Phil Hartley & Lulu Chumpitasi Bartra

Founder

Meet Lulu, The Healer & Holistic Guide

Born in Peru, with Spanish roots and a lineage deeply woven into the art of healing & natural medicine. For generations, her ancestors understood the profound connection between nature & the human body, using the earth’s gifts to restore balance & ignite the body's innate power to heal. This wisdom became her foundation, shaping her life’s purpose and guiding her back to her roots.

Though her journey led her across continents, from Peru, as a school teacher, to Barcelona to England, where she taught language & worked in hospitality, her soul was always called to something greater: the pursuit of natural healing. In every spare moment, she studied holistic health, exploring how we can align with nature’s rhythms to cultivate deep well-being and vitality.

Even miles away, Pachamama’s call was relentless. She could feel her presence, pulling her back to her origins. This longing led her to train as a Holistic Therapist & Reflexologist, where she discovered the profound connection between emotional, physical, & spiritual healing.

In 2019, Lulu embarked on a solo journey across Southeast Asia, seeking alignment between her intuition and purpose. In Bali, she trained as a Reiki Practitioner, deepening her understanding of energy healing & the body’s natural ability to regenerate. By integrating Reflexology, Reiki, Sound Healing & Indian Head Massage with a wholesome, plant-based lifestyle, she found her true calling guiding others toward healing, empowerment, & self-discovery.

Lulu’s passion extends to conscious nutrition, crafting vibrant plant-based cuisine with organic, locally sourced ingredients & embracing the magic of foraging for nature’s edible treasures. She strongly believes that small, mindful shifts create monumental transformations, nurturing not just the body, but the mind and soul.

Now, after over 23 years of living, learning, and growing across the world, the time has come to return home. The Sacred Valley calls, & her mission is clear: to create a sanctuary where people can heal, thrive, and reconnect with their true essence.

Together with Phil, her life partner and fellow visionary, they are manifesting their dream, a world-class Holistic Wellness Retreat in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley. A place where ancient wisdom meets modern transformation, & where people are empowered to step into their highest potential.
 
Meet Phil, adventurer, truth-seeker, & co-creator of Balance Holistic Retreat Centre.

His journey has been anything but ordinary, shaped by a deep-rooted spirit of exploration and an unwavering quest for meaning, resilience, and healing.

Inspired early on by stories of explorers, soldiers & rebels; from his grandfather’s tales of Gallipoli to his father’s travels with the Royal Marines. Phil naturally forged his own path. From savouring the “Joie de Vivre” of food & wine in France to completing a fabricator/welder apprenticeship while living on a bus in the forest, to serving on Operations in a high-intensity Bomb Disposal unit with the Royal Engineers, each chapter brought him closer to the heart of transformation. Humanitarian landmine & munitions clearance from the Middle East to Africa & the South Atlantic was the next phase, every day in the field meaning one less civilian casualty from the explosive remnants of war.

His path took a profound turn after a difficult divorce and a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Rather than accept the diagnosis Phil chose to rebuild, not just his health, but his entire way of being. Through consistent intentional action, mindfulness, meditation, movement, nourishing food, and nature, he reconnected with his own strength. No shortcuts. What began as personal healing evolved into a calling: to help others do the same.

Phil’s travels have taken him to sacred lands across the globe, from Uluru and the Ziggurat of Ur to the pyramids of Egypt and Peru. But it was in the Sacred Valley, high in the Andes, where he felt a powerful sense of belonging and purpose. It was here that the vision for Balance Holistic Retreat Centre came to life, a space where adventure meets healing, and where individuals are supported to reset, rise, and rediscover their power.

Phil brings grounded wisdom, lived experience, and a passion for holistic wellbeing to every corner of the retreat. His mission is simple: to guide others toward balance, vitality, and inner freedom, one mindful breath, nourishing meal, and sacred moment at a time.