Blue Zone Immersion

An immersive week of mindfulness, somatic practice, and nature-based healing unfolds in the Blue Zone of Costa Rica, where the landscape of Sugar Beach becomes an active part of the learning experience. Designed as a continuing education training retreat for acupuncturists and holistic healers, this program invites participants to deepen embodied awareness, explore supportive practices for stress, anxiety, and chronic pain, and experience the healing potential of working in close relationship with the natural world.

This 30-hour training retreat brings together mindfulness-based approaches, somatic practices, Blue Zone longevity principles, and nature-based interventions in a format created for clinicians, bodyworkers, and healing practitioners across disciplines. 30 CEU's Available. NCBAHM, PDA Provider #9528 Wendy Swanson L.Ac.

What You'll Leave With

• Practical mindfulness and somatic tools you can begin using right away, both for yourself and for the people you support, in a grounded and trauma-sensitive way.
• Nature-based rituals and practices inspired by the Blue Zone landscape of Costa Rica, including simple home-practice options that can be adapted to your own scope of practice.
• Clinically usable frameworks for bringing mindfulness, breathwork, and gentle movement into sessions and between-session support while remaining aligned with the ethics of your discipline.
• A more regulated nervous system and a renewed sense of purpose after a week of rest, reflection, and connection.
• Clearer next steps for integrating these practices, along with insights from Costa Rica’s Blue Zone approach to longevity, community, and relationship with the land, into your life and work in a way that feels realistic and sustainable.

Who This Training Is For

This training is intended for acupuncturists and holistic healers who want to deepen their work through mindfulness, somatic awareness, and connection with nature. It is especially relevant for practitioners supporting stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and burnout in clinical, community, or retreat settings, and for those seeking grounded, body-based tools that encourage regulation and resilience.

It is a good fit for:
Licensed acupuncturists and East Asian medicine practitioners
Bodyworkers and massage therapists
Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness teachers
Other healing-arts professionals

Sample Day in the Blue Zone

Start the day in your own rhythm: with an ocean walk, meditation in the awakening jungle, or a slow morning after much-needed rest.

Enjoy a vibrant farm-to-table breakfast with fresh local fruit, nourishing dishes, and coffee designed to delight.

9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Morning Training Session (3.5 CE hours)
Engage in a blend of mindfulness practice, somatic exploration, and nature-based learning, which may include guided meditation, experiential somatic exercises, and nature-informed teachings.

Lunch is lovingly prepared with ingredients sourced as locally as possible, created to nourish and sustain you through the afternoon.

Afternoon free time offers space to swim in the ocean or pool, rest in a hammock, journal, walk the beach, connect with fellow practitioners, or choose an adventure or spa treatment.

3:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Afternoon Training Session (2.5 CE hours)
Deepen into applied practice and integration through real-world scenarios, experiential work, and reflective dialogue that helps translate what you are learning into your specific healing modality.

Dinner is another beautiful farm-to-table meal, with time for connection and quiet conversation.

Optional evening offering: yoga nidra, restorative practices, star gazing

Mid-Week Rest & Integration Day
Mid-week includes a spacious day without formal training sessions for rest, integration, or adventure. You may choose quiet time, a spa treatment, a local excursion, or simply being with the land and ocean.

Meet Your Guides

Wendy Swanson, L.Ac, E-RYT500, Mindfulness Mentor
Wendy is a board-certified and licensed acupuncturist, intuitive healer, yoga, breath, and meditation teacher, international retreat leader, published writer, and former yoga studio owner. In 2007, she graduated with honors from Tri-State College of Acupuncture in NYC and moved to Charlotte, NC, where she maintains a vibrant private practice. She is a 500-hour yoga-certified instructor from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and recently completed mindfulness mentor certification with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.

Kathleen McIntyre, MSW, LCSWA
Kathleen is a somatic and nature-based clinical social worker who supports individuals and groups in accessing the wisdom of the body and the natural world to promote healing, regulation, and growth. She is the co-founder and lead instructor at the Heartwood School of Forest Therapy, author of The Nature Reset, an international retreat facilitator, and a TEDx speaker whose work centers on embodied presence and cultivating belonging within the natural world.

Investment

Come solo or with a friend or partner. All pricing is per person. If you bring a friend or loved one who does not need CEU credit, they can receive $500 off the second payment installment due on September 1st. Please note your interest in attending without CEU credit.

Payment Schedule

$500 Non-Refundable Deposit
50% Due on September 1, 2026 (non-refundable after September 1, 2026)
Single Casita: $2,142.50
Double Casita: $1,697.50
Balance Due: December 1, 2026 (After December 1, 2026, all payments are non-refundable. Travel Insurance is highly recommended).
Single Casita: $2,142.50
Double Casita: $1,697.50

What's included?

• 7 Nights/ 8 Days of Beautiful Accommodations
• 3 locally sourced, healthy meals per day
• All Programming
• 30 CEU's

What's not included

• Travel costs: Airfare
• Shuttle Transfer to and from Liberia Airport ($200 round trip)
• Extra Services or Excursions
• Gratuity for Staff
• Travel Insurance (Highly Recommended)

Cancellation policy

A $500 non-refundable deposit secures your spot, unless the retreat is canceled by the leaders, in which case the deposit is fully refunded. Travel Insurance is highly recommended. Please note that there are no refunds or discounts for late arrival, early departure, flight cancellations, travel delays, or illness.