the devika casitas
cañas, Panama
Rejuvenate in the wild of Panama
Nestled in the Azuero Peninsula of Panama, in the hills just outside a small fishing village, are the Devika Casitas. The “Little Goddess Cottages” are intended to hold you through deep reset, unparalleled nourishment and nervous system rejuvenation that is bespoke to your needs, desires and goals.
the Land
Treatments and 1:1 work are held in Lalita Casita. Lalita is a studio-style space complete with a full bathroom, boutique kitchenette and a spacious, covered balcony with views of the ocean. Guests are welcome to enjoy the casita before and after treatments. The grounds of this land holds the vibration of healing, wholeness and magick.
Time is liminal here, slowed down to a trickle and felt as subtley as a whisper. The land speaks in ritual and hums with gratitude when interacted with reverance and love. Being close to the quiet, located at the end of the electrical lines (meaning that there is very little EMF interference), allows the body to drop into a level of regulation unparalleled to what many have access to. Land offerings, land journeying and, if you’re up for it, ritual mud bathing during the heavy rains of the rainy season re-wild the soul and reconnect the spirit of the sacred untamed.
The land is shared by a rainbow of wildlife (rainbows also make appearances in the sky during rainy season). Wake up with the howler monkeys, have tea with the hummingbirds, watch the Panamanian ñeques snack on the mangos from the mango tree outside of Lalita AND, if you’re lucky, hear the unique call of the black jaguar in the hills.
Located 15 minutes from the the lively town of Playa Venao, a local and international wellness community which hosts daily beach sunset DJ sets, a menu of yoga and fitness activities, an active surf community and delicious health-conscious restaurants. If more of nature is what you desire, secret beaches, secluded watering holes and rushing waterfalls are anywhere from a 5 to 20 minute drive in the country side.
The highest quality Nourishment
The Azuero Penninsula community is home to people who are looking to do life in a completely different way than they have known. Local farmers and produce providers offer the cleanest products. I source fresh, raw dairy products from Ulga, a Ukranian woman with a talent for cooking and a deep love of her cows and goats; fresh produce from Javi, a Panamanian whose family farms are located in Boquete; fresh herbs and produce from Emma, a regenerative farmer in Pedasi; and farm-fresh eggs and harvested-that-day chicken from Roman, a Russian who provides the most beautiful poultry and gallina (Panamanian hens).
Enjoy Panamanian coffee in the morning, fresh juices in the mid-day and meals that sing with a melody of flavors, textures and the story of the people and values that have taken part in the growing, harvesting and visioning of nourishment in its highest expression.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than to create food that is medicinal, delicious and tantilizing to all the senses.
Reserve your private retreat for 2027
when to come
january to April: The Dry and “On” Season
This is the most lively time of the year. The winds arrive January through February, brushing away the heaviness of the rains. The dry season sets in and the temperature goes from hot to really hot. This is a favorite time of year for international travelers and surfers. To add, Playa Venao puts on its largest music festival drawing international artists to house a two-week wellness and music extravaganza. For those looking to add spice and fun to their get away, planning during Reactor Venao is an excellent idea.
june to September: The rainy season
The rainy season is my favorite time of year. The permissiveness of the rains creates something deep in the nervous system. The heaviness is full and refreshing. I trade sunny walks and an epic tan for the opportunity to dance in the rain and paint the thick, clay mud on my skin as I listen to the monkeys in the trees. It is truly magical. When the rains do give a reprieve, it makes the opportunity for a beach walk that much sweeter. To add, its during this time that the waterfalls and watering holes are in their most rushing glory.
October to December: The transitional season
This time of year gives the best of both worlds— the land is rich and green from the rains and the sun begins to make more frequent appearances. If you’re lucky, you are here for the “little summer” that happens, a magical time when the rains subside and we get about 2 weeks of consistent sun enjoyed amongst the bustling greenery and flowering beauty of Panama’s jungle. This is also the most quiet time in the town of Playa Venao. Many locals travel home for the holidays and the quiet of the off season gives a glimpse into the tranquil life of the locals here.
space for this work is limited.
retreats are offered once during each of these three seasons.
I take 2 clients per season.
The work that we do on this land is deep and sacred.
it requires that I rejuvenate myself when i arrive, between and after all those that i serve.
The nature of this work
The nature of this work is intimate. I require that those who step into the container of this experience have a detailed intake, discovery and 1-3 months preparation time. This ensures that I will meet you at a depth that is meaningful and ensures shifts that are long lasting. This work can be integrated as a yearly pilgrimage, in a devotion to thealth and longevity.
This is preventative medicine that accelerates life force and fortifies longterm vitality.
What you can expect
Private retreats are between 3 and 7 days. They are bespoke experiences, co-created between you and I depending on your desires and goals. Facilitation and in-person experiences may include a combination of the following: Ayurvedic body treatments, yoga practices, breath work practices, plant-intelligence medicine work, embodiment practices, intimacy, embodied mysticism practices, land journeying and daytime experiences in nature.
Solo or couple experiences are available.
Ayurvedic Body treatments
Abhyanga
Abhyanga is a Lymphatic Warm Oil Treatment incorporating movements which balance Wind and Ether Elements (Vata Dosha) throughout the body, stimulating the movement of lymph, detoxifying the tissues and synchronizing the nervous and endocrine systems.
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Abhyanga is a gentle treatment that uses 8-10 oz. of seasonally medicated oil from head-to-toe, penetrating the deep layers of the skin and into the lymphatic system to aide gentle detoxification and strengthen immunity. This practice is a holistic treatment that touches upon multiple systems of the body for an experience that leaves the recipient in a deeply relaxed state.
By bringing the inherent intelligence of the nervous and endocrine systems online and into synchronicity with one another, Abhyanga touches upon all systems of the body. For the wellness of our bodily functions is built upon and predicated by the intelligence of the nervous and endocrine systems working together.
Traditional 4-handed Abhyanga is the harmonious performance of this treatment with two practitioners moving in tandem together. This syncronized dance performs upon both sides of the body, allowing the brain to slow and move into deep parasympathetic rest. When the mind releases its tracking abilities and the practitioners are in sync with one another, the two pairs of hands feel as though one.
Massage table is warmed using BioMat Technology which uses the intelligence of amethyst crystals and infrared heat to keep the body warm during treatment.
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Abhyanga synchronizes the nervous and endocrine systems, bringing the inherent intelligence of neuron and hormone function back to the body. All of the bodily systems that make up the human mechanism are built and predicated upon healthy neuro-endocrine functioning. When the nervous and endocrine systems are working together, the other systems of the body (including digestion, circulation, mental faculties and sexual strength) have the opportunity to come into balance, thus restoring vitality and constitutional intelligence.
Cleansing and nourishing the lymphatic system is a pillar of good health, thus the practice of Abhyanga is an excellent treatment to integrate into your regular routine of wellness preservation, tissue balance and the maintenance of immune function.
Benefits of Abhyanga include (but are not limited to):
Deep detoxification
Improves sleep
Lubricates joints
Increases lymphatic and blood circulation
Tones muscles
Stimulates proper organ function
Calms nerves
Synchronizes the nervous & endocrine systems
Enhances immune function
Dough Basti
Dough Basti is a well off oil created upon a concentrated part of the body to restore balance and increase the flow of prana into organs, chakras and marma points, thus pacifying the vitiated elements of the chosen area.
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Dough Basti is used to treat ailments which are both physical and energetic in nature. I think of Dough Basti as being a “Universal gas-pump” which resources the tissues and energy of the location on which it is placed. This is a deeply therapeutic treatment which requires the channels to be open to receive its deep benefits. Thus, Abhyanga is indicated before hand.
Dough Basti can be used over the adrenal glands to treat chronic fatigue or nervous system disorders (such as ADHD); over the knees or low back to treat acute or chronic injuries; along the second, third or fourth chakras to cohere the integrity of those energetic centers; or over the eyes, using body-temperature ghee, to aide in visual health and soothe imbalances of pitta.
Sessions last 60 minutes and are dependent of the needs of client as far as guided meditation or visualization exercises which are incorporated.
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The benefits of Dough Basti are clinically astounding and dependent upon where the Basti is placed.
For physical ailments and the treatment of chronic or acute injury:
Increased mobility
Expanded capacity to feel sensation
Improvement of circulation
Relief from pain
For energetic depletion along the chakra centers, clients may experience a sense of journeying, emotional release and relief from mental/emotional patterning.
Shirodhara
Shirodhara is a therapeutic treatment for the mind (central nervous and hormone systems) using a continuous stream of warm, medicated oil on the center of the forehead (third-eye) which saturates the crown and scalp of the head.
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Shirodhara has a wide range of benefits and uses for the mind channels and mental/emotional relief. This therapy uses the intelligence of oil to directly nourish and stimulate the central nervous system through the brain and the endocrine system through the pineal glad.
Session are 90 minutes and include vagal, head, neck and shoulder massage.
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Improve sleep
Regulate hormones
Balance the hemispheres of the brain
Relieve anxiety, depression & other imbalances of the mind
Open the channels of the mind for greater clarity
Sweep away brain fog