Soul Food for professional Caregivers
15 – 23/1/’22
OROTINA, COSTA RICA
Energy, inspiration & connection
for professional caregivers, healers, teachers & facilitators who love themselves.
- Are you a facilitator, coach, teacher, healer or social worker who takes their own development to heart?
- Are you dedicated to your clients, but tend to forget to prioritize yourself?
- Do you long for self-care, inspiration and connection?
- Do you want to reignite your passion for your work and the joy in life?
Then join us in the magical Costa Rica for an unforgettable
Soul Food for Caregivers Retreat!
Imagine, sitting in a hammock with a delicious fresh drink, listening to the songs of the birds, while dreaming away, sensing a little breeze on your skin. So much you have learned already within one day! It makes you wonder what will come next. You smile at one of your new friends. Waiting for another gorgeous open-air dinner in the big garden.
You notice you already feel at home here. This place is familiar, and you can just be yourself. You are taken good care of. Besides all the exciting new input you are receiving during the day, this also feels as a perfect holiday for yourself, with these stolen moments to relax, just be, just like now. You feel grateful and happy to be here. And more is yet to come! Yes, it’s all here for you, you can take it all in, one moment at a time
The mystery of Costa Rica… Let me tell you more!
As healers and teachers, we must recharge and focus on self-care in order to provide the highest quality healing and support. Yet, it’s often the first thing that we tend to forget, being in service to others. Often, we are not aware of crossing our own boundaries until we feel depleted or even burned-out.
2020 and 2021 has been tough. Not only on the personal level dealing with all the changes around the globe, but also on a business-level. Probably you had a heavier case load. You may have found yourself wanting to help more than you could, as our clients were coping with severe isolation, stress, depression and fears. As empaths, this has an impact on us, whether we are aware of it or not.
That’s why in these 9 days, YOU will get time to re-treat, so you can nourish yourself again. Time in nature and the beach, clearing all the remaining tensions out of your body will bring a sense of calmness and centering. Discover the beauty in simplicity, returning back to basics while 100% being taken care of. as kings/queens!
The selection of morning practices, creative therapy, peer intervision and inspiration sessions will bring deepness and stability in your personal process. And whatever you do for yourself, serves as inspiration for your work with your clients as well!
Perhaps the most crucial element, your fellow-teachers and healers! All like-minded souls, heart-driven caregivers, with the intention to make the world a better place, starting with themselves. Imagine the power of such a mastermind gathering, where we bundle energies and life-tools with the intention to grow, learn and inspire each other!
We have so much more to give if we are aligned, feel motivated and be connected to a tribe and maybe something bigger than us.
This is why NOW it’s the time to prioritize yourself and enjoy a transformational retreat.
“As long as you feed your light and allow it to breathe,
it will continue to flicker and dance, mesmerizing, warming, soothing, healing…
bringing light to others”
– Liberty Forrest
Re-treating in creativity with our tribe is the #1 way to re-energize and nourish yourself, as a creative being who works with heart and soul.
So tell me, is this YOU?
You crave life-long learning, personally and professionally?
You are driven to serve your clients in the best possible way?
You find inspirational material everywhere around you to integrate in your work?
You need to take quality-time, to stay balanced, productive with an open heart?
You feel it’s time to experience freedom and joy, and tap into the flow of life again?
You desire to connect to a tribe for emotional and professional support?
You yearn to connect to the bigger picture, your life mission and fuel your inner motivation to go beyond your possibilities?
This is why you’re going to LOVE
the ‘Soul Food for Caregivers’ Retreat in Costa Rica!
Enjoy 9 days filled with: nature, creativity, delicious fresh food, spirituality, rejuvenation, reconnection -and fun-, something we all desperately need for a passionate life.
Unleash your inner fire, fuel your heart, and return home ready to bring all that healing and love back to your personal and professional life.
There is something very special about sharing this little paradise of Costa Rica with you.
It instantly relaxes, rejuvenates and inspires. The perfect combination for a motivation boost!
The importance of this retreat
Let me tell you, as healers, we need it more than whoever to nourish and keep up the high energy. A monthly date with yourself, a weekly course or coaching session, and a daily practice is great maintenance to feed your inner connection,
but from time to time it’s fundamental to treat yourself on a real break.
Time for you to focus only on yourself, to receive care and let all responsibilities aside. 9 days out of your daily environment, breaking out of your habits and the bubble as an individual caregiver. This will make you sink deeper into yourself, and give you a chance to feel, re-evaluate, and make conscious choices again. Choices or small adjustments that resonate in every cell.
What YOU are going to walk away with…
So what can you expect if you spend 9 incredible days & nights transforming and enjoying yourself, on an exquisite adventure to the fertile Costa Rican jungle?
What if you finally woke up energized and a big smile on your face, ready to start the day?
What if you re-connected again to the essence of your life-choices, your mission as a people-worker, your life-purpose, and be clear on your next steps in this journey?
What if you could connect to a group of genuine full-hearted colleagues who support each other in personal and professional questions with tips, tools and new perspectives during our intervision-sessions?
And on top of all that, what would it mean to you if you leave with an expanded toolbox to integrate in your own teaching and healing work, or for your personal development?
Would that be worth coming to Costa Rica for?
But wait there is more…
BONUSES
Before your travel: make heart-to-heart connections and lifelong friendships in our Moving Hearts Facilitators Private Facebook Group.
To get the most from this amazing experience, receive a 1-on-1 coaching call from Mieke, your facilitator, before the event, to prepare you for the journey.
Continue to stay inspired with a free e-book full of creative exercises: Soul Food for Workshop teachers: the heART for authentic teaching revealed, by Mieke Vander Heyden.
This is a group retreat with like-minded people, so by the end of day 9, the group energy will be overflowing with care, friendship and support that bring in the quality and deepness in relationships that you naturally offer, but also long for.
Do you want to be part of it?
Take advantage of this rare opportunity!
Location
Costa Rica – bordering the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean – home of heroic volcanoes and tropical mountains. This small country is so rich in its biodiversity of fauna and flora.
The Ticos -this is how Costa Rican people are called here- have the fame to be the happiest people on earth. For sure, these people with a big smile, open heart, laid-back nature and totally living in the present moment will make you feel at home straight away.
Join us in the little warm town of Orotina, surrounded by the lush stretch of land of The Central Valley of Costa Rica. Orotina is strategically located as a gateway to some of the best beaches and several national parks. Visiting this community is a great way to explore the real heart of Costa Rica.
Venue
Our training sessions will take place in this one-of-a-kind handmade rustic house with a beautiful tropical garden: Casa Bambu, built by bamboo master Rodolfo Saenz.
This cozy house offers an oasis of peacefulness for you to connect with nature during your free time, the ideal environment to unwind and enhance your learning experience.
Casa Bambu and 2 other Airbnb’s within 5 minutes walking distance from our venue, offer lodging for a reduced price to participants of our training. You can also bring your own tent and set it up in the garden.
Food
There is no doubt about it, Costa Rica offers a huge variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants to indulge in. It’s a delight to prepare fresh, healthy and delicious food.
Our top host, Ria, is an expert in home-cooked meals and as a real Belgian she knows what tasty food is. After living many years in Costa Rica, preparing Tico-food has become her second nature. She will serve you the best of both worlds!
Gluten-free or vegan meals are possible on request. Melissa will also be happy to accommodate your dietary restrictions.
Extra’s
During this week you will get some free time blocks as well to unwind and discover the area, or just hang out in the garden. Breaks are essential when you want to take in new tools and skills and reconnect with yourself.
Guess what, in Orotina you are at the perfect place for this! You really can’t leave without exploring some of Costa Rica’s gorgeous beaches nearby.
And what did you think about a small adventure and picnic to the famous Rio de Arcilla for a natural clay-bath? By the way, this the perfect setting for a crazy or artistic photoshoot! The fresh dive in the river to rinse off will activate your entire body. This beauty-treatment is a total rejuvenation and will leave you with a skin as soft as silk. This night, you can be sure to sleep like a baby!
If you can’t get enough of getting pampered, Ria, is an excellent massage-therapist! She would be thrilled to give you a personalized massage.
Included
Daily morning practices (ex. Laughter yoga, meditation, dance waves, yoga…)
Deep dive creative therapy sessions (ex. Art therapy, writing, psychodrama…)
Mastermind healing & teaching sessions facilitated by your fellow-participants with their favorite tool (so yes, you ALSO get to teach 1 session by choice!)
Evening activities to connect (cacao-ceremony, camp fire…)
Free time to connect and make friends
Rejuvenating breakfasts. Lunches to lick your fingers. Beautiful dinners
E-book: Soul food for Workshop Teachers: the heART of authentic healing revealed – by Mieke Vander Heyden
Your personal Soul Blueprint based on your date of birth
Excluded
Personal items such as souvenirs, a local sim card, laundry service
Activities or meals during your free time
About Costa Rica
I just LOVE Costa Rica! I have lived there for 1 year, and it was absolutely one of the best times of my life!
You will stay at the gem of Costa Rica, totally off the beaten track with lots of wildlife still around.
Did you know that Tico’s are very peace-minded? It even shows in their politics, Costa Rica has no army!
Costa Rica is generally very safe. Of course, you always need to use your common sense, as keeping your belongings close to you for example. Also as a solo traveling female, you can feel generally at ease.
People speak Spanish, but people interacting with tourists speak English, so you will have no problems wandering around in town. This is also the perfect place to practice your Spanish!
There is quite a big stream of expat population, some of them looking for a heaven to retire, others are conscious people seeking for a more balanced lifestyle with a laid-back mentality.
About Mieke, your retreat facilitator
It’s Mieke’s deepest belief that we all can create a life full of abundance and magic when we align ourselves and learn to be in and enjoy the present moment. No matter what we have encountered during our life, we all have the capacity to transform any burden into a special treasure. Life is one big adventure full of surprises. She deeply feels that we all can learn how to turn our life-experiences into a greater wisdom.
It’s her passion and mission to support people to find inner peace and freedom through creative therapies which increase consciousness, the key to happiness and harmony all-around.
With great care and her loving presence, she creates unique holistic transformational retreats that stay with you forever. You can be sure that you will leave differently than you arrived!
Through her 1-on-1’s and group sessions, she has helped loads of people over the globe, to reconnect with themselves, support them through difficult life-crisis’s and make the needed adjustments to get on track again, dancing the waves of life.
She is also the owner of Moving Hearts Therapy, a business to support people during transformational and inner journeys, specializing in creative art therapies, supporting nomads, expats, travelers and (young) adults. She focuses on therapy or coaching, workshops and retreats. Mieke has also written books to support other facilitators and loves to train and inspire her colleagues.
Her favorite things: a daily coconut or two in the tropics – spending quality time with people she loves with a big cup of tea, some good quality chocolate aside and wrapped up in a soft cozy blanket – bright colors, different textures and natural scents – open air dancing parties on a variety of rhythms with only ice-cream breaks until morning sun
FAQ
What makes Moving Heart Retreats so special?
All the retreats are taken care of with lots of attention and care for the participants. The holistic approach with a focus on mind-body-heart and soul enhances deep inner change. Mieke has a backpack of tools and a life full of work-experience to rely on.
All the activities are interactive, accessible and interesting whether it’s your first or 50th retreat. There is a balance between free time and therapeutic sessions, but you will receive a lot of value as Mieke always strives to give you efficient, practical and easy life-tools to take home as well. Sometimes you might have to remind her if you need a break, as she is unstoppable! She will always do her best to tune into the needs of the group and adapt the program accordingly.
What to bring along?
We recommend bringing: bathing suit, sun-protection, sun-hat and sunglasses if you need, boots to hike, indoor slippers, your notebook, light clothing for hot days, long sleeves for mosquitos, comfortable clothing for movement practices, rain jacket in case of rain, natural insect-repellent, a water-bottle, towels.
We ask to bring biodegradable washing products as we are in the middle of the jungle and want to be mindful of our environment.
I have never done such a retreat, can I join?
Of course, you are absolutely welcome! I am used to work with mixed groups of all backgrounds, ages, experiences. It will be an amazing experience for all of you. If you have some specific concerns, please reach out to me!
How does a daily schedule look like?
This is a typical schedule, but can be subject to changes according to different activities: morning practice, breakfast, morning-session, lunch, small break, afternoon-session, dinner, evening-session.
Mind that you will also have free time-slots to explore the area or simply enjoy the place, usually in the afternoons or evenings. During excursions you will be free and by times also have an in-depth session in nature.
What can I expect from this 1-on-1 coaching session with Mieke? Why is this recommended?
Mieke loves to start her personal connection with her participants even before they have arrived. This 1-on-1 with each participant is very important to have an idea where each participant is coming from, what the general desires and needs are, to tailor the program accordingly.
Most importantly, during this talk you also get the chance to receive your answers so you can leave with peace of mind and know exactly what to expect and how to prepare for it.
After this call, you will have more clarity at where you are at, what your next steps are and what to focus on during the retreat.
How will you handle Covid-situation?
There will be masks & sanitizing alcohol available for those who wish to use. Most of our activities will be outdoors or in ventilated spaces. It’s important for us that you feel safe during the retreat. If you are concerned, it’s better to book an individual lodging or to share with your friend/partner. We will give you updated indications a while before departure. In any case, we advise you to get travel & health insurance.
Be aware that the media spread different messages around, way before mesures are put in place and legalized. Contact us for the latest updates.
Do you have any other questions?
Are you already a healer/facilitator and looking for effective tools to bring an extra dimension into your work?
Do you want to learn creative methodologies but don’ want to commit to a time-intensive and expensive year-training?
Perhaps ‘the Creative Facilitator Training‘ is something for you!
