Taking Reins:
A 4-Day Transformatioal
Equine Retreat in Mexico

Taking Reins 4-Day Transformational Equine Retreat
2 dates: October 1-4 and October 8-11

The Reins Method: Surface · Open · Stand · Anchor

Taking Reins is a 4-day, 3-night premium equine transformation retreat held at Alquimia Sanctuary in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. It is structured around a single, precise outcome: in four days, you stop pretending in one area of your life and start acting in alignment with what you actually want. And the system is designed to hold that for 90 days. The program works through four phases — each building on the one before it, each activated by a different modality, each integrated into the next:

The Taking Reins Session:

The Moment the Work Becomes Real
You cannot lead a 600 kg horse by pretending. A horse will not respond to anyone who is not fully claiming themselves. This is not a metaphor. It is a biological fact you will discover in real time, in the round pen, in front of a small group of people who are holding the same truth you are.
Taking Reins is a 2-hour 30-minute group experience placed on Saturday morning — the hinge between the surfacing work of Thursday and Friday and the commitment work of Sunday. It has three phases.

The 4-Day Program Arc:

Thursday Afternoon Arrival to Sunday Lunch Departure
Every element of the four days is sequenced to build on the one before it. The Thursday constellation sessions make Friday’s breathwork possible. Friday’s somatic opening makes Saturday’s Taking Reins possible. Saturday’s claiming makes Sunday’s commitment real.

The 3-Month Integration Program:
What Turns a Retreat Into a Change Program

Three Online Sessions with the Full Group
Most retreats end on Sunday. Taking Reins does not. The peak experience of the four days is the catalyst. The 90-day integration system is the architecture that makes it last.
Without a structured follow-up, even the most powerful retreat experience faces the same fate: it fades into a compelling story you tell at dinner parties. With this system, the claiming that happened in the round pen becomes the new operating baseline.

What You Take Home: Five Concrete Artifacts

Each element below is designed so the work continues after Sunday — and each one is the strongest reason referrals come. What participants show, play, or describe to friends in the weeks after is what fills the next edition.

The Specialist Team

Six Practitioners. Each a Specialist. Each Essential.

David Bernardo — Lead Facilitator

Leads the constellation work, holds the overall program arc, and facilitates the integration sessions. The Taking Reins session methodology was developed by David as part of the LITS Horses approach.

Maria Fernanda de León — Breathwork with Horses Lead

Guides the 2-hour breathwork and acupuncture with horses session on Friday. The combination of conscious breathwork in direct proximity to the horse herd creates a somatic opening that conventional breathwork alone does not replicate.

Mateo Cilloniz — Natural Horsemanship

Oversees all participant interactions with the herd — from the silent Thursday walk to the Taking Reins round pen work to the Saturday sunset ride. Ensures the safety and quality of the equine element throughout.

Specialist Acupuncturist

Provides equine-assisted acupuncture during the Friday group session. The presence of the horses during acupuncture is not incidental — it amplifies the nervous system regulation effect of the treatment.

Traditional Temazcalero — Provided by Alquimia Sanctuary

The Saturday night Temazcal ceremony is led by a traditional temazcalero from the Alquimia team. The ceremony anchors the embodiment work of the day before the integration phase begins on Sunday.

Co-Constellation Facilitator

Runs the parallel private constellation sessions alongside David on Thursday and Friday mornings, enabling all 12 participants to complete a private 1:1 session within the program.

Program Investment

4 Days · 3 Nights · All-Inclusive · October–April

Taking Reins · All-Inclusive · October–April — No hidden costs.
Individual: $4,615 USD. 4-Day Private Experience
Partner, Friend Room Share: Partner Experience: $6,925 USD


2 retreat dates in October 1-4 and October 8-11. Pick your dates

What’s Included:

3 nights private accommodation at Alquimia Sanctuary (private pool or patio)
All meals — organic, farm-to-table, prepared on-site
Bön Buddhist practice and sound healing sessions
Private 1:1 horse constellation session (Thursday)
Breathwork and acupuncture with horses session (Friday)
Taking Reins flagship group session in the round pen (Saturday)
Horseback ride at sunset (Saturday)
Traditional Temazcal ceremony (Saturday night)
3-month follow-up program: 3 online cohort sessions (90 min each
Buddy system throughout the 90 days
Personal audio declaration — mailed at week 12
Morning Reins daily practice — taught and embedded at the retreat
Individual 1:1 follow-up session with horse constellation facilitator (week 6)
Private transport from Mexico City airport

Frequently Asked
Taking Reins retreat
Questions

Scroll to Top