Become Your Own Shaman: Trust What Your Spirit Already Knows
Limited to just 18 participants for a more intimate workshop experience.
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.
Saul Kuperstein
Shaman | Yoruba-Trained Spiritual Guide | Longtime MEA Faculty
Take your spiritual curiosity seriously.
You’ve always been curious about energy, intuition, ritual, or the possibility that a higher self is guiding you. At the same time, you want to explore without surrendering your judgment or adopting someone else’s beliefs.
So when an experience feels meaningful, you may reach for a rational explanation before asking what it meant. A strong intuition gets dismissed as coincidence. A sensation in your body passes before you give it your attention. Your spiritual curiosity stays at a safe distance.
This workshop brings metaphysical exploration and grounded inquiry together. Saul will guide you through experiences involving energy, nature, and personal ritual. Therese and the MEA team will connect this work to social science, including how ritual and focused attention can influence what you notice, shape what you expect, and support you during times of transition.
You’ll have room to question, experiment, and decide what holds meaning for you. From there, you can create personal practices that bring you back to yourself and help you respond with intention when life feels uncertain.
Because Saul is offering 1:1 energy readings, this retreat is limited to 18 participants.
Becoming your own shaman means trusting what you know.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
That is what Saul means by becoming your own shaman: recognizing what you truly need and creating rituals that help you feel supported and connected.
Learn to meet life’s changes with ritual, connection, and your own inner knowing
In this intimate, five-day Baja retreat, MEA resident shaman Saul Kuperstein will help you pay closer attention to your energy, your intuition, and the natural world. You’ll practice recognizing what you need and creating rituals that help you respond.
Bring your beliefs, your questions, and your discernment. Saul will invite you to stay open to what you experience.
Here’s some of what you’ll do:
Every participant will also receive a private, one-on-one energy reading with Saul early in the week. And with a deliberately intimate group, there’s room for personal attention, rest, and time to take in what you’re experiencing.
Leave Baja knowing how to create and use rituals of your own
During five days with Saul, supported by the MEA Team, you’ll leave with:
A Private Reading With Saul.
Every participant receives private energy reading with Saul. You can bring a question, talk through something you’re trying to understand, and receive guidance specific to you and this point in your life.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
If you recognize yourself in any of these, you’ll be in very good company.
Meet your faculty
Saul Kuperstein
MEA’s Resident Shaman | Yoruba-Trained Spiritual Guide | Designer & Entrepreneur
Our Mexican mystic guide, Saul, is a Yoruban-trained shaman who has called Baja home for over seven years. His deep connection to the natural world, and his rare ability to help us perceive what the eye alone can't see, is just one of the reasons we hold this luminous soul so dear.
Saul has been part of MEA's opening ceremonies since nearly the beginning, welcoming each new group of guests onto this land with intention and reverence. During your time in Baja, you'll have the opportunity to learn grounding and mindfulness practices from Saul – rituals rooted in presence, nature, and the wisdom of the body.
Supported By the MEA Team
Thérèse O'Neill
MEA Facilitator Lead
Thérèse is a longtime educator in California and in Mexico, working with Nest Global to provide education access to young asylum seekers and refugees. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Stanford, with a background in trauma-informed education and psychology. She is a reside ...
View BioOur Agenda at a Glance
Monday:
4:00 PM: Arrival / Check-In
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session
9:00 PM: Free Time
Tuesday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Wednesday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Thursday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Friday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
6:30 PM: Dinner, Dessert & Graduation
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Saturday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Checkout / Departure
Sunday:
*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.
Step into transformation on Baja’s Sun-Soaked Shores
Baja, Mexico
El Pescadero Resort
A stunning oceanfront property offering all of the luxuries and 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 Todos Santos, the Pueblo Magico .
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
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. Reach out to us at [email protected].
Your Workshop Also Includes:
Saul’s invitation is simple: open your eyes, make your own rituals, and create your own magic.
Bring whatever is real for you now: grief, hope, a desire you want to give form, or a connection you sense but cannot explain. Across five days in Baja, Saul will work with you directly, inviting you to notice what shifts in your body, your energy, and your connection to nature and spirit.
Come with faith, skepticism, or something in between. Try the practices, ask questions, and laugh when the moment calls for it. Then decide what belongs in your own spiritual life.
You’ll leave Baja better able to say, “This is exactly what I need,” and create a soul ritual that helps you feel supported and connected.
This retreat is limited to 18 participants maximum.
Book your spot today
Become Your Own Shaman: Trust What Your Spirit Already Knows
Limited to just 18 participants for a more intimate workshop experience
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “becoming your own shaman” mean?
For Saul, it means learning to recognize what you need, trust your higher self, and create personal rituals that help you feel connected. You won’t receive a title or be initiated into a religion. Saul will give you spiritual tools and help you shape them around your own life, beliefs, and relationship with nature.
Do I need an existing spiritual practice or particular beliefs?
No. You may follow a faith tradition, draw from several, or still be working out what you believe. Saul will speak openly about energy, divine purpose, communication with loved ones who have died, and connection to source. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your own point of view.
Are psychedelics or other substances part of the workshop?
No. The workshop does not use psychedelics, hypnosis, or other substances to create altered states. The experiences center on meditation, energy work, sound, personal ritual, the elements of nature, and focused attention.
What will the five days feel like?
The week will be less tightly scheduled than a typical MEA workshop, with time to absorb each experience rather than rushing into the next session. You’ll move between group teaching, personal reflection, experiences in nature, your private reading, and unhurried meals with the group. Some activities, including meditation beside the Pacific at sunrise, will begin early.
What happens during my private energy reading with Saul?
This is personal time for Saul to focus on your energy, your questions, and what you want help understanding. You don’t need to prepare anything or arrive with a perfectly formed question. Because the group is small, Saul can focus on your experience without rushing through a generic reading. It offers spiritual guidance and is not a medical or psychological assessment.
What’s included in the tuition?
Your tuition includes all programming, five nights of lodging at MEA’s Baja campus, chef-prepared meals, snacks, drinks, and campus amenities. Transportation to the campus and personal expenses are not included.
How do I know if I qualify for a partial scholarship?
We offer a limited number of partial scholarships based on financial need. Our goal is to make MEA accessible to those who may face financial barriers to attending. If you’re experiencing financial stress that could prevent your participation, we encourage you to apply for assistance.
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