Mindfulness, Somatic Practice, and Nature‑Based Healing in the Blue Zone of Costa Rica: An Experiential Training Retreat for Acupuncturists and Holistic Healers
Wendy Swanson L.Ac, E-RYT500, Mindfulness Mentor
& Kathleen McIntyre MSW, LCSWA
Reunion Wellness Resort & Retreats
Sugar Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
February 20th – 27th, 2027
Our week‑long continuing education training for acupuncturists and holistic healers takes place in dynamic collaboration with the Blue Zone landscape of Sugar Beach, Costa Rica. In this immersive setting, the natural world becomes an active partner in our exploration of mindfulness, somatic awareness, and nature‑based healing practices, for our own nervous systems and for the people we serve. Together, we’ll deepen embodied mindfulness skills, learn somatic practices that support stress, anxiety, and chronic pain, and experience nature‑based therapeutic tools that weave the elements into tangible, grounded practice.
This 30‑hour training retreat offers a masterfully crafted integration of mindfulness‑based approaches, somatic practices, Blue Zone longevity principles, and nature‑based interventions 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
- Embodied mindfulness and somatic tools you can use immediately, for yourself and those you serve: to ease stress, anxiety, and chronic pain in a grounded, trauma‑sensitive way.
- Nature‑based practices and rituals drawn from the Blue Zone landscape of Costa Rica, including short, accessible home‑practice options you can adapt to your own scope of practice, whether you’re offering acupuncture, bodywork, therapy, or other healing work.
- Clinically usable protocols and frameworks for integrating mindfulness, breathwork, and gentle movement into sessions and between‑session support, while staying clearly within the ethics and scope of your particular discipline.
- A renewed nervous system and sense of purpose after a week of true rest, reflection, and connection: so you return home less depleted and more resourced for the work you’re called to do.
- A clearer sense of next steps for how you might weave these practices, including insights from Costa Rica’s Blue Zone approach to longevity, community, and relationship with the land, into your life and professional work in a way that feels realistic and sustainable for you.
Who This Training Is For
This training is designed for acupuncturists and holistic healers who feel called to deepen their work through mindfulness, somatic awareness, and a relationship with the natural world. It is especially supportive for practitioners who are holding space for stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and burnout, whether in clinical, community, or retreat settings, and who want grounded, body‑based tools to support 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
Begin your day with your own natural rhythm: a walk by the ocean, meditation on the awakening jungle, or slowly rise from much-needed rest.
Enjoy a vibrant farm‑to‑table breakfast featuring fresh local fruits, nourishing dishes, and coffee that will absolutely delight you.
9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Morning Training Session (3.5 CE hours)
Immerse in a blend of mindfulness practice, somatic exploration, and nature‑based learning. This might include guided meditation, experiential somatic exercises, and nature‑informed teachings.
Savor a lovingly prepared lunch with ingredients sourced as locally as possible, crafted to nourish and sustain you for the afternoon.
Afternoon free time invites you to swim in the ocean or pool, rest in a hammock, journal, walk the beach, or connect with fellow practitioners, choose an adventure, or spa treatment that calls to you.
3:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Afternoon Training Session (2.5 CE hours)
Deepen into applied practice and integration: working with real‑world scenarios, experiential practices, and reflective dialogue to translate what you’re learning into your specific healing modality.
Gather for dinner, another beautiful farm‑to‑table meal that nourishes body and spirit, with time for connection and quiet conversation.
Optional evening offering: yoga nidra, restorative practices, star gazing
Mid‑Week Rest & Integration Day
Mid‑week, we’ll have a spacious day without formal training sessions for rest, integration, or adventuring. You might choose unstructured 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 & licensed acupuncturist, intuitive healer, yoga, breath & 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 promptly moved to Charlotte, NC, where she has a vibrant private practice. She is a 500-hour yoga-certified instructor from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and recently obtained the mindfulness mentor certification from Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.
When she is not on the yoga mat or seeing acupuncture patients, you can find her strolling around her Charlotte neighborhood with her flat-coat retriever, writing, hiking in the woods, or connecting with a few close friends, husband, and teenage daughter.
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, the author of The Nature Reset, an international retreat facilitator, and a TEDx speaker whose work centers on embodied presence and cultivating a deeper sense of belonging within the natural world.
Investment
Come Solo or With a Friend or Partner (All pricing is per person)
Bring a friend or loved one who does not need CEU credit. They can enjoy $500 off the second payment installment due on September 1st. Please let wendy@wendyswanson.com know that you are interested 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
(If you need a different payment plan, please contact wendy@wendyswanson.com)
Single Casita $4,785
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 guarantees 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 will be no refunds or discounts for arriving late, leaving early, flight cancellations, travel delays, or illness.
Travel Insurance is highly recommended. Travel Safe, Insuremytrip, Travel Guard
The retreat is non-refundable after 12/1/26, with no exceptions.
FAQs
How do I get from the Liberia airport to Reunion Resort?
We arrange shared shuttles from LIR to Reunion. The cost is $113 each way (plus your optional driver tip). We will support and guide you each step of the way.
Can I bring my spouse/ friend / loved one?
Sure! You will both need to register in a double shared casita (all pricing is per person). If your partner does not need CEU credits we will deduct $500 off when the first 50% is due September 1, 2026. They can participate in as many of the activities as they wish! Our time will be interactive, engaging and fun!
What happens if I can not make the retreat last minute?
You will have purchased travel insurance to safeguard your trip. We recommend companies like: Travel Safe, Insuremytrip, Travel Guard. There are no refunds as we have paid Reunion Resort, signed contracts and guaranteed your spot.
Will I have time to explore Costa Rica?
Yes! You will have Wednesday entirely off from training. This will be your time to adventure. We also have a calm pace of 6 hours of training Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You will have free time early afternoon each day to explore, rest, integrate and enjoy our community of healers. And we will help you with your adventure plans on Wednesday if needed.