WAYMAKERS WELLNESS RETREAT
A Swell Collective Experience
Change agents, policy makers, healers and organizers: we invite you to come together in community and restoration to find balance during these turbulent times.
Joshua Tree, California
March 17-20, 2025
we are the waymakers,
the leaders that care, protect, and empower the most marginalized among us. Change work – while rewarding – can be strenuous, even triggering. Join us for The Waymakers Wellness Retreat, a restorative gathering designed by waymakers, for waymakers. Over the course of three days together with small thoughtfully invited group of 20 others, we’ll laugh, share, commune, and restore, both individually and collectively.
REMEMBER & RETURN
We envision a world where everyone is cared for, this is what calls us to change work. Take this time to care for you. Experience this ideal future now through collective healing, and return to your work renewed.
BREATH & BALANCE
We gather in advance of the solar equinox, a time when light and dark are in perfect harmony. Together, we remember and embody balance in all aspects of life and work.
REST & RESTORE
Journey through facilitated and self-guided community and solo practices against the back drop of one of North America’s most beautiful landscapes. Together with healthy meals, time to connect and relax, and other change agents, we’ll revel in the power around and within.
a swell center for our gathering
An oasis in the desert
We will be guests of Cactus Moon Retreat Center in Yucca Valley, California. Cactus Moon sits at about 3,500 feet above sea level on 2.5 acres of desert oak, piñon and juniper studded desert on the north flank of the Little San Bernardino Mountains. Just up the road from the property is the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park and to the west is the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. Cradled on three sides by some of the most marvelous and wild high desert terrain in California, the property offers a stunning, unobstructed vista directly toward the tallest mountain in Southern California – San Gorgonio Mountain – among the desert mountains that define the southern periphery of the Sawtooth Wilderness. The space as guide and muse.
More about Cactus Moon…
- 2.5 acres to roam on the ancestral lands of the Serrano people
- 15 minute walk to downtown
- Main house, pool house, studio, and camping to accomodate 14
- Heated salt water pool
- Yoga studio with mats, blocks, straps to borrow
- Fire pit
- Walking meditation labyrinth
- Fully equipped chef’s kitchen
- Common areas to gather, or for solitude, both inside and out
- Walking trails
Completely unplugging isn’t always possible, especially at this time of year. We are committed to supporting you at whatever level of digital detox you need. Cactus Moon offers high-speed WiFi, and our program includes ample time for those who need to stay connected. For guests seeking a digital detox, we can arrange gentle accountability checks. This is a judgement -free zone where we can help one-another get what we need.
the facilitators
Your guides by the side…
Our crew of facilitators are masters in the art and science of space creation for community care and power generation. Equipped with The Swell Method facilitation practices, you can trust that this crew will guide you safely through this journey.
Reserve Your Space
Solo and share rooms available. To come with your own roommate, please reserve each bed in the room. Otherwise roommates will be assigned. Please note any specific considerations for our match-making at checkout.
If you are a couple hoping to share a queen or king bed, please add a day pass to cover meals and activities.
Kitchen is fully appointed and open to share when not in use for planned meals.
All bathrooms are stocked with bath towels, hair dryers, Murchison Hume hand soap and hand lotion and Ginger Lily body wash, shampoo, conditioner.
The prices listed are all inclusive of meals and on-site group activities. Travel is not included.
Fees for Swell Collective programs support our mission to inspire, equip, and amplify change agents. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Members receive discounts and priority access. #goodgrows
Program details
Transform your resistance into resilience…
COMMUNITY CIRCLES
ART & CRAFT
HIKING AND NATURE TRAILS
VALUE ALIGNED PEERS
FIRESIDE CHATS
TRAUMA INFORMED FACILITATION
STARGAZING
1:1 ENERGY & ANCESTRAL WORK AVAILABLE
YOGA & MEDITATION
COMMUNAL MEALS
What our community has to say…
HAVE QUESTIONS?
We have answers…
Do I have to stay on-site?
Are meals included? What if i have dietary restrictions?
Yes! Meals are included for everyone. We will be offering simple, primarily vegetarian, family/buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinners. We will have vegan options. When you complete your guest profile, please let us know if you have restrictions we should be mindful of. We will do our best to accomodate.
What's the nearest airport?
Palm Springs International Airport is about a 40 min drive away from Cactus Moon Retreat. Ontario International Airport is an hour and a half. Guests will be added to an email list to self organize carpooling etc.
What are the start and end times of the retreat?
The retreat begins at 6pm on March 17. Our last activities will be the morning of March 20th and we will be leaving the venue at noon.
What is your discrimination & inclusion policy?
Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. Transphobia, queerphobia, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and antisemitism have no place in our spaces. We also affirm that support for a free Palestine is not synonymous with antisemitism. We stand with the brave and bold who refuse to be cast as enemies and continue to imagine our collective liberation. This is a peaceful space for nuance, self-reflection, joy, and community. We invite participants to see those around them as integral parts of our ecosystem, deserving of love and respect equally.
How will shared rooms be assigned?
Some shared rooms are for femmes only while others are marked as all-gender mixed. Please purchase a bed in the room that aligns with your gender identity. More Questions? Let’s hop on a call!
What are the start and end times of the retreat?
The retreat begins at 6:00pm PT on March 17; guests are welcome to come and settle in any time after 4:00pm. If you anticipate an arrival earlier than 4:00pm, please let us know and we will do whatever we can to accommodate you. Our last activities will be the morning of March 20th and we will be leaving the venue at 12:00pm PT.
STILL UNDECIDED?
GET IN TOUCH
Using the button below, schedule some time with our Facilitators. We are standing by to answer your questions. Renewal is waiting for you.
