...waking upon the fertile, lush grounds of a spiritually enriched land that continues to be a sanctuary for humans and animals alike. Your ears quickly perk up to the songs of the native birds, as they create an orchestrated symphony throughout the forest landscape. Upon your first few steps outside of your cozy abode, you cross paths with brilliantly beautiful butterflies that immediately remind you that have arrived in your manifestation.
Your nose perks at the sweet scent of last night's rain upon the earth and the familiar aroma of copal resin wafting, leading you down the serene sun-dappled path toward the morning circle with some new soul friends awaiting your arrival. There is no coincidence you are all here together, choosing to put yourselves first.
You cradle a cup of warm herbal tea with both hands, freshly infused from the organic herb garden from which your body will be nourished. You breathe in the aromas while taking in the anticipation of the soul-fulfilling day ahead. This is the Pura Vida, the pure life. A moment to pause, be present, be in the trusting flow, and surrender to living a dream in which you are held by spirit. This is the healing chapter in your story, that details the moments you said "Yes" to your personal liberation and transformation.
Imagine being guided through sacred practices that re-connect you to the wisdom of the elements: earth, air, fire, water, and ether. Each element encourages a shift in consciousness to understand where there are imbalances that keep you from awakening to the divinity in and around you. This healing journey invites you to drop into your own experience of receiving, integrating, and letting go.
You will connect deeply with the land and its native plants that behold wisdom and healing. You will learn how to journey and work with these plant allies to create your own medicine that supports your process. From teas and tinctures, to body care- you will come home having a profound understanding on ways to heal yourself and your loved ones.
Through sacred ceremonies and spiritual rituals, you will have the opportunity to connect to the hidden parts of the self that need attention. These experiences will encourage deep processing to awaken your understanding and truth, allowing you to greatly transform.
This human experience is complex and complicated with many ebbs and flows. With an enriched understanding of how each element plays a major role in our ability to thrive on a physical and spiritual level, we get in touch with the ways to match our nature with nature.
You'll have time to explore the lush land and culture of Costa Rica, while renewing your purpose, enriching your energy, restoring your health, connecting you to your heart's desire, and the spiritual world.
By the end of this retreat, you will go home with a renewed sense of self that understands the power of each element that resides within your being. You will come home with new tools and rituals to work with life's rising tides with a grounded sense of being in the world. You will come home with herbal creations that you imbued with your personal magic.
You will not return as the same person, instead a new version of yourself that is empowered by the notion that you can continue to heal yourself and those around you by continuing to be in your new embodied practice.
Through ceremony and ritual, your ability to heal and transform is magnified. Mind, body, soul, heart and spirit restoration
Join forces with the spirit of the plants for greater intuitive knowing and herbal support. Learn to make herbal medicine to bring home
Your interdependence with the elements of life and nature will deepen your connection to self, spirit and the earth
Delicious organic farm to table meals prepared by a local private chef
the "Glamping" style option for your accommodations allows you to soak up natures miracles. sleeping under the stars & waking up to the beauty of
Costa Rica.
"It was life changing. The impact this retreat had on me will be a ripple effect into generation after me. I feel and see the world differently. I learned so much and connected with my mind and body in a very beautiful and deep way.
I felt so loved and nourished. I felt guided and safe and joyful around this remarkable soul family.
I loved this location so much. I loved how healthy I was eating and how delicious the food was. The location brought immense healing and also brought me to an edge that was fruitful for my healing process.
I can't wait to do more. "
-Ali C.
"The Elemental Healing Retreat experience was phenomenal.The team did an amazing job and the retreat was so well organized it blew my mind. La Senda was one of the most beautiful and magical places I have ever stayed. One of my favorite parts was that the staff let us into their souls and soon we became family. The grounds are rich with intoxicating energy and you can tell immediately that you have arrived at a place on the planet that is beyond anything material. Although esthetically the glamping tents were beautiful, La Senda embraced you in a way that only nature can embrace you. The lush herb gardens and daily long wilderness walks allowed you to sink deeply into your thoughts and create a sense of freedom that I hadn't felt in years. The Farm To Table meals were one of my favorite parts of the retreat. Never have I ever felt so connected to the food that was placed before me. I am growing each day into the powerful goddess I am meant to be. I feel stronger than ever in myself and my choices and I wasn't like that before July 1st."
-Greta K.
"So hard to put into words! The retreat was transformational, I am beyond words for all the learning and growth that happened in Costa Rica. I keep thinking I was in a dream, everything was perfect, and so well organized. From the moment we arrived until we left it was full of magic. Every day was so special, i really enjoyed all the workshops and ceremonies. Working with the Elements and being with the land and getting to know amazing women that became sisters through sharing our healing journeys.I learned so much about myself and who I want to embody moving forward. I Felt so much support from Ashe and the team, always willing to help with a big smile and embrace. So much support by my sisters, I could go on and on, there is so much I want to say and express my gratitude for the transformation. The retreat is structured beautifully and it just flows in a very organic way, where everyone participating could feel safe and vulnerable. Ashe, you and the team did a great job in being intuitive and reading the room, weather, etc and adjusting the schedule based on that, I thought that was so amazing and it made me feel safe at all times. Thank you for creating a space where we could feel safe, vulnerable, empowered and open to receive all the blessings the land and the retreat had to offer. Letting go of old stories, patterns, fears, etc was transformational. The love is unexplainable, there was so much love and intention in the retreat program, the land, the people. Love was everywhere!
I feel so honored to have been able to attend this beautiful Healing retreat and I cant wait for more people to experience the magic."
-Karla R.
"It was absolutely fucking phenomenal. Exceeded my wildest dreams :)I loved how close we all were and walking through nature everyday was so grounding. My intention (and all my astrological guidance) was to connect spiritually on a quantum level and I did waaaaay more than that! I feel like a completely different being. I don't think I've connected with the universe and spiritual realm like I did at the retreat. You gave me the best gift and am forever grateful for you all."
-Alisha E.
"Truly mind-blowing. One of the best experiences of my entire life.Truly incredible -- the herb garden, the plants, the animals (yes, even the bugs), the trees, the labyrinth, the sweat lodge, the food, the people, the connection to the land. All was perfection. To be nourished by food grown so near and created with so much love was such a blessing. I don't have words to adequately describe how much this experience meant to me, so I'll describe the image my body is sending me: the most gorgeous blooming flower you have ever seen, amongst a jungle filled with every color of the most vibrant, beautiful flowers that ever existed. I'm eternally grateful to all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
-Anni K.
"This retreat was life changing and miraculous!La Senda was brilliant and full of so much magic. Each and every aspect touched my heart and soul as Gaia truly sings her song through all of her instruments. I am forever grateful. My experience with each of the facilitators had me feeling supported, loved and held in a sage container for exploration, authenticity and vulnerability allowing access to new aspects of myself. The food was spectacular! I ate like a queen. Thank you Ashe for your commitment to serve by sharing the plants, offering opportunities to have personal first hand relationships with them, and bringing reverence back to the heart of all through presence. I love you all and am grateful beyond words for this opportunity to be alive and explore through this extraordinary experience. "
-Ruthie
Life changing! I fell in love with myself. Death and rebirth occurred. Releasing everything that was lingering and latched on to me. I’m finally free to be just me! I left my old self and experienced rebirth. I’m floating in the clouds. I’m so in love with my transformation. I loved the off grid minimalist tent stay. No cell service beyond the main house. I felt aware of myself, I connected to with myself fully.
-Cecily W.
" Overall, it was more than I would have ever expected, asked for, dreamed of.. The medicine making that we practiced everyday was absolutely educational and I am sure we could spend years on learning how to be in practice of making even one of those forms that we dove into every day. The other women in the space saw me so deeply that I didn't even need many words to feel heard or seen. It was a truly life changing experience that I would not have traded for anything else in the universe at any other time. It was full of love, adventure, curiosity, bravery, ancestral connection, spiritual guidance and elemental healing. Truly."
- Aimee H.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica-bordering the gorgeous pacific coast, home to a vast array of flora and fauna and the most incredible sunsets. A place where beauty is in the ever present moment. Welcome to our home for the week.
We will be spending 7 glorious nights at the expansively beautiful property of La Senda. This is a space where personal transformation, spiritual wisdom, & sustainability are empowered and celebrated.
La Senda is situated on a gorgeous, prime location surrounded by lush hills- only 20 minutes from beautiful beaches in a valley surrounded by green hills, the 74-acre property provides an environment of seclusion and natural beauty. Sheltered by nature and it's tropical dry forest, this is a place for complete relaxation, deep healing and immersion with Mother Earth.
While staying at La Senda, you will enjoy nature paths, the world's biggest labyrinth, stunning views and delicious La Senda Farm to table meals. Labyrinth's, which are known as sacred gateways, have only one path, which symbolizes our journey in life, taking us inward, and guiding us to discover who we are.
This is where our experience begins.
This retreat center is located on many energy vortex' which is why it's the home of the largest labyrinths in the world.
3.5 hours east sits Costa Rica’s best known volcano, Arenal. Within an hour of La Senda in all directions, you have access to airports, cafes, beaches, waterfalls, biodiversity and joyous people ready to show you their love of Pura Vida.
La Senda is a 60-minute drive from Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia (LIR) and a four-hour drive from San Jose International Airport (SJO).
You can arrive easily by local transportation, including Uber from the airport. Renting a car is not necessary but is encouraged if you'd like to explore the local area/beaches in downtime, pre or post retreat.
Welcome to beautiful Costa Rica and your anticipated retreat! Today you will get settled into your new home for the week, drop into the lush landscape around you and meet new soul family.
We will gather for our Welcome Ceremony to get acquainted, set intentions, and get excited for the week ahead.
Following our gathering, we will indulge in a delightful farm to table meal expertly prepared to nourish and enliven us from a day of travel.
For our first official day together we call in the element of Fire. The element that calls in strong energy associated with the divine masculine that we all possess within.
Fire is the bringer of warmth and light. It carries the power to fuel our visions and transmute them into physical manifestations. Fire is the ultimate transformation tool — nothing comes back the same once it’s faced fire.
Today we will call forth the things that ignite our passions while releasing what we want to leave behind and let go of for our healing journey ahead.
The unseen force of nature that serves as a spiritual symbol for intellect, communication, and knowledge. It’s air that carries the wise whispers of the winds through trees and to our ears. It’s air that spreads sacred smoke through the spaces, clearing and cleansing the energy around us.
Now that we've called in the energy of fire to clear the way and be able to feel and see more clearly, may we bring in this element of air to call in new visions and expressions. Today we call in air to support our throat and third eye chakra. May we speak in clear communication knowing that each breath, word, and sentence is a spell that will be carried through the wind.
The beautiful planet created through love, hope, and divinity. She reminds us of our fertile power to birth our visions into existence. All it takes is an intentional observation of her seasonal cycles to help us find solace in the inevitable deaths and rebirths that occur throughout our lifetime.
Being spiritually connected to the earth grounds us in gratitude. We understand that none of her beauty and magic is owed to us. We remember to treat her well so she will continue to provide for us. We tread respectfully on sacred lands that we are temporary stewards of. We learn to see healing potential in plants and can access their wisdom through spirit medicine.
Today, we go forth with intentional gratitude for the element that keeps us rooted to all that is.
Water is the river that runs through life and connects all beings together. She is one of the world’s greatest healers and wisest teachers. Water supports physical life in the external world and emotional regulation in our inner world.
Today we are deeply calling in the purification and cleansing power of water in our quest for healing wisdom. We are checking in with our emotional flow and allowing what needs to come to the surface to be released through our personal waters.
From this place, renewal awaits.
What messages become louder when you become more silent?
Welcome to Day 5 of our time together. We hope this day of silence finds you familiar with the lay of the land, understanding of the flow of the days, and eager to design your own day of healing. We encourage you to tap into your intuition and flow where the day (and the Ether/Spirit) takes you.
If your intuition calls you to take more rest, rest. If your heart feels called to take your morning plant meditation into the elements, do that. If a certain plant ally has been tugging at your heart all week, venture to the herb garden and connect deeper. Allow yourself to see time and structure as illusions...
To integrate is to unite several seemingly unrelated parts together and create wholeness. As we integrate the teachings of each element together, it's imperative to switch from the narrative of strict "balance" to that of loving "harmony."
All it takes is one humble gaze into nature to witness the abundance that can flow when all elements work together. This is our practice as we carry the teachings of elemental healing forward; to recognize when one is out balance and call in support from the others to return to harmony within ourselves. This is the practice of integration.
Our food is a direct harmonious correlation between each element. In order for the seeds to grow there is a delicate dance between the soil, the sun, the water, and the breeze. The spirit is in the details of how our meals will be prepared. In alignment with this, La Senda strives to honor this reverence in its farm to table dining. You will literally dine next to the perfect rows of delicious organic foods growing from the abundant earth. Each delectable bite will command your attention to the here and now, as you take in all that it took to create the masterpiece on your plate.
Most of the fruits and vegetables we will eat are organically grown in gardens on the property. What they cannot grow they always seek from reliable local suppliers. Thanks to this, most of the ingredients required for our menu for the week are grown locally here in Guanacaste .
We want you to experience and benefit directly from the energy of life , provided by the ingredients used to prepare our meals. True appreciation and respect are given to every ingredient you will ingest, whether it be an animal, a vegetable, a wild herb or a leaf.
In addition to purified water and our herbal tea offerings, wine may be provided at an additional cost. Their wine menu consists of only organic and biodynamic wines, which is an opportunity for an exciting exchange of pairings and findings.
We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions.
My name is Ashe (pronounced -Ash). I am a spiritual herbalist, visionary, sacred space holder, ceremonialist, and curator of healing experiences. My passion is to create healing containers and provide tools for humans to heal, especially for BIPOC folx.
As a childhood cancer survivor and womb-less warrior (I had a life-saving hysterectomy at 36) my fortitude to continuously heal from life's obstacles has made me compassionate and understanding of the challenges that many experience in their lifetime.
My intention is to help humans rise above and love themselves through their adversities to step fully into their practice. I have also made it my mission to be a mirror and/or a bridge for herbalism, spirituality and western medicine to work together to achieve wellness harmony. I believe that we are all the gatekeepers of the future, so when we heal ourselves, we ultimately heal the world.
As an avid traveler, I believe in the power of sacred experiences in other countries that have helped me personally transform and heal. I have studied the medicinal herbs of Costa Rica for over 10 years. I am passionate about space holding, creating holistic experiences, and sharing my herbal wisdom for others to heal and thrive.
Lead Facilitator, Herbalist and Spiritual Guide
Christina, a cosmic blend of Pisces and Aries, hails from the vibrant landscapes of Los Angeles and Inglewood, California. Rooted in the energy of her birthplace, she embodies a unique fusion of West Coast spirit and urban grace. As a trauma-informed yoga instructor, Christina guides seekers through transformative journeys on the mat, drawing upon her own experiences and a compassionate understanding of the impact of trauma on well-being. Her yoga sessions transcend the physical, delving into realms of healing and self-discovery. Venturing beyond yoga, Christina is a seasoned meditation guide, skillfully leading individuals on introspective odysseys. Her meditative practices foster a sense of inner calm, resilience, and connection to the profound energies within and around. In the sacred space of birth, Christina wears the hat of a full spectrum doula, seamlessly blending her nurturing presence with a wealth of knowledge. From childbirth education to supporting diverse birthing experiences, she is dedicated to empowering individuals on their unique journeys into parenthood. Christina's mission is deeply rooted in empowerment. Through her teachings, she aspires to guide you in remembering the essence of who you are while embarking on the transformative journey of becoming your authentic self. With a heart open to the spiritual currents of life, she invites you to join her on a path of self-discovery and empowerment. Embrace the harmonious dance of self-awareness and growth with Christina, where every step is a sacred journey towards the realization of your true potential
Yoga Teacher & Space Holder