Hair Suspension Retreat
with Ingrid Esperanza
April 5-12, 2025
Casa Chango Mexico, Puerto Escondido
BIPOC Scholarship Available. Apply here by January 1.
This immersive workshop will take you on a journey into the art of Hair Suspension, where body awareness, strength, and emotional exploration come together in a practice that harmonizes both mind and body. Whether you are looking to deepen your current practice or begin a new journey into Hair Suspension, this retreat will leave you feeling connected, empowered, and enriched.
Our program is designed to ensure a safe and healthy approach to Hair Suspension. Over these five days, we will focus on preparing the body and mind, with an emphasis on postural health, alignment, and mobility. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the “Knot to float” while learning to cultivate fluid, expressive movement in the air. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical sessions, participants will engage in functional exercises that strengthen the internal muscles, enhance body alignment, and release tension. Breathwork, vocalization, and emotional awareness will be incorporated throughout the practice to deepen the connection with yourselves and the group.
In this beautiful retreat setting, the workshop offers not only a space for skill-building but also for introspection, creativity, and personal expression. You’ll have the chance to practice in an inspiring environment, surrounded by nature, where mutual support and collective exploration become essential elements of the experience.
The rest of your time will be spent eating delicious food, swimming in the pool, lounging in hammocks, and enjoying being in nature. There will be time to explore local markets and beaches as well as the local night life.
This retreat will include 3 types of sessions:
Movement Sessions: These sessions are based on Hatha Yoga, Animal Flow, and Kalaripayattu martial art, with exercises that focus particularly on spinal mobility and strengthening. The practice emphasizes postural awareness and fluidity of movement, encouraging participants to develop a deeper connection with their body.
Theoretical Sessions: Designed to understand the importance of alignment and the precision required in the Knot to Float, these sessions will also explore the anatomy involved in hair suspension, helping participants gain a clear understanding of how the body functions during this practice.
Practical Hair Suspension Sessions: These sessions will be tailored to the experience and capabilities of each participant, with a strong emphasis on respecting individual learning processes. For those with prior experience in hair suspension, we will dive into movement exploration, working with different movement qualities, spins, and counterbalance interactions.
Morning Sessions on days one and two will focus on the theory of Hair Suspension. In the following days, we’ll dive into movement sessions, clarify any questions about the Knot to Float technique, expose myths surrounding hair suspension, and share personal experiences.
Afternoon Sessions will focus on the ritual of the hairdo, working in pairs within two groups to foster observation and deepen understanding of the technique. Afterwards, we’ll engage in a warm-up before the suspension, tuning ourselves into this beautiful journey that flows from meditation to a playful celebration of movement.
Daily Schedule Sample:
- 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Tea, coffee and breakfast
- 10:00 a.m. – 12:00pm – Morning movement session, conditioning, theory, anatomy
- 1:00 p.m. – Lunch
- 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Free time (pool, hot tub, hammocks)
- 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon snack and beverage
- 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Hair suspension practice
- 7:00 p.m. – Dinner
- 8:00 p.m. – Free time and evening activities
We’ll also take you to our favorite beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. There are evening adventures to a bioluminescent lagoon and local night market.
Ask about our significant other / BFF rates!
Aerial nerds can indulge in all of your aerial desires while friends and family can enjoy the retreat environment, delicious, healthy food, surfing, swimming, relaxing, and get into their bodies.
Who is this for:
This workshop is tailored for individuals seeking to enhance their body awareness and delve into the physical and emotional sensations evoked by this ancient technique. Aerialists, dancers, gymnasts, movement explorers, yoga and pilates enthusiasts, martial artists, and fitness practitioners are all welcome to join.
Requirements:
- Body awareness: A keen understanding of your body and its movements is essential.
- Hair length: Participants must have long hair, at least shoulder length.
- No partially shaved heads: Individuals with shaved heads are kindly requested to consult with me.
- Hair condition: Extremely bleached or damaged hair may not be suitable for this workshop, please consult with me.
- Spinal injuries: If you have any spinal injuries, please consult with me before joining the workshop.
Your coach: Ingrid Esperanza
Ingrid Esperanza, a Mexican performer and creator currently based in Barcelona, is a leading specialist in Hair Suspension, with a focus on movement research and hybrid languages in the performing arts. Discovering Hair Suspension in 2007, it became central to her stage work, and in 2017 she premiered Cirque du Soleil’s first Hair Suspension act, in “SEP7IMODIA” in Buenos Aires.
Since 2019, Ingrid has focused on refining Hair Suspension through mindful, sustainable practices and educational gatherings. Her workshops emphasize building solid foundations in the hair suspension technique while encouraging the authenticity of each participant’s movement and expression.
Currently, she is the artistic director of Haa Collective and contributes to various Contemporary Circus projects as a hair suspension mentor and external eye across Europe and México. Her recognitions include the UNESCO-Aschberg Fellowship for Performing Arts, FONCA’s “Creadores Escénicos, ”in Mexico and the OSIC Research and Innovation Grant from Catalonia.
See more of her work at these links:
Retreat pricing:
Per person pricing in USD
Prices listed are the Early Bird Prices which are $300 discounted. Full price is $300 more than the prices listed. Early bird discount ends Nov 1.
| Your choice of accommodations: | Early Bird Price by Jan 1 | Full Price by March 1 |
| Shared Dorm (mixed gender) | $2000 | $2300 |
| Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds | $2200 | $2500 |
| Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds | $2300 | $2600 |
| Private Room w Shared Bathroom | $2500 | $2800 |
| Private Room w Private Bathroom | $2800 | $3100 |
| Private Room w Private Bathroom & Air Conditioner | $3100 | $3400 |
$500 Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Early bird price ends January 1.
Full tuition is due by one month before the first day of the retreat.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Significant others and friends who are not taking classes are welcome at a special price.
Dorms are mixed gender.
Click here for room descriptions.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Arrive on April 5. Depart on April 12.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, & desserts and treats!
- 2 daily classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon
- Aerial photoshoot
- Evening activities
- Trips to a local beaches and markets
- Baby turtle release excursion
- Trip to our local night market
- 24 hour use of swimming pool and community space
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
- Starlink Wifi Internet
BIPOC Scholarship Available.
Links for more information:
- Casa Chango accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here**. Info and advice on booking your travel
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
Discounts:
- Book and pay early and save $300!
- Refer a friend to any of our retreats and save $100 with our referral discount.*
- Sweet Retreats Alumni discount $200.
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com
*Food service begins with a snack and dinner on arrival day, and ends with breakfast on departure day. All meals are provided. The food is amazing! ** Your taxi to/from the PXM airport is included if you arrive/depart on designated days. Click here for info about getting to Puerto Escondido.