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July 15-25, 2027
Humans BEing
Costa Rica
The Four Elements
Air | Earth | Water | Fire
An 11-Day Earth Journey
BE In The Elements
Air
Arrival · Breath · Perspective
Air is where our journey begins.
During our first night near San José, at The Pura Vida Hotel, we exhale, meet one another, and create space for what lies ahead.
The following morning, we fly south to Quepos. Costa Rica opens beneath us: mountains, rivers, rainforest, villages, and the Pacific coastline.
From above, the landscape becomes one interconnected whole. Roads become lines, rivers curve around mountains, and forest meets ocean.
Air offers perspective. It awakens our curiosity and brings awareness to the breath.
As we climb from the coast into the cooler mountains, we arrive at our rainforest home with more space around us and within us.
Air opens the journey.
Earth
Remembering · Horses · Belonging
Earth brings us into our bodies.
For four nights, we live high in the mountains on a private estate surrounded by more than 100 acres of rainforest, rivers, waterfalls, gardens, animals, and working land.
We will spend two days with the horses, who become our partners as we explore presence, relationship, belonging, and authenticity.
In their company, our awareness returns to the ground beneath our feet, the sensations within our bodies, and the relationships taking shape around us.
Deborah will guide these experiences with care, curiosity, and deep respect for every human and horse.
All levels of horse experience are welcome. Our time with the horses takes place primarily on the ground and unfolds at a pace that supports connection, awareness, and discovery.
Earth reminds us that we belong to the natural world and that the natural world belongs within us.
Earth grounds the journey.
Water
Movement · Emotion · Connection
Water carries us from the mountains to the sea.
We swim beneath waterfalls, walk the Whale’s Tail at Uvita, travel through the Sierpe mangroves, and arrive where the rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean.
For five nights, Ocean Forest Ecolodge becomes our home. We fall asleep to waves and awaken to birds moving through the forest. Our days include swimming, snorkeling, a rainforest night walk, and an ocean journey among whales and dolphins.
Our ocean guide is Sierra Goodman, founder of Divine Dolphin. Since 1998, Sierra has guided encounters in Drake Bay, combining her knowledge of marine mammals with a lifelong commitment to conservation. Her work has been featured by National Geographic, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, the BBC, and the Travel Channel.
Through Water, we explore feeling, trust, and our relationship with the changing currents of life.
Water moves the journey.
Fire
Aliveness · Transformation · Integration
Fire accompanies us throughout the journey.
It lives in the tropical sun, the warmth of shared meals, the spark of friendship, the glow of the bonfire, and the energy that rises when we feel fully engaged with life.
As the days unfold, we begin to recognize another kind of fire: the part of us that feels awake, creative, joyful, courageous, and ready to participate more fully.
On our final evening, we will gather for a closing fire ceremony.
We will honor what we have experienced, celebrate what has shifted, and name what we choose to carry forward.
Fire integrates the journey.
Itinerary
First Waypoint
Second Waypoint
Second Waypoint
July 15 | Arrival in Costa Rica
Arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Overnight at Pura Vida Hotel
July 16 | From Air to Earth
Morning SANSA flight to Quepos
Private pickup at Quepos Airport
Beach walk at the Whale’s Tail in Uvita
Lunch beside the ocean
Mountain transfer to Hacienda El Origen
Welcome celebration dinner
Second Waypoint
Second Waypoint
Second Waypoint
July 17 | Yoga & Horses
Morning yoga
In each yoga session, Susanne brings together asanas, breath practices, and meditation in a spontaneous and intuitive way, adapting the practice to what feels right for us in the very moment.
Equine-Supported BEing
July 18 | Yoga & Horses
Morning yoga
Equine-Supported BEing
July 19 | Rest & Integration
Free
July 17 | Yoga & Horses
Morning yoga
In each yoga session, Susanne brings together asanas, breath practices, and meditation in a spontaneous and intuitive way, adapting the practice to what feels right for us in the very moment.
Equine-Supported BEing
July 18 | Yoga & Horses
Morning yoga
Equine-Supported BEing
July 19 | Rest & Integration
Free time
Evening yoga
July 20 | From Earth to Water
Departure from Hacienda El Origen
Guided boat journey through the Sierpe River mangroves to Ocean Forest Ecolodge
Third Waypoint
Second Waypoint
Third Waypoint
July 21 | Whales, Dolphins & Yoga
Whale and dolphin excursion with Divine Dolphin
Evening yoga
July 22 | Spaciousness & Rainforest
Free day to swim, rest, explore, or enjoy the beach
Guided rainforest night hike
July 23 | Ocean & Snorkeling
Ocean excursion and snorkeling with Divine Dolphin
Evening Yoga
July 24 | Integration & Ceremony
Free day
July 21 | Whales, Dolphins & Yoga
Whale and dolphin excursion with Divine Dolphin
Evening yoga
July 22 | Spaciousness & Rainforest
Free day to swim, rest, explore, or enjoy the beach
Guided rainforest night hike
July 23 | Ocean & Snorkeling
Ocean excursion and snorkeling with Divine Dolphin
Evening Yoga
July 24 | Integration & Ceremony
Free day
Closing ceremony
July 25 | Departure
Breakfast and departure from Ocean Forest Ecolodge
The Facilitators
Deborah Draves Legg and Susanne Streidl
Our paths have crossed in some wonderful ways over the years. We have both lived and worked in Costa Rica, owned and managed destination hotels, and collaborated in tourism. Creating experiences where people feel welcomed, cared for, and at home comes naturally to us. We share a genuine curiosity about being human, a love of creativity and nature, and an appreciation for experiences with depth that still leave plenty of room for laughter, play, and spontaneity.
HUMANS BEing brings all of that together, with enough structure to hold the experience and enough space for the unexpected moments that often become the ones we remember most. Together, we hold the central question of this retreat:
What becomes possible when we stop trying so hard to become—and experience what it is to BE?
Susanne
I love bringing people together, creating spaces where curiosity can unfold, and inspiring people to discover their own creativity, joy, and aliveness.
Life has taken me through many different worlds. German-born and shaped by a life across cultures, my journey has led me from working as a flight attendant and educator in human and social development to becoming a yoga teacher, retreat facilitator, and hotel manager in Costa Rica.
Along the way, I’ve been part of international teams and social projects in different countries, always guided by curiosity, a love for people, and a desire to explore new perspectives.
I speak four languages and feel most at home and alive across cultures and with all kinds of people.
This unique mix of experiences shapes my BEing today: connecting professionalism with curiosity, experience with intuition, and structure with the freedom to do things differently.
Creativity and design are another important part of my life. I love painting and creating, inspired by beauty—in people, in nature, in little things, and in those special moments that make life feel alive.
Whether it’s yoga, meditation, art, singing together, or a walk in the forest – I invite you to SIMPLICITY, something that feels good for your soul and awakens your childlike joy, and to LET YOUR INNER SUNSHINE OUT.
Deborah
I love the places where certainty ends and inquiry begins, where horses, nature, creativity, and honest human experience help us see ourselves from a different perspective.
Like Susanne, my life has moved through many worlds. I spent more than thirty years in nursing, from the intensity of neonatal and pediatric critical care to the deeply human work of hospice and end-of-life care.
Alongside that journey, horses became some of my greatest teachers, eventually leading me into equine-facilitated learning, transformational coaching, retreat work, writing, and exploring the many ways we make meaning of our lives.
For more than twenty years, I have brought people and horses together through Eponicity, creating experiences that help us discover what becomes visible when we pay attention.
I am endlessly inquisitive about consciousness, creativity, intuition, science, spirituality, and the mystery of what it means to be human. I love the places where these worlds overlap rather than trying to separate them.
Living in Costa Rica has deepened that curiosity. Here, surrounded by horses, rainforest, rivers, wildlife, and the constant movement of nature, I am reminded every day that being is not a state of stillness. It is a living relationship with life as it is happening.
During Humans BEing, I’ll invite you into experiences with the horses, the land, one another, and yourself—not to find something that is missing, but to remember everything that is already here.
The Mountain Lodge
Hacienda El Origen
High in the mountains, in the same village as Eponicity, between Costa Rica's Southern Pacific coast and San Isidro, lies Hacienda El Origen, an extraordinary private estate.
The owner of Hacienda El Origen has preserved this extraordinary place as a living connection to his roots and the land he came from. Powered by sunlight and flowing water, the 100 HA hacienda is a working operation with hundreds of fruit trees, cattle, emus, a tilapia pond, and an authentic sugarcane press that still belongs to the daily rhythm of the land.
High above it all, a treehouse rests within the branches of an ancient tree, overlooking the property and the rolling canopy of the rainforest. Staying here feels like stepping beyond time and into its spiraling nature, where life is measured by rain and sunlight, planting and harvesting, flowering and ripening.
Guest Rooms
A Different Kind of Stay
Guest rooms are not typical hotel rooms, and that is part of their charm. Whether you decide to brave the suspension bridge to the treehouse or choose accommodations a little closer to the ground, you’ll be comfortable, welcomed, and well cared for by the staff throughout your stay.
The accommodations reflect the character of the estate: rustic, unique, immersed in nature, and authentically Costa Rican.
Meals
From the Farm to the Table
You’ll be invited to gather fruits, vegetables, and other foods growing right on the farm. If you feel like joining in, you can even lend a hand with the daily chores and get acquainted with the wonderful menagerie of animals who call the finca home—including emus!
Our onsite cooks lovingly prepare meals using fresh local ingredients and the authentic flavors of Costa Rica.
The Four Elements | Earth Journey
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Rates and Dates
Arrival: July 15, 2027
Departure: July 25, 2027
Duration: 11 days and 10 nights
Retreat Investment
- €3,500/person Euros
- $4200/person USD
Group Size: Seven
Included
- Ten nights of accommodations
- One night at Pura Vida Hotel near San José
- Four nights at the private mountain estate near Dominical
- Five nights at Ocean Forest Ecolodge, Osa Peninsula
- All Meals starting with breakfast on July 16th and ending with breakfast on the 25th. Except for lunch on July 16th
- Private ground transportation from Quepos to Mountain Lodge, Mountain Lodge to Sierpe boat dock.
- Boat transportation between Sierpe and Ocean Forest Ecolodge
- Whale-and-dolphin-watching excursion
- Snorkeling excursion and equipment to Canos Island
- Guided jungle night hike
- All yoga, meditation, horse experiences, facilitated sessions, and retreat materials
- Entry fees for group activities specifically included in the program
Not Included
- International airfare to and from Costa Rica
- Domestic flights within Costa Rica
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Optional activities, treatments, or excursions
- Personal purchases
- Tips and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Passport, visa, or entry-related expenses
- Expenses caused by delayed or canceled flights
Accommodations | Location
Accommodations vary among the three properties and may include shared rooms, double occupancy, beach bungalows, jungle suites, or garden bungalows. This retreat has no single-occupancy spots.
Room assignments will be based on availability, room configuration, accessibility needs, and group needs.
Please inquire before registering if you have mobility limitations, dietary needs, medical concerns, or specific room requirements.
Please note: Venue locations include uneven natural terrain, stairs, forest trails, suspension bridges, wet surfaces, and beach boat landings. A moderate degree of fitness is required to best enjoy this experience. The event takes place in off-the-beaten-path locations; being ready for adventure requires curiosity and flexibility.
Reservation and Deposit
A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place.
Final Payment
The remaining balance is due by April 1, 2027
All payments are non-refundable. Because this retreat requires advance reservations with multiple venues, transportation providers, guides, and activity operators, we cannot issue refunds for cancellations, late arrivals, early departures, missed activities, or changes in personal circumstances.
Payment Method
Payment may be made by:
- Bank transfer
- PayPal
- Zelle
- Venmo
Any bank or currency-conversion fees are the responsibility of the participant.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required for all participants. Your policy should include coverage for:
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Emergency medical care
- Medical evacuation to your home country
- Pandemic-related disruption
- Force majeure events
Because payments are non-refundable, we strongly encourage you to purchase comprehensive coverage as soon as you reserve your place. Each participant is responsible for travel arrangements. Please allow generous connection times when coordinating international and domestic flights.
Retreat activities and timing may be adjusted based on weather, land conditions, the horses, or other unforeseen circumstances. No refunds are available for canceled events due to unforeseen circumstances.
Travel Planning
Participants will fly internationally into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near San José.
We will spend our first night near the airport at Pura Vida Hotel. Please contact Berni, the owner, bernij@puravidahotel.com to secure your room and get directions from the airport to the hotel. Taxi fare is included in your stay there. Let him know you are with our group.
On Day 2, we will take a short domestic flight from San José to Quepos Airport (XQP). The domestic flight is not included in the retreat price. We will let you know which flight to book when the July flight schedule opens.
Please note: The retreat officially ends after breakfast on July 25th at Ocean Forest Lodge. You have several options for getting to your next destination. We will advise you according to your personal itinerary.
We are happy to provide guidance as you coordinate your itinerary.