From June 12–15, thirty community leaders, facilitators, and changemakers from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia gathered in Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán, Mexico, for four immersive days of retreat, reflection, play, ceremony, and connection.
Called Weaving the Mycelium of Community Leadership, we explored what it means to move from separation to interconnection, from Ego to Eco, from Eco to Cosmos, and from "I" to "We." At a time when so many of us are feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, burnout, and fear navigating the overlapping crises of our world, the gathering offered an opportunity to pause, listen deeply, and remember we are not alone and that relationships are at the heart of social change.
Over four days, we cultivated a field of trust and belonging through practices that engaged the body, emotions, imagination, and our collective intelligence. Drawing from The Work That Reconnects developed by Joanna Macy, Earth Listening practices, Theatre of the Oppressed, movement, ritual, and the Micelio del Alma (Soul Mycelium) approach developed by our lead facilitator, Héctor Aristizábal, we explored healing as a profoundly relational process that emerges through connection with ourselves, one another, and the living Earth.
Building the Container
During our opening ceremony, we greeted the Four Directions, honored the ancestors and future generations, introduced ourselves to the land, and asked permission to gather. We built a collective altar as each participant placed an object representing something precious they were carrying or tending in their lives. Throughout the retreat, participants offered poems, songs, and movement practices, while serving as "Secret Angels," anonymously offering acts of kindness and appreciation to another participant throughout the gathering. The group is also grounded in the practice of gratitude, honoring together the extraordinary miracle of being alive together on this planet, at this time.
Through ritual theater, participants explored the wisdom of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Space, reflecting on how we might come into the right relationship with these elemental forces to help restore balance within ourselves, our communities, and our movements. In small groups, people shared personal stories of challenge and transformation while others listened deeply and offered movement to somatically reflect what they had heard and felt.
Honoring Our Pain and Connecting with the Earth
The second day invited us into one of the central practices of The Work That Reconnects: honoring our pain for the world.
Through ancestral songs and Joanna Macy's powerful Truth Mandala ceremony, participants gave voice to grief, fear, anger, and uncertainty—not only about their personal lives, but about the suffering experienced by their communities and our planet. Again and again, participants shared that simply being heard and witnessed without judgment brought profound relief and healing. Our grief, when held collectively, becomes a doorway connection rather than isolation, as we open our hearts to our immense love for the world.
Later that afternoon, participants gathered outdoors for an Earth Listening practice, spending time in silence with the land and listening for what the Earth might be inviting them to remember. The day concluded around a bonfire filled with singing, dancing, laughter, and celebration—a reminder that joy is also medicine.
Seeing with New Eyes
On the third day, participants explored how to reweave relationships in times of ecological and social fragmentation. A dynamic systems game illustrated both the forces of collapse and the possibilities for regeneration through acts of reconnection.
During another ritual from The Work That Reconnects, participants shared their projects and dreams while receiving reflections from four symbolic perspectives: Doubt, the Ancestors, the Earth, and Future Generations. Hearing their work reflected through these different voices brought new clarity, renewed purpose, and a deeper awareness of the larger web of life their efforts serve.
The afternoon unfolded through an Open Space, where participants offered to host conversations and facilitate practices ranging from ecovillages and spirituality to Reiki, peace dances, and mutual care. Pachamama Alliance also shared its emerging vision for the years ahead, including transformational gatherings, youth initiatives, action trainings, Earth Listening Circles, alliances of alliances, and a growing global network of place-based Kinship Communities.
A Ceremony of Gratitude and Belonging
The gathering concluded in the sacred valley of Tepoztlán with a beautiful Toltec ceremony led by Ome, founder of Casa Nahua, and traditional dancers.
Together, participants created an earth altar of fruits, flowers, seeds, and candles representing North, Central, and South America. Through song, prayer, and traditional dances, they offered gratitude to the Earth and dedicated their prayers to their families, communities, and the healing of our world.
Trusting Emergence
Participants consistently described the gathering as an experience of reconnection, healing, and renewed purpose.
Many spoke about the relief of discovering they are not alone—that they are a part now of a vibrant network of people across Latin America who are devoted to caring for life. New friendships and collaborations were born. Participants gained practical tools for leadership and facilitation while experiencing firsthand the power of deep listening, creativity, play, grief, and embodied practices.
Perhaps most importantly, the gathering reaffirmed a simple truth: transformation is collective. Just as mycelium quietly nourishes entire forests beneath the surface, each relationship formed, each act of care, and each shared practice strengthens the larger web of life.
As one participant reflected, "I leave remembering that another way of being together is not only possible—it is already emerging."
That is the work before us: to continue weaving communities rooted in kinship, reciprocity, and the living intelligence of the Earth, capable of nurturing resilience, healing, and a more just and life-honoring future for all.