MEA Foundations
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The Power of Friendship: Thriving Through Social Connection
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MEA: Workshop ID is missing or could not be resolved.
MEA: Workshop ID is missing or could not be resolved.
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Loneliness isn’t just emotionally painful – research shows it can shorten your lifespan.
Harvard researchers have found that chronic social isolation increases the risk of early death by more than 25%.
And midlife is a time when many of us become more vulnerable to that risk.
Intimate group of 28 people max
Tuition starting at $
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World-class accommodations
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You’re being called to something deeper.
As old friends move away and life circumstances shift, we find ourselves with fewer close friendships, fewer invitations to gather, and a lingering sense that something’s missing.
We know we need deeper, more meaningful relationships — but building them in the second half of life takes more than hope. It takes intention, skill, and practice.
And that kind of work – the kind that opens us up, shifts old patterns, and fosters real trust – happens most powerfully in person.
… Because some connections simply can’t be forged through a screen.
That’s why beloved MEA co-founder Jeff Hamaoui invites you to join him in Santa Fe for a five-day workshop on how to cultivate deeply human connections that enrich your life, shield you from loneliness and isolation, and sustain your health and happiness for years to come.
This life-changing 5-day retreat will transform how you relate to others and to yourself. You’ll gain practical tools for cultivating friendships that support your wellbeing far more than wealth, diet, or even exercise. These are the bonds that help you live longer — and feel more alive while you do.
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Meet
Jeff Hamaoui
MEA Co-Founder | Chief Innovation & Education Officer | Facilitator | Community Builder
Jeff is the creator of the MEA curriculum (on and offline) and one of MEA’s most beloved facilitators. He’s a teacher, writer, speaker and community builder who started his career as a sustainability geek in the 1990s and spent decades working globally as an investor, grant maker, and innovation consultant.
In 2017, Jeff traveled to Baja to start the next chapter of his career and soon found himself partnering with Chip Conley and Christine Sperber as a co-founder to develop MEA, the world’s first midlife wisdom school. His work at MEA unexpectedly led him to become a content expert in midlife and wellness – and building healthy connections and communities.
Jeff will show you how to cultivate intentional friendships that become your most powerful tools for health, happiness, and longevity.
Supported By the MEA Team
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What you'll gain
A deeper understanding of your personal friending style
so you can connect with others in ways that feel natural and aligned with who you are.
Tools to deepen existing relationships
and the confidence to initiate new ones that are rooted in authenticity and reciprocity.
A snapshot of your current social ecosystem
and a personalized plan to strengthen and expand it with intention.
Real-time practice in courageous relationship-building
from making the first move to navigating vulnerability and trust.
The clarity to recognize who belongs in your inner circle
so you can invest your time and energy in the relationships that feel mutually life-enriching.
A framework you can return to long after the retreat ends
to help you nurture the relationships that will sustain your health and happiness for years to come
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.
5
5-Day Immersion
Rising Circle Ranch, Santa Fe
A focused, energizing reset.
Our five-day intensives deliver the full Hero's Journey 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.
4
4-Day Intensive
Rising Circle Ranch, Santa Fe
A focused, energizing reset.
Our four-day intensives deliver the full Hero's Journey 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 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:
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*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
Our spectacular Santa Fe campus is located on an upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
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.
8,000+ 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:
What people are saying
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This isn’t only for people who feel lonely or want to meet new people. It’s for anyone who wants to understand their personal friending style, deepen the relationships they already value, and be more intentional about the people they make time for.
No. Networking is usually about expanding your professional circle. This workshop is about the relationships that make a life feel supported, joyful, and meaningful: friends you can call, be honest with, celebrate with, and count on through change.
You’ll map your current social ecosystem, explore the patterns that shape how you connect, and practice skills such as making the first move, inviting someone in, listening more deeply, and navigating vulnerability and trust. The work happens through guided sessions, reflection, small-group conversation, movement, and shared meals—not lectures alone.
No. The goal is not to turn anyone into the most outgoing person in the room. You’ll explore ways of connecting that feel natural and aligned with who you are, with a rhythm that includes solo reflection, small-group work, free time, and optional movement practices.
You may meet people you stay connected to, but that isn’t the promise. You will leave with a clearer view of your existing relationships, more confidence in how to deepen them, and a practical plan for making room for the friendships you want to cultivate.
No. It's a workshop with a curriculum, built on the MEA Method and developed with researchers from Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Yale. You'll do structured exercises, learn frameworks, and work in small groups. Our facilitators are experienced at holding hard conversations, but they aren't clinicians and this isn't treatment. If you're in an acute crisis, this isn't the right week for you.
That's up to you. Some exercises are solo, some are in pairs, some happen in small groups of five or six. Nobody gets called on in front of all 28 people, and nothing requires you to disclose more than you want to. Most people end up sharing more than they planned, because the room makes it easy.
Up to 28 people, most of them between 45 and 70, from a wide mix of backgrounds. Most come on their own. What they share is a desire to build more meaningful connections and a willingness to be intentional about the friendships in their lives.
Almost everyone says some version of that on the first morning. Most arrive alone, and plenty have never done a retreat of any kind. By the second evening that feeling is usually gone, which is less about the program than about who's in the room with you.
You will go home with a clearer sense of the friendships you want to tend, language for the connection you’re seeking, and practical ways to follow through. You’ll also have access to MEA’s alumni community, with more than 9,000 people in 60 countries and 60 local chapters.
All workshop sessions, 5 nights of accommodations, chef-prepared meals, snacks, beverages, and full use of the campus. The only additional costs are travel and anything personal.
MEA offers scholarships on a needs-aware basis. If cost is a barrier, we encourage you to apply. Our goal is to make this accessible to the people who would benefit most.
Book a call with one of our advisors. They're all MEA alumni who've been through the programs themselves, and they'll tell you honestly if The Power of Friendship isn't the right fit for where you are.
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