The Sanctuary Terms & Conditions & FAQs for TripAdvisor guests

Please be certain to read the following terms and conditions in full before making payment.

The Sanctuary is not a hotel or a hostel. Although The Sanctuary is referred to as a Retreat Centre, it is
not like any other retreat centre (some of which often charge as much as 5 times as much as we do), so
please come without expectations. The Sanctuary is a large family house in which we can all support
each other in our healing processes. We do not entertain drama. Please be sure to bear this in mind
before booking. We HIGHLY recommend commencing The Presence Process before arriving to help with
this. To preserve the healing energy of the space, and to avoid others being drawn into drama, please
understand that you may be asked to leave early (without refund) if we find your behaviour is not
conducive to the space. We can offer personal coaching sessions (such as non-violent communication,
self-responsibility/no blame/consciousness of oneness) at additional cost to help resolve such issues.

Food
We are a plant-based household serving mostly raw and gluten-free foods. Please ask in advance if you
have any specific dietary restrictions so we can let you know if our kitchen can handle your request.
Our normal menu consists of a large green smoothie for breakfast (sometimes with one or more tonics
e.g. ginger, moringa, turmeric, agnihotra ash, cardamon, cinnamon, aloe vera, cayenne, cloves, etc.) and
a nutritious and healthy vegan lunch and dinner. All meals are homemade with lots of love.
Although avoiding snacking between meals might be more supportive to the healing process, for those
who wish we usually supply a mid morning "Nutri-meal snack" and either a mid afternoon drink or fresh
fruit.
If you find you would like additional food, then there is a fruit seller just 1 minutes walk from The
Sanctuary gate so you can buy more fruit for yourself.
Please be aware that access to the kitchen is strictly limited to those who are cooking and prepping and
cleaning up, and is NOT available for guests use.
No food is allowed in bedrooms to avoid attracting insects. There is a small fridge just outside the kitchen
where you can label and store a small amount of (vegan - non processed) personal food.
You may find it supportive to your health to supplement the food we provide with some superfoods like
spirulina and maca, which are not included in our prices. They are available for purchase at Moringa
Fresh and Wild which is about 10 mins walk from The Sanctuary.

No coffee, meat, fish, processed junk foods or dairy products are allowed at The Sanctuary.
If you are not used to such a clean diet, you may experience detox symptoms such as flu-like feelings,
body aches and pains, headaches, tiredness, and/or emotional outbreaks. As you eat more higher
vibration foods, the old lower vibration energies in your body will release in physical and emotional forms.
The symptoms may be reduced by following some of our healing modalities which are included in the
price of your stay.

Fasting on Sunday
We fast on Sundays with water, coconut water, and/or fruit for several reasons. Fasting gives our
digestive system a rest and provides an opportunity to focus on the spiritual.
Although not required (if fruit or coconut water is not enough for you, you can visit one of the many
nearby restaurants), we've found this practice to be beneficial for the majority of our guests.
No food preparation is done on Sundays.
Rooms
If you are in a shared room, although we do our best to avoid mixed gender rooms. Mostly our guests are women
and we have at least one all female shared room, but please be aware that there is a possibility that there may be
both men and women in the room.

Drinking Water
We are currently using filtered tap water, with final filtration through a Pi Water Nikken filter.
Unhealthy Substances
No alcohol, tobacco, illegal plant medicines, or pharmaceutical drugs (unless declared) are allowed at The
Sanctuary.
We strongly encourage that whilst staying at The Sanctuary, you refrain from drinking alcohol, smoking,
etc. While it is permissible to engage in these activities outside The Sanctuary, please be aware of the
impact your actions have on guests who are undergoing intense cleanses. If we find a guest's actions are
not supportive of the healing space he may be asked to leave with a partial refund for unused days.

Perfumes, Colognes, Fragrances, and Scents

Please be aware The Sanctuary is an artificial fragrance-free zone. Please don't bring any scented
hygiene or laundry products, since these can significantly affect some community members with
chemical sensitivities.

Environmental Conditions
The Sanctuary is located in a suburban area. There are noises around us such as dogs barking, roosters
crowing (often during the night and early mornings) and local vendors with loudspeakers from their
vehicles. We are about 100 meters from a basketball court where events and parties are sometimes held
with very loud music. This usually occurs only once or twice a month, but can be more frequent during
holiday periods. We also have a neighbour who turns his music up very loud during the day once or twice
a month.
Most people get used to the sounds around. Others are disturbed and have trouble sleeping. Please
obtain earplugs if you feel this may be a problem for you.
The Sanctuary is a "chemical" free house (which includes artificial fragrances), offering vegan (as organic
as possible) food. Please be aware that we are probably only 50% approximately organic at the moment
but doing our best to improve upon this. Also be aware that some of our neighbors sometimes burn stuff
in their gardens (even plastic sometimes) but it is not a huge issue as it depends on wind direction and
it's not that often.
We have two cats which are allowed in the house. If you think this may be a problem for you, re. Allergies
etc. then please do not book. Sometimes we have a dog in the garden.
There are sometimes burglaries in the area. Therefore it is necessary to keep the windows closed at night
in some rooms. In our Mandala room all windows need to be closed at night. There are adequate fans in
the room. Air conditioning is an optional extra.

Security and Insurance

Like any place in the world, there are always possibilities of outside negative energies, accidents,
burglaries, etc. We advise taking sensible precautions by closing windows and locking doors at night and
when the house is empty. The Sanctuary is unable to recompense for any personal loss or injury. If you
are not comfortable with this, you have the option of obtaining your own personal insurance.

Lights out and Internet Use

To support healing during sleep and ensure sufficient rest for an early start with morning meditation, the
house is locked at 10:30 PM, Wi-Fi is turned off, and silence is maintained thereafter until after meditation
(7:40AM) the following morning. Exceptions may be made in rare circumstances.

The internet here can be very slow at times. While its obvious our modern world is very connected
through the internet, and we may think it impossible to live without it, The Sanctuary can be a place to
disconnect from machines and reconnect with our true nature.
Additionally, in order to keep The Sanctuary running smoothly, we need to keep the wireless networks as
clear as possible for important administrative tasks and we ask for your cooperation in observing the
following guidelines:
1. Please turn your phones off or put them on airplane mode when you are not making or awaiting an
important call.
2. If you do need to make or answer an important call, please go outside the gates to chat.
3. Please limit social network browsing to the bare minimum. This means only using facebook for
important and specific contact with family and friends.
4. Please avoid streaming youtube videos unless completely necessary.
5. Please turn your internet off when you are not using it.
6. Please do not use internet or phones in bedrooms after 9pm.
Check in and Check out times
To allow time for cleaning and preparing of sleeping spaces, we ask for you to Check in after 2pm and
Check out by 10am.

Children
Although The Sanctuary is predominantly a space for adults, there have been and will continue to be rare
occasions when we accept children as guests in our healing space. The child's age and maturity are the
most important factors in our decision.

Payment Terms, Cancellation, and Early Departure.

The full amount is due to confirm your reservation. This is non-refundable.
Please therefore be sure that you wish to stay for the full period you book before accepting these terms.

Qualified/Professional Staff
Because most of our work is done by our work retreatants and local workers, we are able to offer prices
that are vastly lower than most other retreat centers. Our daily schedule, including yoga classes, is
facilitated by both our work retreat participants and staff who do not necessarily have professional
qualifications.

What the Sanctuary is able to offer often depends on the skills and talents of those staying in our
community. In rare cases, it may not be possible to fully maintain our schedule, but we are often able to
offer more.
Although we do our best to support our guests taking advantage of our healing protocol, juice fasting,
raw food & other retreats, some self-research and application is required. We have an ample supply of
guidance by way of books, video & audio.
In order to keep our fees extremely low, we do not employ professionally qualified support. We do offer
our guests introductory support meetings with our managers, but these are limited to about 15 to 30
minutes. Further weekly meetings are available on request. During the summer season, these support
meetings may take place via Skype. With advance notice, we can offer more in-depth personal guidance
sessions as an optional extra service.
Please be aware that most of our staff only work part time. They also need their own space and time
undisturbed. Generally our staff are only available for brief support or questions up until lunchtime.
Obviously, for emergencies, you may ask questions that cannot wait.

By paying the deposit (full amount), i confirm that i have read the terms and conditions and I am fully
aware of and accept the rules and guidelines at The Sanctuary.
I will not hold the Sanctuary responsible for any personal loss or injury I may experience during my stay
at the Sanctuary.
Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of food is served at the Sanctuary?

We serve plant-based foods and drinks free from all meats, fish, dairy, alcohol, and other
animal products. We serve mostly gluten-free meals. Although we are not perfect, we do
our absolute best to avoid unhealthy fats, oils and processed sugars. We do not allow
coffee in the home -- if you really need some, there are many cafes in the area.
Do I need to speak Spanish??

It's helpful to know Spanish, but not vital to your stay here. The predominant language
spoken in The Sanctuary is usually English. The teachings and classes are also offered in
English, although we are planning to offer more bi-lingual classes.

Outside The Sanctuary, you'll have a much easier time navigating and interacting with
people if you know some Spanish basics. The locals are kind and friendly, and truly
appreciate any efforts we make to communicate in Spanish.
If you want to learn Spanish, Duolingo, StudySpanish, and Babbel are excellent starting
points.
Am I required to participate in all the scheduled activities?

Our full-paying guests are free to do as little or as much as you want with the
community. We do encourage our guests to participate as much as they can to get the
most out of their stay at The Sanctuary.
Our Work Retreatants are asked to attend at least three morning meditation sessions per
week, two yoga classes, and attend the daily morning check-in (except on your days off).
How safe is Mexico??

Puerto Escondido is relatively safe, and the Sanctuary is extremely safe. Many guests
report feeling safer here than in their own countries.
There is a large European and American expat community in Puerto Escondido. They
would probably not stay if the town were not safe. Of course there is some crime in
Puerto Escondido, like any other place, but the rates are low and violent crime is virtually
unheard of.
We do hear of occasional thefts in the area, so it is advisable not to take any bags,
cameras, jewelery, and other valuables to the beach to avoid being targeted. When dark,
it's better to avoid walking alone.
What other expenses will I incur at the Sanctuary?

Virtually everything you need is included in our prices. eg. bed, food, holistic healing
modalities, yoga, etc.
Personal care items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) and laundry are not included. You can
buy eco-friendly laundry soap from The Sanctuary so you can hand wash or we can
sometimes launder for you for 50 pesos per kilo. Local laundries charge about 15 pesos
per kg.
A collectivo (shared taxi) ride into town is 7 pesos. Taxi rides to other (more swimmable)
beaches are about 30-50 pesos (~$2-$2.50).
Dinners at restaurants are around 50 - 150 pesos, coffees 15-25 pesos, coconuts 15-40
pesos.
Excursions for days off, such as a dolphin / whalewatching boat trip, may cost about 400
pesos (~$25) per person.
We also offer extra private healing therapies at the Sanctuary. Click here for more
information.

With 1500-3000 extra pesos ($100-$200) per month, you can have many extras.
However, if you are frugal and bring all your necessities, you can survive with virtually no
extra money.
What should I bring for my stay?

Moringa Fresh and Wild, a small local health store, has a few necessities you may need.
They sell beautiful handmade local ecological products and some imported goods, but
these products may cost more than you'd expect. Bringing all your necessities,
shampoo, toothpaste, etc., is actually quite a good idea....
Other useful things to consider bringing:
headlamp
water bottle
shawl/scarf
beach sarong
earplugs
supplements
How do I do laundry?

There are closeby laundries (using commercial soap) who charge about 15 pesos per
kilo. Generally we do not offer a laundry service at The Sanctuary, but sometimes it may
be possible, so please ask. We use ecological soap and charge 50 pesos per kilo.
Do I need a visa?

The requirements depend on your citizenship, but most people can complete a form on
the plane and receive a 180 day tourist visa.
What's the swimming like in Puerto Escondido?

There are several beaches in Puerto Escondido, some more swimmable than others.
Puerto's most famous beach, Zicatela, is great for surfing but not usually for swimming.
Playa Marinero, Carrizalillo, Puerto Angelito, Manzanillo are usually swimmable. La Punta
is walking distance from the Sanctuary and is quite swimmable at times.
It's good to be aware of the flags - red is dangerous, yellow is moderately dangerous
and green is safe.
If you use common sense, stay close to the beach, and avoid big waves, you'll be fine.