kindness of this extraordinary place.
Incredible murals line the streets where brass bands play for dancers, in headdresses resplendent with flowers, swirling their colorful dresses.
It is teeming with textiles, ceramics and a multitude of artisan craft works from neighboring villages.
Creativity and beauty abound. The city breathes art!!
YOGA SHALA
Welcome to the oasis where I’ve been living in Oaxaca! I am blessed with this space and garden and delighted to share it with you. We will meet here daily for yoga classes and to gather for our excursions. You will enjoy relaxing in the garden after yoga class basking in the abundance of the mango, banana, pomegranate, and fig trees while listening to the birds sing!!!
Our sweet yoga shala is on the second floor with the glorious view of the garden. It is a very peaceful space. We will practice twice a day except for days when we have excursions when we will practice once a day.
EXCURSIONS
During our week long retreat, we’ll enjoy 2 excursions, an artisan tour and an archeological tour.
ARTISAN TOUR
Oaxaca is well known for it’s vibrant artisan villages. Many different kinds of folk art and handicrafts are created in the villages surrounding Oaxaca city. The artisans in each village specialize in crafts unique to that village. Families have been practicing their craft for generations.
Linda Hanna, an expert in Mexican Folk Art, will be the guide for our artisan tour. Over her 30 years as a guide, she has developed deep friendships with many of the artisans to whom she will introduce us.
We will have the opportunity to meet some of the local artisans in their homes and learn about their work. It is fascinating to get a close-up look at the process. Everything is “hecho a mano” hand-made on every level!
One of the artisan villages we will visit is Teotitlan de Valle. It is well known for it’s beautiful rugs and textiles AND everything is made by hand including the dyes!
The pigments for the yarn (hand carded!) for the rugs are from flowers, bark, nuts, and even a parasite that lives on cactus. Learning how intricate the process of creating the various colors is amazing!
We may even try our hands at spinning the wool!
We will also learn about the weaving, looms and, of course, enjoy the gorgeous rugs!
Teotitlan de Valle is also known for their exquisite candle making. We will have the opportunity to visit a studio and explore this intricate process!
One of the other villages we will visit on the artisan tour is San Marco Tlapazolo, known for its beautiful red pottery (barro rojo). All of the pottery is made without a wheel (above). It is really extraordinary to see their skill and speed in making the pieces. The woman above has been creating pottery since she was around 10 years old. Her mother taught her and her sisters who run their studio and shop with her. They welcomed me like I was their lifelong friend….so sweet!
ARCHEOLOGICAL TOUR
We are fortunate to have Pablo Gonzalez as our guide for our archeological tour. He has immense archeological and historical knowledge which he generously shares with us in a way that brings the past into the present. Through his many years as a tour guide, he offers an exceptional understanding of the depths of the origins and history of Oaxaca and Mexico.
MONTE ALBAN
Monte Alban is the most important archeological site in the valley of Oaxaca. Built on a hilltop overlooking the valley of Oaxaca around 500 BC, this ancient Zapotec city flourished until 850 CE. It was the largest city in Mesoamerica with 17,200 residents during the period of 100 BC-200 CE. “The Main Plaza was created through artificial leveling of the mountaintop, being covered in white plaster afterwards. The plaza would have had the capacity to hold the entire population of the city for participation in state-sponsored rituals.[5 The site’s main civic-ceremonial and elite-residential structures are located around it or in its immediate vicinity…The majority of the temples faced in the east or west direction, aligning with the sun’s path.” The remains of this ancient metropolis are powerful to see.
LEIGH EVANS
Passionate yogini and explorer, Leigh Evans is an international yoga teacher. For travelers seeking getaways that engage all the senses, encourage growth… and that are simply beautiful, relaxing and unique, Leigh has it covered. For over a decade, Leigh has led hundreds of people on experiences of a lifetime: from sweat lodges in Mexico to asana among the monkeys in Costa Rica, giraffes on safari in Africa to jungle vinyasa in Thailand!
Whatever your age, skill level, past, present or future, Leigh Evans provides personal instruction and expert anatomical alignment. Through decades of teaching thousands of students, Leigh’s seasoned approach to the practice can transform any student who craves insight on the body and the human experience. Your practice is what you make it, and Leigh can help you make it your personal best. Leigh is a go-to resource for Ayurvedic Yoga, seasonal yoga practices, sleep yoga, and women’s yoga practices. From the study of Yoga and Ayurveda in India to Thai Massage in Chiang Mai, Leigh’s breadth of knowledge gives her the tools to teach practical applications that can change students’ everyday lives. Through an integration of vinyasa yang and restorative yin practice, Leigh’s classes enhance the flow of prana in the body by nourishing specific energy channels and organs offering healing and transformation. Leigh teaches festivals, teacher trainings, retreats, and workshops nationally and internationally.
Registration Details:
Excursions only
Artisan Tour
Tues. Feb 3, 9am-5pm
$95/person USD
includes lunch and transportation to/from gathering location in centro
Archeological Tour
Thurs, Feb 5, 9:30am – 5:30pm
$95 USD
includes lunch and transportation to/from gathering location in centro
Full Retreat includes
Yoga Classes – 2 classes/day on non excursion days, 1 class/day on excursion days
Artisan Tour & Lunch
Archeological Tour & Lunch
Opening and closing night dinners at fabulous restaurants!!
Retreat does not include
Flights, transportation to and from the airport, and accommodations are not included in this retreat (find a hotel or Airbnb to suit your preference). Oaxaca city is a very popular place to visit, please book your flights and accommodation far in advance. The yoga studio is in the neighborhood of La Noria, a 15 minute walk south of the zocalo and city center AND taxis are everywhere and inexpensive! I will send a list of hotel suggestions to you.
Meals are not included in the price of the retreat, except for those mentioned above. You will have the fabulous opportunity to explore the great culinary offerings of Oaxaca city!
To register
Reserve your space with a $500 non-refundable deposit.
Contact Leigh at evansleigh01@gmail.com
Payment for the remaining balance of the retreat is due in full as indicated below.
Regular Price – $1,395 – due in full Dec 15, 2025
Registration closes December 15, 2025. All remaining payment is due in full by this time.
Payment
Payment accepted with
Venmo
LeighEvansYoga
leitzu@earthlink.net
Zelle
leitzu@earthlink.net
YOGA SUKHAVATI CANCELLATION POLICY
Refunds, (less your non-refundable deposit), are available up to two months prior to start date of the teacher training, retreat, immersion or workshop. After two months prior to start of the teacher training, module, retreat, immersion or workshop your payment can be issued as credit towards a future teacher training, retreat, immersion or workshop where space is available. For cancellations less than one month prior to start date, all fees are non-refundable and not transferable.