Participant Voices
Catalina
Waking up to beautiful slow morning meditations and connecting with nature, yourself and people through movement, intimacy and collective vulnerability, truly helped me with my healing process. Our journey in the mountains of Monteverde was full of emotions, great local food and music to heal your soul, where I could explore walking barefoot in the woods and along the river, merging as one with Mother Earth and every living being.
I always dreamt of going to a retreat, but this was something else. My heart is full of love and gratitude after I felt both seen and heard, so if you are doubtful, trust me, just do it and live a wonderful experience!
Farah
My experience with the RMERC retreat was phenomenal. From the first day of arriving in the land, I felt that I was at home. The warm and welcoming atmosphere was coming from the people who I met them for the first time. Throughout the tea ceremony and the group dancing I got access to my earlier childhood memories and discovered some new things about myself. Exploring the nature with other participants and facilitators offered a deeper perspective and a new insight to understanding the mysteries of the natural life around me. During this journey I learned that the sweet sense of belonging to each other, our ancestors and our planet is the most precious part of our existence that we have lost them in the modern age. This fantastic retreat has opened my eyes and heart for a new beginning and embracing my passion for the nature.
Dominique
MBEI’s program is exceptional, and it has had a profound impact on my life. The mindfulness and movement practices they offer have become integral components of my day, enriching and guiding environmental activist work with Climate Reality.
Tamera
A year ago, I went on a retreat through The Mind Body Ecology Institute in Costa Rica, unaware it would become the catalyst to my spiritual awakening and transformation.
I was at a crossroads in my life. Everything I had known felt like a lie – my relationship, my career, and an identity that needed to be shared. In Costa Rica, the discomfort I felt, as I became face-to-face with my shadow, and the inauthenticity of my life was unsettling. I had to see the ugliest parts of myself and find the beauty in them.
The people I crossed paths with mirrored back to me my reflection I'm no longer frightened to see the sight of. Immersed in nature, I would be awakened to monkeys and listened to rainfall overnight in the jungle covered in mosquito bites.
Then, I didn't believe it was nature's way of loving me back. Now, I see it as a reminder I am always held – never forsaken, never forgotten. The jungle brought me to my boiling point, and its humidity, washed me of my old skin, and birthed me out of the furtile, moist soil.
A year later, everything has changed. ❤️
Monserrat
I have not stepped off that cloud. I fight for it every single day, I fight for having a moment to look at the trees in my backyard, the grooves on the trunk, the leaves changing with the weather, the new leaves just starting to sprout. I’m fighting for myself, I’m fighting for the planet, I’m fighting for us all collectively to have these moments, these sacred moments, to have them come to life in all possible ways.
I thank you for creating the most safe and sacred space for all of us. … At the end of the day, this is what we have: the experiences we have with each other that we take with us into our lives. I'm so grateful for the beautiful nine days we spent together. I want to do more of it. I’ve expressed to Blake that I want to be more involved, to open myself to new possibilities. I want to be able to support and give back, however, that looks. I want to be part of the change, I want to continue to grow. I want to continue to give, even when I think I’m running out of giving because I know there’s always more, what multiplies the love, the compassion, the energy. What we give, mutually comes back to us. The more we give, the more we get.
I hope you know how special you are to me, how special those moments were that we shared together, how special they are in my heart and soul, in my journal, in my meditation, in my mindful walking, when I’m at the window in an airplane looking at the clouds, and filled with so many beautiful memories and thoughts about our next steps together – leaving a better footprint on Earth, leaving Earth for future generations better than what we received.
Love you all so much so very much! Namaste and thank you!
Ulrika
“No mud, no lotus” is a seemingly simple piece of wisdom from the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. It describes the dark and mucky experience of the mud being a necessary element of the blooming and flourishing of the lotus flower.
The tender spaces cultivated in Colorado brought the mud of my life to the forefront of my awareness, resulting in me on the floor crying into my hands. However, this was far from a negative experience. As I was processing these heavy emotions, I was also caringly supported by the facilitators and other retreat-goers. There was an abundant sense of love and support, which transformed my pain into inspiration, healing, and blossoming. The time was playful and airy, yet thoughtful and curious.
This retreat is not easy, but it is transformative, positive, and meaningful. I wholeheartedly recommend this retreat to those seeking exploration into the nature of your relationship with Mother Earth, yourself, and all other sentient beings whom you share a timeline with.
air – water – fire – earth
earth!
guitar & singing & drumming shaking
medicine music
waking up – crying – laughing
meandering – mental spanking – sparkling
playing– creating – sleeping – existing
clouds & thunder & lightning
to waterfall & hammock & grass & tree & bug
magical movement through the sparkling jungle
monkeys – scorpions – leaf cutter ants
forest traffic. forest crashes.
belonging. friendship. love.
earth!
Carl
Having now spent a week in the Costa Rican cloud forest with 12 wonderful strangers, the importance of why I did this is very clear. I did heal myself in many ways and in turn, I also healed nature.
The MBEI “Healing Yourself, Healing Nature” program really delivered. It is a full-immersion experience of mind/body/soul, while surrounded by an incredibly diverse and lush ecosystem. Inspired by the vast array of trees, flowers, animals, birds and butterflies, the heart opens and the mindfulness practices led by the wonderful facilitators worked their magic. Blake, Sarah, Alex, and CHOKE are the perfect support team to lead the program through a full spectrum of mind/body/heart practices.
It was both deep learning and super fun, served up with delicious food in a safe container – the perfect recipe for meaningful, lasting transformation.
“When we tune to nature with sensitivity, we can see just how connected we are. We are always in relationship; we just rarely notice it. From this perspective, everything on this earth, from the spring rains that provide fresh drinking water to the warmth of the sun, is an open – hearted, generous offering.” — Mark Coleman, Awake in the Wild, Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-discovery
Johnnie
My time spent in Costa Rica was transformative and timely. As the opportunity to embark on the journey came at a pivotal emotional crossroads in my life, I welcomed the opportunity to take a deep dive with other like minded souls.
The folks at the Mind Body Ecology Institute crafted and curated safe spaces for meaningful exploration of the outer landscapes, somatic therapies and our own inner psyches. Further, facilitators collaborated with local community leaders and indigenous elders to deepen our experiences and imbue them with a heartfelt spirit of reverence, honor, cultural literacy and respect. Their sensitivity to and ability to respond to the varied needs of all participants was admirable.
I would highly recommend MBEI excursions for beginner and seasoned wellness practitioners alike to assist in refilling of one's cup and to deepen your practice.
Ben
During our time at the June MBEI immersion in Costa Rica this past summer, we got some distance from the dominant Western worldview of materialism and anthropocentrism. In doing so, we began to explore new concepts and stories of self and world, while being supportively held in community.
Ultimately, this experience helped to illuminate the tremendous possibilities that stand before us. The ability to change the stories of the world and our place in it from a fear-based model to a liberated, expansive, and connection-based model.
These times are marked by confusion, divisiveness, and fear. The exciting innovative work we did at MBEI around the ideas of interdependence, belonging, and flourishing is the work that must be done. MBEI is doing its part to transmute the intergenerational traumas of the past into the wisdom and courage necessary to enter the beautiful new world that we all know is within reach.
Through integrating meditative and embodiment practices with intellectual engagement and community building to help us deepen connection to the surrounding ecosystem, MBEI strengthened my sense of unity with the world in which in I live.
I'm honored to have taken part in such a program and excited to see how the Institute evolves and contributes to the global transformation of the collective human psyche.
Surya
Thank you for the memories in a pure and spectacular land. Costa Rica and Finca Camino Nuevo were such a sweet home. Keith’s Watsu even, my favorite wow healing practice!
I loved our community gathering space and the way you deeply and profoundly cultivated community. I am grateful for the curated conversation around how we can continue to meaningfully participate in the ecology of our Earth home.
Also spectacular we’re Sarah’s dance and movement offerings, Blake’s truth practice and Alex’s Tonglen offering. Yes to waterfalls!
I am grateful for the songs and intimacy with the Huni Kuin and would especially like to learn more about the experiences of indigenous women.
Sharing in this time with you and our community was transformative for me.
In beauty and love all ways, Surya
Janice
This program has helped me tap back into kinship with nature and recalibrate my heart.
There is a felt sense of connection and belonging on the lands surrounding the cloud forest of Monteverde, an invitation to rest, explore, grieve, express, and heal, exploring concepts, like reciprocity, flourishing, reverence, and healing.
Through practices such as meditation, forest walks, ecstatic dance, sharing, and swimming in the river gorge, we connected deeply with one another. If you are looking to reconnect with community and Earth, go to Costa Rica with the Mind Body Ecology Institute.
Katie
The Ecology of Self retreat was set in the foothills east of the Indian Peaks Wilderness along a tributary creek of the Saint Vrain River. This alone was the space I sought to soothe my soul from a busy life. What I received was much, much more.
The leaders welcomed us a co-creators of our experience together. They gracefully set up a daily schedule that was able to pivot with weather and circumstances. The food was absolutely wonderful. The program was accommodating to allergies, and I was easily able to eat enough without being hungry in off hours – spare for a few handfuls of nuts and cups of tea which were graciously included!
The meditations, movement classes, tea ceremonies and circles were perfectly orchestrated to not be a “trauma dump,” rather to be present. The result was a safe space to be honest about what the moments revealed to us. This was surprisingly effective on my psyche – simply to accept and surrender without thrashing about the details of a fear or story…
The overarching message and practice of the retreat, to me, was the concept of appreciation. I was able to meet 12 other people unknown to me, who I would now go anywhere in the world with because of the softness and respect that was pulsing from everyone's energetic field. I was in like-minded company who didn’t have to fill every moment with conversation, and who enjoyed observing in slowness all the incredible lifeforms among us. We shared in length about our interconnectedness.
The week felt like omnipresent Love … to be accepted as another piece of divine nature from my fellows and the land. Thank you MBEI.
Olen
Attending the Eco-Dharma retreat at the Rocky Mountain Eco-Dharma Institute was a journey into a wild, natural environment and the depths of my spirit. Being immersed in the "roaring silence" of nature, free from the distractions of technology for the first time in decades, was a profound experience.
The retreat, held in the pristine surroundings near Boulder, Colorado, provided a mix of silent meditation, solo nature time, and guided mindfulness activities such as a cacao ritual, an incredible tea ceremony, and flowing movement practices. Initially, I felt nervous about engaging in spiritual practices with others, but the sense of community I found was profoundly enriching.
Our hosts, from the Mind Body Ecology Institute, were vital to this transformative experience. They created a safe and nurturing space, allowing each of us to shed our old selves and become fully present in the moment together. The tea ceremony, in particular, was a profoundly moving experience and just one example of how each facilitator brought their unique talents, skills, and openness to the retreat, creating a deeply connected and transformative environment. They fostered an atmosphere of safety and trust by being vulnerable and leading by example. Their diverse contributions and collaboration allowed each of us to explore and heal in our own unique ways, at our own pace.
Before attending the retreat, I felt paralyzed and stuck in an in-between state, grappling with how to transform my sadness, anger, and concern over the state of our communities and the ecosystems of our planet into action. This retreat has not only provided me with personal healing but has also empowered me to take action and be of greater service to the world around me.
Emerging from this experience, I feel a greater sense of purpose and clarity and more grounded in myself, my motivations, and my intentions. I now have a clearer vision of how I can contribute more effectively to my community and the planet in the right relationship.
I am deeply grateful for the gift of time and space to reconnect my true self to the natural world, a new beginning I cherish and will carry forward in my life and work.
Debi
I came to this retreat not knowing what to expect, except that it was in beautiful Costa Rica, where I’ve always wanted to go!
I’m leaving with a deeper loving-awareness, reverence, and appreciation for this place, the participants, the facilitators, and this land as well as for myself.
How I am a part of the solution to bring forth new ideas, actions, and compassion to restore balance in our environment locally and globally was so much fun!!
Thank you so very much for this experience.