Two Retreats✨ two different kinds of magic

After leading 25+ retreats, I’m often asked: “Which retreat I prefer, or which one is better—Costa Rica or Mexico?” The truth is, both are extraordinary—they just feed different parts of your soul.

Let me take you on a little journey through both…

I’ve lived in both Nosara and San Miguel de Allende, and there’s something special about sharing places you’ve truly called home. I’m not just bringing you to beautiful destinations—I’m taking you to places near and dear to my heart—the hidden corners I discovered on morning walks, the local faces that became friends, the magic that only reveals itself when you truly belong somewhere.

// remote jungle, ocean, beach, nature, reset //

There’s something about the bumpy dirt roads leading to Nosara that immediately signals to my nervous system: it’s time to recalibrate. January in Costa Rica has become my annual pilgrimage back to myself, my health reset retreat where I remember what it feels like to be truly well.

Here, where the jungle meets the ocean and howler monkeys announce the dawn, I feel a profound ease. In this remote corner of the world, time slows down. With the rest of life stripped away, I move, breathe, and restore beneath palm trees and open skies. No distractions, no choices about where to eat or what to do. Just me, the natural world, and space to breathe myself full again. This is a week to listen deeply and remember what balance truly feels like. I return home stronger, more relaxed, and healthier than before I left—a lovely way to kick off the new year.

Our days follow a gentle rhythm: silent meditation as the first activity (always optional), active morning yoga, and then breakfast around a table full of the most interesting women, sharing stories over the most delicious, nutritious food. Afternoons bring restorative yoga, sunset ocean swims, and more sleep than I’ve gotten in months. The surf lessons are there if I want to challenge myself, but so is that book I’ve been meaning to read.

I return home from Nosara healthier than any other time of year. Every. Single. Time.

// culture, color, art, indulgence, central highlands //

San Miguel is the opposite kind of magic—vibrant, colorful, overflowing with life and culture. Where Costa Rica asks you to be still, San Miguel invites you to dance.

Practicing yoga on a rooftop overlooking a UNESCO World Heritage city, with church bells ringing and the pink light of dawn hitting colonial buildings—it wakes something up in you. This retreat is about immersion: into a different culture, into community celebration, into the sensory feast that is Mexico during Día de Muertos.

Day of the Dead isn’t about sadness; it’s one of the most life-affirming celebrations I’ve ever experienced. We build altars to honor those you’ve lost, create ceremonial headdresses, get our faces painted, and join the Catrina Parade through cobblestone streets. We explore artisan markets with local guides who’ve become friends, soak in natural hot springs, and eat our way through some of the most incredible food you’ll ever taste.

San Miguel fills you up in a completely different way—with color, connection, wonder, and the reminder that life is meant to be celebrated.

Here’s what never changes, no matter which retreat you choose: the women. The laughter. The conversations that start at breakfast and somehow continue, closing out the night. The permission to listen to yourself and skip anything that doesn’t serve you. The way strangers become friends, and friends become family.

Both places have taught me that transformation doesn’t have to be forced. Sometimes it happens in the pause between ocean waves. Sometimes it happens while building an altar to honor your grandmother. Sometimes it’s simply in the act of choosing yourself for eight days.

Choose Nosara when you need to reset, to strip away the noise, to remember what your body feels like when it’s truly nourished and well rested. Choose it for warmth in the dead of winter and for the space to step out of life and hear yourself think again.

Choose San Miguel when you’re ready for adventure, for cultural immersion, for colors and flavors, and celebrations that remind you how beautiful this world is. Choose it when you want to feel fully alive.

Or, over time, choose both. Because while they feed different hungers, they both answer the same essential question: What does it feel like to truly take care of myself and live fully?

That’s a question worth exploring…

Click the image above if you’re wanting more of a visual journey to compare my two retreats!

There’s a quote I read on retreat often, one that speaks to why these journeys matter:

I’d love to help you book your next adventure or reset.  Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.  — I’m here for you.

Con amor,

Tener