Founder of Animará
Holistic Health Coach, Movement & Performance Coach

Denali is a holistic health coach and movement & performance coach whose work centers on helping people build a strong foundation within themselves. Through functional strength, nervous system regulation, mindful movement, and holistic health practices, she supports others in cultivating a deeper relationship with their bodies and reconnecting with the vitality that already exists within them. Her approach honors the understanding that true wellness is not simply physical, but the integration of mind, body, heart, and spirit.

Alongside her work in health and performance, Denali walks a path deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom, connection to the natural world, and the belief that healing often begins with remembering. Through her relationship with ceremony, the land, and the teachings of nature, she has come to see that some of life's greatest lessons are found not through striving, but through slowing down enough to listen. Her work is guided by a devotion to living with intention, cultivating meaningful community, and helping others reconnect with what feels true and essential.

As the founder of Animará, Denali serves as a bridge between these worlds, bringing together the grounded structure of holistic health and movement with the depth, beauty, and wisdom of ancestral practice. What I believe makes her work unique is her ability to hold both strength and softness at the same time. She reminds us that we can pursue growth while remaining deeply connected to our humanity, and that caring for ourselves can be both practical and sacred.

Throughout this retreat, Denali holds the overarching vision and guides the daily rhythm of the container. Through movement, conversation, reflection, and presence, she helps create a space where guests feel seen, supported, and safe to explore their own journey. More than anything, her intention is to help people return home to themselves, trust their own inner wisdom, and remember that the medicine they seek has often been within them all along.

Integration, Connection + Life Coach

Chelsea Ericksen is someone who has a remarkable gift for helping people feel seen, supported, and safe exactly where they are. As a certified life coach and energy worker, her work centers on shadow work, emotional integration, and compassionate self-awareness, guiding others toward a deeper understanding of themselves with honesty, grace, and care. She has a way of meeting people without judgment, creating space for them to explore the parts of themselves that are often overlooked, hidden, or waiting to be reclaimed.

What I appreciate most about Chelsea is her ability to hold both strength and tenderness at the same time. She understands that healing is not about fixing ourselves, but about learning to meet ourselves more fully. Through thoughtful reflection, intuitive guidance, and a deeply grounded presence, she helps others navigate life's transitions, challenges, and inner landscapes with greater clarity, self-trust, and compassion. Her work invites people to soften into who they are while also finding the courage to grow into who they are becoming.

On this retreat, Chelsea serves as both an emotional anchor and an integral part of holding the container. She offers integration support, one-on-one guidance, and the steady presence that helps guests feel cared for throughout their journey. With over a decade of event planning experience, she also tends to the countless details that allow the retreat to unfold with ease and intention, creating a space where participants can fully relax, trust the process, and immerse themselves in the experience.

Whether through meaningful conversation, guided self-inquiry, sound healing, or simply her way of being, Chelsea carries a warmth that reminds people they do not have to walk their path alone. Her presence is calming, authentic, and deeply nurturing. She has a beautiful ability to help others reconnect with their own inner wisdom, trust their hearts, and remember that healing often begins the moment we choose to meet ourselves with love.

Ancestral Wisdom + Ceremony

Maestro Alcides is someone I have so much admiration and deep respect for, not only for his knowledge of Andean traditions, but for the way he lives them. His presence carries a quiet humility, a deep reverence for the land, and a genuine love for people. There is something about being in his presence that immediately invites you to slow down, listen more deeply, and remember what truly matters.

Born and raised in the Andes within the Q’ero tradition, Alcides has spent his life walking in relationship with the wisdom of his ancestors, the teachings of Pachamama, and the sacred mountains that have guided his people for generations. His work is rooted in prayer, reciprocity, and a profound respect for the medicine. What I appreciate most is that he never places himself above the work. He serves as a guide, helping others remember their connection to nature, to themselves, and to something greater than either. His approach is gentle, grounded, and deeply rooted in the understanding that healing happens through relationship with the Earth, with community, and with our own hearts.

Time with Alcides feels less like being taught and more like being invited into a deeper way of seeing and relating to life. Whether sharing ancestral teachings, holding ceremony, or simply sitting together in conversation, he carries a wisdom that is both profound and accessible. His presence reminds us that true spirituality is not found in grand gestures, but in the way we pray, listen, walk, and live each day. There is a sincerity in him that is rare, one that reflects a life devoted to service, gratitude, and honoring the sacredness woven through all things.

His connection to himself, to the land, and to spirit always invites me deeper into my own remembering. Grateful for the beauty, wisdom, and heart he carries and shares so generously with all of us.

Yoga, Presence + Connection

Fernando is the founder and steward of Samadhi Sacred Valley, a sanctuary created from a deep devotion to the land, community, and the path of conscious living. Over the years, he has cultivated meaningful relationships throughout the Sacred Valley, creating opportunities for visitors to experience Peru not simply as travelers, but through genuine connection with its people, traditions, and landscapes. His love for this region is evident in everything he does, and his ability to weave together culture, nature, community, and personal growth creates experiences that stay with people long after they return home.

What I appreciate most about Fernando is the way he embodies his teachings. Through yoga, breathwork, movement, and his relationship with nature, he reminds us that healing and wisdom are not things we must seek outside of ourselves, but something we can access when we slow down enough to listen. His approach is grounded, practical, and deeply connected to the rhythms of the natural world, inviting others into a more authentic relationship with their bodies, their breath, and the Earth beneath their feet. He has a gift for helping people feel both supported and empowered, creating space for transformation without ever forcing it.

Fernando carries a quiet wisdom that reflects years of personal practice and dedication. Whether guiding movement, sharing insights around the fire, introducing guests to the people and traditions of the Sacred Valley, or simply holding space within the beauty of Samadhi, he brings a presence that is both calming and inspiring. His teachings encourage a return to simplicity, to remembering that the breath can be a bridge back to ourselves, that the land can be a teacher, and that true connection begins with presence. More than anything, Fernando reminds us that a meaningful life is not built through constant striving, but through cultivating a deeper relationship with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us.