MEA Foundations
Awakening Wisdom
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
As seen in:
You’ve lived a rich life. What will you make of it now?
Whether you’re feeling called to guide, create, or lead from experience, our Awakening Wisdom workshops help you step into your voice, own your perspective, and make a meaningful impact in this chapter and beyond.
Intimate group of 28 people max
Tuition starting at $3,200
World-class accommodations
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
Listen to Chip and Ben Katt on the Midlife Chrysalis podcast:
From Breakdown to Wholeness: The Hero’s Path Through Midlife with Ben Katt
You’ve spent years gathering knowledge, playing roles, and meeting expectations.
Now, something deeper is calling.
Not to hustle. Not to prove. But to live with more truth, alignment, and presence.
Maybe you’re ready to speak more boldly. To mentor, to write, to lead. Or maybe you’re turning inward – seeking stillness, wisdom, or spiritual connection.
At this stage, wisdom isn’t just what you know. It’s how you live.
It’s what awakens when you slow down, pay attention, and let yourself be moved by awe – by beauty, by insight, by the mystery of becoming.
Awakening Wisdom invites you to integrate your lived experience, reclaim your voice, and choose how you want to show up in the world – with clarity, courage, and intention.
Join us in Baja or Santa Fe for a transformative experience that helps you live from the inside out – and and channel your experience into impact.
Meet
Ben Katt
Author of The Way Home | Former pastor + hospice companion | Meditation teacher + spiritual coach
Ben Katt is a meditation teacher, spiritual coach, and storyteller known for his “powerfully wise” and “inspiring” guidance. He is the author of THE WAY HOME: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness at Midlife. Ben is a former ordained minister, teaches meditation in prison, and volunteers as a hospice companion.
Supported By the MEA Team
Daniel 'DL' Landes
Experience Facilitator
Before joining MEA, Daniel “DL” Landes spent decades as a restauranteur, author, and publisher. As the owner of multiple restaurants in Denver, CO – and then a hostel in Mexico – he dedicated himself to creating environments where people could work out their humanity whil ...
View BioLee Johnson
MEA’s Head of Land, Livestock, and Mindfulness in Santa Fe
Lee likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil. A former Course Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School and Certified Holistic Management Teacher, he has managed ranches in Nebraska and Tennessee as well as several ranches here in New Mexico. As ...
View BioWhat you'll gain
Deeper Connection to Your Inner Compass
Strengthen your ability to listen inward, discern what’s true, and move through life with grounded self-trust.
Spaciousness for Meaning-Making
Slow down enough to reflect, realign, and reconnect with awe, stillness, and the deeper truths that are calling you now.
Wisdom Carried Forward
Weave together the insights, questions, and experiences that have shaped you – and begin living from the whole of who you are.
Clarity on How to Share What You Know
Whether through writing, mentoring, creating, or simply showing up more fully, discover how your wisdom wants to be expressed in this season of life.
After 20+ years as a CEO I was burnt out and had no vision or energy for my next chapter. One week in Baja reenergized me and I emerged with an inspired vision for my 50s, 60s and beyond.
Aaron Hurst
Seattle, USA
5
5-Day Immersion
El Pescadero, Baja, Mexico
More time to reflect, rest, and reconnect.
Our five-day immersion workshops allow for a more spacious rhythm, with plenty of time to soak it all in. Daily programming is balanced with ample free time for rest, movement, journaling, or enjoying your beautiful surroundings. You’ll connect deeply with others and rediscover your own inner compass.
4
4-Day Intensive
Rising Circle Ranch, Santa Fe
A focused, energizing reset.
Our four-day intensives deliver the full Awakening Wisdom curriculum in an accelerated, immersive format. With less downtime between sessions, you’ll experience a close-knit group dynamic while still having space to relax and enjoy the ranch. It’s a rich, concentrated exploration of what’s next.
The MEA Method is backed by social science, proven by years of research & implementation
Our Navigating Transitions workshops are built around our proven MEA Method, which has been designed in collaboration with academics from Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Yale, who have dedicated themselves to understanding modern midlife.
Together we’ve developed and refined experiential processes that combine the social science of longevity and the art of intentional living to help people in midlife curate a second adulthood that’s as joyful, deep, and meaningful as it is long.
Guided by world-class faculty who’ve walked this path themselves
Our handpicked facilitators are highly trained professionals who are all midlifers themselves and have been extensively trained in the MEA Method. They have all navigated their own periods of reinvention and bring a wealth of experience in helping others create their fulfilling next chapter.
This Workshop Is For You If…
Here’s what our time together will look like:
*Please note that not all “classroom time” activities take place in the actual classroom.
*Please note all times are estimates as some activities go longer or shorter depending on the group. This agenda is meant to give you an idea of the general flow of activities.
Your Luxury Campus awaits
Baja, Mexico
El Pescadero Resort
A stunning oceanfront property offering all of the amenities of a luxury hotel with beautiful beaches perfect for swimming or surfing. Located on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, just a short drive from Todo Santos, the “Pueblo Magico”.
Is It Safe to Travel to Baja?
If recent news about Mexico has you second-guessing a trip, we get it. Here's what you should know.
Our campus is in Baja California Sur, a quiet stretch of the Pacific coast between Todos Santos and Cabo. Think surf breaks, organic farms, and dirt roads that lead to empty beaches. It's about as far from the headlines as you can get.
The U.S. State Department gives Baja California Sur a Level 2 advisory, the same rating as France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. There are no travel restrictions for U.S. citizens or government personnel anywhere in the state, and Baja California Sur is consistently ranked one of Mexico's two safest states. Flights and ground travel throughout the region are running normally with no disruptions.
Our upcoming workshops are booking as expected, and we continue to welcome guests to campus every month. Nothing has changed on the ground here.
Still have questions? We're happy to talk it through. Contact us here.
Santa Fe, USA
Rising Circle Ranch
An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
Gourmet meals and snacks made from scratch
At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious. Our delicious, made-from-scratch meals are locally sourced, organic, and prepared by our hand-picked chefs. You’ll love the abundance of incredible options to choose from each meal – not to mention the fresh fruit smoothies.
Explore the Ranch
on Horseback
Our Rising Circle Ranch spans 2,600 acres of New Mexico high desert, offering guided horseback riding for all experience levels through diverse terrains under the vast Southwest sky
You’ll experience highlights like:
Horseback riding is an optional add-on activity you can book once you arrive on the ranch. Whether you’re seasoned or brand new to horseback adventures, this guided experience lets you discover the ranch’s natural wonders alongside our gentle horses.
7,000+ people from 60 countries and all walks of life have experienced the magic of MEA.
Our alumni include CEOs, artists, professional athletes, homemakers, activists and everyone in between. They’re using what they’ve discovered to create a more fulfilling and vibrant next chapter for themselves. Now it’s your turn.
Your All-Inclusive Luxury Retreat Includes:
Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors
Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.
Daniel Booz
Lucas Erie
Leslie Bartlett
