healing ourselves healing nature

The Finca Camino Nuevo Retreat Center

costa rica june 6–15, 2024

Healing Ourselves, Healing Nature is a 10-day, 9-night adventure in reconciling and deepening our relationship with Mother Earth.

We are honored to journey once again to Finca Camino Nuevo, tucked in the ethereal mountains and misty forests just below the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve.

This innovative eco retreat is guided by three questions:

  • What is the nature of embodiment and interdependence?

  • How can we promote belonging?

  • Why is personal growth and renewal a vital dimension of individual + planetary flourishing and wise environmental stewardship?

Together we delve into the dynamic interdependence of self, community, and Mother Earth, framed within a larger conversation about sustainability, equity, and well-being.

Along our journey, we build community, practice mindfulness meditation techniques, explore embodiment practices and ecstatic dance, ceremony, enjoy tea ritual and expressive arts, engage in vibrant discussion, and rest. The living land is our central teacher.

Our goal for participants is:

  • Develop and enhance lasting connection to the living land through nature-based contemplative practices

  • Bolster resilience around climate anxiety, grief, fear, anger, shame and guilt

  • Foster a culture of belonging and inclusivity, and build lasting relationships

  • Deepen understanding of interdependence and key ingredients of flourishing

  • Create unique pathways to wise environmental stewardship and compassionate community leadership, whatever one’s occupational path may be. 

Healing Ourselves, Healing Nature can help participants step into their fullest potential through considering their unique gifts, backgrounds, and life situations to envision actionable steps towards promoting a more socially and ecologically harmonious world.

Purpose + Action

The third stage is an opportunity to reflect on what each of us can do to help others and serve as better stewards of the living land as well as excellent elders in society.

Gratitude + Belonging

We begin by slowing down, grounding, and exploring what we are grateful for while taking some time to get to know one another. The combination of community building and gratitude practice engenders belonging, mutual trust, and kinship. From this foundation, we will awaken our senses, coming into relationship with our bodies, each other, and the living land.

Awareness + Expression

We reflect upon the deeper patterns, worldviews, and mindsets that shape our understanding of ourselves and relationship with nature while immersing ourselves in nature-centered meditation, embodiment practice, dance, art, storytelling, tea, and deep listening to attune us to our sense of presence and interdependence with Mother Earth. We have an opportunity to share any grief, anger, fear, despair, and sense of shame and guilt we feel about what is happening to our planet.

Program Includes:

10 days, 9 nights accommodation

Land transportation

3 nourishing, organic, locally-sourced vegetarian meals daily

Unlimited access to pool and jacuzzi

Activities to expect:

Daily meditations, Forest bathing, Yoga, Conscious movement and dance

Guided creative arts, Collaborative music, Tea, cacao, and fire ceremonies

Dharma talks, circling and authentic connection, excusions and mindful hikes, integration