Embody Awe:
El Salvador Yoga Retreat
February 20-27, 2027
Balancé | Playa El Tunco, El Salvador
The nourishing warmth of a beautiful, heart-centered beach town in El Salvador is calling you in.
Step away from the pace of daily life to a nurturing oasis where you’ll be invited to move mindfully, breathe deeply, connect with nature’s power and softness, reflect intentionally, and embrace community.
It is with much gratitude and humility that Steph Snyder is inviting you to join a 7-night, 8-day yoga retreat at Balancé in Playa El Tunco, El Salvador.
What might it look like for you to “embody awe?” How does it feel to move through life with a deep sense of wonder, curiosity and reverence?
Perhaps it’s connecting with a regular yoga practice or planning your day around sunrise and sunset. For some, it might mean catching your first wave as a new surfer or swimming beneath a cascading waterfall. Others will find awe through visiting a local coffee farm or meeting salvadoreños whose connection to the land goes back generations. Or maybe it’s embracing stillness to go deep within, reflecting on how far you’ve come and allowing the wisdom of your body to help you return home to yourself.
This experience is for anyone who is yearning to reconnect with themselves, to slow down, to feel aligned with nature, to be cared for and nurtured, to cultivate intentional community, and to remember how it feels to embody awe.
Reserve Your Spot
Daily Flow
This is your retreat and your experience. Everything is optional.
Enjoy an early morning snack, perhaps while watching the sunrise at the beach or reflecting on the daily journal prompts
Morning Vinyasa Yoga Practice guided by Steph
Fresh coconut served after morning yoga
Full Breakfast (served after morning yoga practice and enjoyed as a group)
Late morning to late afternoon: Free time to explore town, rest on the property, lounge by the pool, or schedule your own activities (surfing, massage, etc) or other local excursions. There will be two days with scheduled group daytime activities (waterfall hike, group surf lesson or local coffee tour).
Enjoy a daily smoothie or wellness drink (available during regular Balancé’s regular café hours)
Watch the sunset on the boardwalk
Three-course Dinner (enjoyed as a group)
Evening experiences, including one group Conscious Breathwork session, as well as additional guided experiences that may include gentle movement, restorative yoga or yoga nidra.
What’s Included (and what’s not) in the Retreat Cost
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Where: Balancé Surf & Yoga Retreat in Playa El Tunco, Tamanique, La Libertad, El Salvador (Approximately 45 minutes from the San Salvador airport — transportation to and from airport included)
When:
Check-in: Saturday February 20, 2027
Check-out: Saturday February 27, 2027
Balancé, a boutique retreat center with an open-air yoga shala, faces the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the Salvadoran surf getaway, Playa El Tunco. You’ll listen to the waves break from the deck as you swing in a soft hammock enjoying the sanctuary of the space.
Each room has air conditioning, hot water showers, private bathrooms, a private terrace or deck, premium bedding and linens, ample closet and organization space, a safe for valuables, and high-speed fiber optic internet / wifi. Throughout your stay, Balancé provides purified drinking water, quality towels and quality linens for each guest.
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Early Morning Snack (available before morning yoga practice): El Salvadoran coffee, tea, daily detox drink, seasonal fruit, fresh bread, homemade granola and nut butters, and more.
Full Breakfast (served after morning yoga practice and enjoyed as a group)
1 fresh coconut (cut fresh and served after morning yoga practice)
1 Smoothie or Wellness Drink (available during regular café hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Three-course Dinner: Enjoyed as a group, which includes an appetizer, main course, non-alcoholic drink, and dessert (wine and beer are available for purchase a-la-carte).
Purified drinking water is refilled throughout your stay.
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Daily Morning Vinyasa Yoga Practice guided by Steph (7 morning yoga practices — Sunday through Saturday)
One evening Conscious Breathwork experience (2.5 hours)
Additional guided evening experiences that might include gentle movement, restorative yoga or yoga nidra
Daily journaling prompts to invite (optional) moments of introspection and reflection during your retreat
Group Activities: Waterfall Hike and either a Group Surf Lesson or local Coffee Tour (depending on the desires of the group!)
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Round-trip airport transportation from El Salvador International Airport in San Salvador (SAL) within the retreat dates (February 20-27)
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Extra nights of lodging at Balancé if you chose to arrive early or extend your stay
Additional activities during your stay, which could include additional surf lessons and massage therapy, or excursions that take you to hike up volcanos or visit Mayan ruins.
Clothing laundry service
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Flights to San Salvador, El Salvador
Travel Insurance (strongly recommended)
Daily Lunch
The daily included morning snack, full breakfast after morning yoga, smoothie/wellness drink available throughout the day and three-course dinner can feel like enough nourishment for some.
Use lunch as an opportunity to explore the many cafes, pupuserías and restaurants throughout town!
One dinner will be out on the town in El Tunco to invite you to explore the local offerings and perhaps experience live music or other nightlife if it calls to you!
Alcohol (wine and beer are available for purchase a-la-carte if you choose)
Retreat Investment: Starting at $2,700 per person
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space.
The remaining balance will be paid in two installments.
Payment 1: Due by September 15, 2026
If you register after September 15, 2026, Payment 1 will be due at the time of registration.
Final Payment: Due by December 1, 2026
All retreat balances must be paid in full by December 1, 2026.
Room Options (total cost per person includes $500 deposit)
Note: You do not need to have a planned roommate for the Shared Triple Room/Villa or Standard Shared Double rooms.
Shared Triple Room (separate beds): $2,700 per person
Standard Shared Double Room (either 1 king or two twin beds): $2,900 per person
Shared Triple Villa (separate beds with living room, full kitchen + private pool): $3,000 per person
Premium Shared Double Room (1 king bed with private terrace + waterfront view): $3,200 per person (must book in coordination with second person)
Standard Single Room (1 queen bed): $3,900 per person
Example Scenario:
August 15: Pay $500 non-refundable deposit to secure spot in Shared Triple Room ($2,700 per person total)
September 15: Pay $1,100 (50% of remaining balance)
December 1: Pay $1,100 (final payment)
About your Facilitator
Steph Snyder (she/her) is an experienced yoga teacher and conscious breathwork facilitator devoted to helping people return home to themselves through embodied practices.
She understands firsthand the deep transformation that can be supported by mindful movement, connection to breath, somatic experiences in nature, intentional self-reflection, and the nourishment of community.
Steph traveled to El Salvador for the first time in February 2020 for her first yoga retreat, hosted at Balancé. It was a transformational experience for many reasons — it sparked her desire to pursue yoga teacher training and included her first connection with Conscious Breathwork, guided by Lindsay Gonzalez — who co-owns Balancé Surf and Yoga Retreat. Ever since, Steph has returned back to Playa El Tunco every couple of years on retreat and for yoga teacher training. In what feels like a surreal full-circle moment, she is honored and humbled to be facilitating her own yoga and breathwork retreat at Balancé in February 2027.
A lifelong-learner, Steph has completed two 200-hour yoga teacher trainings (in 2025 and 2021), as well as a 10-month, 250+ hour Conscious Breathwork facilitator training grounded in trauma-informed care. She is also a current massage therapy student, expected to be Washington-state licensed and providing bodywork to clients by late 2026.
Her facilitation is rooted in the belief that the body holds an innate wisdom that can guide us back to ourselves. She is dedicated to creating spaces where people feel seen, supported and safe to explore both their light and their shadow.
After spending much of her life in the Mountain West, Steph has called the Pacific Northwest home since 2021. She lives in present-day Vancouver, Washington, on the ancestral lands of the Chinook, Cowlitz, and Klickitat peoples, and she is committed to honoring the lineages that have created, preserved and shared the healing practices she now carries forward.
How it Works
Register and Pay $500 Deposit
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Choose your room. Fill out the registration form. Pay the $500 non-refundable deposit.
Book your Travel
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Book your flights to and from El Salvador International Airport (SAL). If possible, try to book a flight that lands by 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2027 to make it in time for the Welcome Dinner at Balancé. Check-out is at 12 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2027.
Please reach out if you would like to stay additional nights at Balancé beyond the 7-nights of the retreat.
Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Pay Remaining Balance
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A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space. The remaining balance will be paid in two installments.
Payment 1: Due by September 15, 2026
If you register after September 15, 2026, Payment 1 will be due at the time of registration.
Final Payment: Due by December 1, 2026
All retreat balances must be paid in full by December 1, 2026.
Prepare to Travel
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Steph will send detailed packing lists and travel logistics communications prior to the start of the retreat.
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