TESTIMONIES

"After a few strenuous years this lovely place on Earth, gave me the peace needed to find the answers to my questions about life. I really enjoyed staying with a local family as well. It gave me a glimpse at the real Guatemalan way of life. Their hospitality and warmth amazed me. It made me remember how simple life can be, and how easy it is to forget about that sometimes."

~Anke Deppermann, 26, Germany

 

 

“I’d been travelling for a bit and wasn’t sure on my next step. Then I heard about this project. I thought it sounded amazing. I knew what the project involved but didn’t really know what to expect. When I arrived, I couldn’t believe how beautiful San Marcos was, and that I’d be spending the next 10 weeks here. San Marcos sits on a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. Whenever I get the chance I go lay on the rocks and swim in the lake. San Marcos itself is a very spiritual place, with like-minded people, there are so many courses and things to get involved in. I did my Reiki 1 here. It’s a really friendly laid back place.

For the time spent in the village I have stayed with a Guatemalan family, which has been incredible, really seeing how a traditional family live and eat. It has also really improved my Spanish! For the rest of the time we’re up in the mountains, sleeping in open tree-houses! This is where we do yoga, meditation, and lots of other lessons. I have learnt so much, from how to live in the forest, to making tortillas! I have really opened up more to my spirituality, and have learnt so much about myself. I felt this is exactly where I was supposed to be, and have benefited so much from this experience…plus, Marc and Lindsay are amazing!”

~Gemma Williams, 23, England

 

"San Marcos la Laguna was a unique and special place for exploring alternative approaches to healthy living. Soul Projects gave me everything and more than I bargained for. I am certainly not the same person I was."

~Leila Fujii, 45, United States

 

 

“I had a unique and challenging experience. I learnt a lot of skills, all of which I can integrate into my life back home. I had a great time with amazing company. My experience has been fun, rewarding and memorable.”

~Kinvara Law, 22, England

 

 

"From sunrise on the lake to moonrise in the forest, the scenery was breathtaking; the perfect backdrop for ‘getting in touch with nature’ and the kind of location that makes environmental clean up almost instinctive. The forest is an ideal place for exploring your spiritual side. Yoga makes a great start to the day – you really feel like you’ve earned your breakfast! I really enjoyed the meditation too – the sound of the trees really helps you to focus on the moment!

The best way to experience the real culture of a place – is to live with the people! Great for practising your Spanish too – and if you don’t speak any, you soon will! I even picked up a few words of Kakchiquel during my stay – a special privilege as the ancient Mayan dialect is only spoken here. People in the village are genuinely delighted when you make the effort to speak to them in their mother tongue.

It is an awesome place to learn to scuba dive as well or to further your skills, whilst doing some good at the same time. A definite recommendation for those able. It was a very different experience – for those who have volunteered on projects before, you’ll love the chilled atmosphere and the chance to really embrace the local culture. And if you’re new to this kind of thing? Well what are you waiting for?! There’s a whole world of people, lives and experiences out there – and this is a very good place to start."

~Catherine Simmonds, 26, England

 

"Finding out about Soul Projects and taking the chance to experience the 10-week expedition has provided me with an experience that I won’t soon forget. I learned how to scuba dive at Lake Atitlan and now I am a certified PADI Advanced Diver and not afraid of deep water any more. (At least not as much as I was before this expedition.)

I started to learn how to do Yoga in a cloud forest and I would like to think that that alone has helped me appreciate the deeper aspects of the practice, I couldn’t have asked for more. Living with a Mayan family and actually becoming a part of their day-to-day life was something that I never thought possible. They accepted me; I couldn’t speak a lick of Spanish but we still were able to communicate and enjoy our time together. It got me ready to enjoy my time teaching the kids on Thursdays, I was more confident in my abilities to teach without speaking the language. All in all the project challenged me positively, more than I thought it would have done, in both mental and physical ways."

~David Armstrong, 26, Canada

 

"I learned a lot and my experience with Soul Projects was invaluable in opening me up to my spiritual path... thank you!"

~Shawn Mitchell, 23, Canada

 

 

 

 

“The name Soul Projects speaks loud and clear to me, as it is truly a project for the soul. One that gave me inner stillness and helped me find the harmonious balance I was looking for.

It gave me a wonderful introduction into many areas of self-healing that I was unfamiliar with, and gave me the chance to integrate into my daily life a beautiful yoga and meditation practice in a peaceful and tranquil environment.

The experience gave me much time for reflection & connection with myself, and one I will always remember, as it has helped me let go and get that one step closer to knowing the truth for myself.

The project staff were very supportive guides, kind & understanding teachers and good friends. Muchas Gracias to the whole Soul team. Namaste.”

~DJ Ankenbrandt, 23, United States

 

"Here I was able once again to hear the sweet music & peaceful silence of Mother Nature, up in the middle of the beautiful forests of San Marcos la Laguna … and it was here that the amazing opportunity to experience and feel its magic, for myself, was given to me. Thankyou to the whole Soul team for their energy, love and guidance."

~Reut Spitzer, 24, Israel

 

 

 

"I really enjoyed my time in the forest. The expedition allowed me to concentrate on the present and showed me how to open up to life. The forest was just the place to learn this message as I became in touch with nature."

~Amrita Rose, 22, England

 

 

 

 

"My time with Soul Projects has been a series of invaluable lessons and experiences I will never forget. The project pushed my boundaries and challenged me in many ways, helping me develop new skills and build more confidence.

I loved starting my day in the enchanted forest with a beautiful yoga practice, learning how to make a fire, chop wood, get dirty, participate in a Spanish class, and then end with learning and engaging in a mediation session.

I also loved living with my homestay and developing a connection with a local Guatemalan family. I loved being able to learn first hand about the Mayan and Guatemalan culture and listening to their dialect being spoken over a typical Guatemalan dinner. Working with local schools and teaching creative art classes was a lot of fun, from working with ink-blots to teaching the colours of the rainbow to the kids. I am really grateful for the experience, and to have an opportunity to live simply yet deeply."

~Nicole Nachum, 24, United States

 

"Prepare to be challenged, ´forced´and encouraged to take on new and unusual challenges with Soul Projects. I have come away with not only new qualifications in scuba diving and first aid but a broader experience, greater confidence and amusing stories to tell. Not to mention an extended family to visit in a most beautiful part of the world."

~Caroline Flynn, Aged 23, England

 

 

 

"Soul Projects provides insight into real Guatemalan life, different from any other travelling exprience. It combines a fun balanced mix of volunteering and personal growth in a beautiful environment, which is sometimes challenging but rewarding. This is a fantastic project run by two professional, friendly, welcoming hosts who want to make it an unforgettable experience."

~Christopher Read & Susanna Knowles, 24 & 23, England

 

 

"Soul Projects is new and small enough to provide me the motivation to get physically healthy during my travels and also the space to integrate some of the mental and spiritual lessons I'd been learning along the way. Buenos suerte a todos."

~Lilou Bennett, 43, South Africa

 

 

 

"I wanted to travel to fill a void in my life. I came to Guatemala prepared to change as a person. I suppose I didn’t like myself very much.

After 10 weeks on an expedition as varied and challenging as this, it is impossible not to change. What has changed however, is how I see myself. I now know my weaknesses and accept them as such, because of this I also value my strengths. This clarity has brought on a feeling of confidence. Although I’ve had many challenges while on the expedition, my new found confidence has given me a different perspective on myself and my life. The distance from my family and friends (my comfort zone and safety net) has given me a new level of appreciation for them. The simple life here in Guatemala has taught me that this comfort is not all there is, there is much more to life, much more in this world and I want to see and experience more!

Soul Projects I believe needs to be found. I was meant to be here at this time, when I found the expedition I didn’t think twice before deciding it is what I needed to do – where I needed to be. I would recommend Soul Projects to anyone who feels they need to do something similar, to listen to that inner voice and just go for it!"

~Michael Ioannou, 22, England

 

"I really enjoyed learning to scuba dive here on the lake, it was a very rewarding and challenging experience. It was for me the perfect way of really being able to feel connected with my surroundings and with the environment where I was living."

~Yoshiko Ikeda, 32, Japan

 

 

 

 

"This has been the kind of experience that strengthens my belief that the energies of the world are taking care of us and guiding us to exactly where we need to be at any given moment. The expedition provided me with challenges that I didn’t know I needed to face and it opened me up to things about myself that I didn’t know I needed to discover. It has provided me with a gentle push toward living in a more honest and fulfilling way."

~Gin Schulist, 23, Canada

 

”The Soul Projects expedition has been a great opportunity for me to learn, reflect and grow. Set in picturesque and spiritual San Marcos la Laguna, the surroundings and simple way of life granted me the time and space needed to clear my head and listen to the voice inside me that had been long muted. I was challenged in a number of ways, many unexpected, as by no means is the expedition supposed to be easy or like a vacation. I believe that real growth can only occur when you're forced to seek strength within, and for this reflection to take place you need to be jarred from a comfortable routine. I know that I am leaving the project a more conscious, spiritually in-tune person, and that was the goal that both myself and Soul Projects set out to achieve at the outset of the expedition.”

~Steve Gervais, 27, Canada

 

“Coming to Guatemala and joining Soul Projects has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Soul Projects has given me the tools to change my lifestyle for the better and to grow in ways I have never thought possible. There were definitely hardshops along the way, but I truly believe it was the hard times that enabled me to learn and change behaviours in myself that needed changing. This has been a life changing experience, and if you are looking for spiritual growth this is the place to find it.”

~Robyn Fluxgold, 27, Canada

 

 “A project that truly challenges your soul. It puts you out of your comfort zone, which is the place where you exactly need to be to be able to “really grow.” This has been 10 weeks with really everything! As anything can happen to you when you are living here in Guatemala, staying with a Mayan family, living in a tree hut in the mountains, teaching kids art, scuba diving and cleaning-up the lake and practicing yoga and meditation in the forest. This is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life!”

~Sigrid Voll Bøyum, 21, Norway