Some Feedback Given By past Retreat Participants:

Linda Overy - Costa Rica '07

- "I spiritually came alive in the Rainforest and the sparkle came back into my eyes"

"The moment I read that Tai Chi was being offered at our health club, I signed up because I had heard over and over again about its many health benefits. I became a regular class member and in May, 2006 when I had surgery and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I knew instinctively that getting back to the class would help me to regain my health. Doing the Tai Chi movements seemed to pull me away from the horrors of my illness into a place of wellness that resided deep in my mind, body and soul. I would start the form and I would be transformed into a state of grace that flowed from moment to moment. Nothing mattered except that moment and it consumed, filled and uplifted me. Sifu Eileen talked often about tapping into the chi which is the energy that sustains life and when I felt the chi flow through my body, I felt an astonishing shift in my energy and I became more relaxed, rejuvenated and connected to myself. Many people believe that after chemo ends you're done with what you need to do but I firmly believe that it's just the beginning. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to wanting to go on the Tai Chi Retreat at Samasati Nature Retreat in Costa Rica . Not only did it give me something positive to focus on and look forward to, but it was another way to be pro-active and strengthen my immune system. Going on the retreat turned out to be an amazing adventure that had a profound effect on my life. I spiritually came alive in the Rainforest and the sparkle came back into my eyes. The internal healing practices as well as breathing the pure air helped my body to function at an optimum level that I had not felt since I started dealing with all my health issues. I believe that Tai Chi is the miracle that is helping me regain my health and vitality. I feel so much gratitude towards Tai Chi, Sifu Eileen and her retreat vision. "

Briana Caldwell

Both Cabo 2006 and Costa Rica 2007
"I am reminded again of the fullness of life"

Milan Kundra once said, "There is a secret bond between slowness and memory, between speed and forgetting."

I have lived in both places. I have tested my endurance, burned the candles at both ends from dusk to dawn, and suffered from my own ambition and fear of failure. I have been a product of my societal upbringing, stressed for success, money, and the next big break. I have spent far too many hours fighting with my body in traffic jams, long meetings, and maxing efforts to make deadlines. In all honesty, I don't remember much of those days, or those years, except for the longing to have something be simple and complete.

But today is different. As I sit here in Mexico , I am reminded again of the fullness of life. I am here for a week long martial arts retreat, and although I am only half way into the week something inside me has shifted. It has been an intense experience with the breathing, meditating, and sweating. I feel as though I am beginning again from a place inside myself that I had forgotten.

It is amazing, the brilliance of the world when we slow down to notice. The colors are brighter and the air is fresh and it tingles my skin. I am finding a still place inside that is peaceful and soft and very curious about the newness of things. Today, there is something sacred in staring at the sea, wading in the salt water, and doing nothing.

Next week, I will again return to an agenda, but for now, today, I am here, remembering.

Early Bird Registration

You must Sign and complete your registration form and pay for your Sky Mountain Experience by the Early Bird Deadline to receive the early bird discounts.