Becoming Wise: Explore Life's Big Questions & Find Meaning in Everyday Moments
Krista Tippett
Author and Peabody award-winning host of On Being
Ben Katt
Author of The Way Home | Former pastor + hospice companion | Meditation teacher + spiritual coach
Reconnect with what it means to be human – and rediscover the beauty and grace in ordinary life
The discourse of our time tilts toward despair. Turn on the news or scroll your feeds and it's an endless stream of catastrophe, outrage, and collapse.
And yet you can't shake the feeling that something essential is missing from this picture. That there's more beauty, courage, and grace in the world than the headlines would have us believe.
You want to pursue that feeling – to connect with other like-hearted people and explore the questions that actually matter. The ones like: What does it mean to be human? What are we here for? How can we be of service to each other and the world?"
But the pace of daily life doesn't leave much space for questions like these. You find yourself reacting instead of reflecting, moving too fast to find the time to reflect on what really matters and cultivate the understanding and connection you long for.
And so the wisdom slips past unnoticed. The moments of beauty, grace, and potential connection blur by, and the big questions go unexplored. And you're left feeling isolated on a journey that was never meant to be solitary.
The solution isn't more information or better time management – it’s practice and community.
What you need are tools and support to:
That's where Krista Tippett and Ben Katt come in.
Krista Tippett knows how to ask good questions. Better yet, she knows how to really listen. As the Peabody Award-winning host of On Being, she's spent decades in conversation with hundreds of extraordinary people — scientists, theologians, poets, activists, and many others whose work represents what it means to be human.
What she's learned from these conversations is this: Our world is abundant with beauty and courage and grace. We have vast riches of knowledge, insight, and tools — both tangible and spiritual — that can help us rise to the challenges of our time. We have it in us to become wise.
Now she's joining MEA faculty-in-residence Ben Katt for four days at our Santa Fe campus to help you explore these questions deeply. Together, they'll guide you in developing the practices you need to slow down, pay attention, and discover the wisdom and meaning hiding in plain sight.
During your five days with Krista and Ben, you will:
Learn to ask better questions
– the kind that yield deep shared understanding and open up new possibilities rather than shutting them down
Practice being fully present in the moment
– listening for wisdom and beauty in everyday conversations and experiences you might otherwise miss
Reconnect with your sense of shared humanity
– cultivating faith in something larger than yourself and in our collective capacity to meet this moment
Learn practices for staying awake to life
– simple daily disciplines that help you remain present to beauty, meaning, and connection
Learn how to initiate the conversations you most want to be a part of
– and become someone who creates space for others to do the same
Join a community of wisdom-seekers
– people who are asking the same big questions and committed to living with greater presence, courage, and purpose
And you’ll get to do this transformative work in an intimate small-group environment surrounded by the beauty of the high desert and MEA’s legendary hospitality.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
Meet
Krista Tippett
Former CEO of Medtronic | Harvard Business School Senior Fellow | Bestselling Author of True North
Peabody-award winning broadcaster | National Humanities Medalist | NY Times bestselling author
Krista Tippett is best known for creating the groundbreaking public radio show and podcast On Being, which pursues deep thinking, moral imagination, social creativity, and joy towards the renewal of inner life, outer life, and life together. It has won the highest honors in broadcast, Internet and podcasting, and been downloaded over 450 million times.
The On Being Project, which Krista founded in 2013, also engages “quiet conversations” to accompany the generative people and possibilities within this tender, tumultuous time to be alive.
In 2014, she received the National Humanities Medal at the White House for "thoughtfully delving into the mysteries of human existence. On air and in print, Ms. Tippett avoids easy answers, embracing complexity and inviting people of every background to join her conversation about faith, ethics, and moral wisdom."
Krista grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, attended Brown University, worked as a young journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin, and later received a Master of Divinity from Yale. She is the author of three books, most recently Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living.
Supported By the MEA Team
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 ...
View BioWhat you'll gain
A practice of deep listening and meaningful inquiry
You'll learn how to ask the kinds of questions that open up possibility rather than shut it down — and how to listen in ways that reveal the wisdom already present in everyday conversations and moments.
A renewed sense of faith in our shared humanity
Through Krista's grounded and fiercely hopeful vision, you'll discover compelling reasons to nurture hope for our future — and reconnect with your capacity to meet this moment with presence and grace.
Practical tools for staying awake to beauty and meaning
You'll leave with simple daily disciplines that help you slow down, pay attention, and remain present to the wonder, courage, and wisdom already surrounding you in ordinary life.
A community walking the same path
You'll connect deeply with fellow wisdom-seekers asking the same big questions — people who will remind you that you're not alone on this journey and who will inspire you to keep showing up fully.
Our Agenda at a Glance
Sunday:
4:00 PM: Check-in/Welcome
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session
Monday:
7:00 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
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Tuesday:
7:00 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
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Wednesday:
7:00 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
5:30 PM: Graduation
6:00 PM: Celebration Dinner
Thursday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Checkout/Departure
Friday:
Saturday:
*Please note all times are estimates and not all “classroom activities” take place in the actual classroom. This agenda is meant to give you an idea of the general flow of activities.
Step into transformation in the high desert
Rising Circle Ranch | Santa Fe, USA.
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
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.
Your Workshop Also Includes:
This Is Your Invitation to Reconnect with What Matters Most
The pace of life isn't slowing down. Without practices to help you pause and pay attention, the big questions will keep going unexplored and the moments of beauty and grace will keep slipping past unnoticed. And without community, that sense of isolation only deepens.
Four days with Krista and Ben will give you:
Stop letting the wisdom slip past — and start paying attention to what's already here.
Book your spot today
Becoming Wise: Explore Life's Big Questions & Find Meaning in Everyday Moments
The program was spectacular. It really surpassed my expectations. I was really surprised about how the course was curated. There was such a warm intensity and personal touch to it.
I experienced MEA as a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cancer patient, and as a result of the things I’ve learned - I’ve banished the anxiety of being a cancer victim, am in remission, and living with a newfound energy and purpose.
Just know how grateful I am for the joy fuel you all put in my rocket ship. When I want to feel loved or just need a good smile I can think of my time at MEA, which came at the perfect time to encourage me on my journey. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this different from other contemplative retreats or personal growth workshops?
This isn’t a meditation retreat or a personal transformation program. It’s an inquiry-based workshop centered on exploring life’s biggest questions in community. While many retreats focus on individual practice or self-improvement, this workshop is about learning to ask better questions, listen more deeply, and recognize the wisdom and beauty already present in everyday life. Krista brings her decades of experience facilitating profound conversations with extraordinary thinkers, and you’ll learn the practices that help her — and can help you — stay awake to what matters most.
Do I need to be familiar with On Being to benefit from this workshop?
Not at all. While fans of On Being will love the chance to spend time with Krista in person, the workshop is designed for anyone hungry to explore life’s big questions more deeply. If you’re yearning for meaningful conversations about what it means to be human, how we can be of service, and where to find hope and beauty in challenging times, you’ll feel right at home.
Is this a spiritual or religious workshop?
The workshop explores questions of meaning, purpose, and what it means to be human — topics that touch on spirituality for many people. However, it’s not affiliated with any particular religious tradition. Krista’s and Ben’s approach embraces complexity and invites people of every background to join the conversation. Whether you consider yourself spiritual, religious, secular, or still figuring it out, you’re welcome here.
What will the days actually look like?
You’ll spend time in facilitated group conversations, contemplative practices, and experiential activities designed to help you slow down and pay attention. The workshop balances structured sessions with free time to reflect, connect with other participants, or simply be present to the beauty of the high desert. Evening gatherings create space for deeper connection and conversation. This isn’t a lecture series — it’s an active inquiry you’ll participate in fully.
I'm not experienced with meditation or contemplative practices. Will I feel out of place?
Not at all. This workshop isn’t about achieving a certain level of contemplative skill. It’s about learning practices that help you ask better questions, listen more mindfully, and stay present to wisdom and beauty in ordinary moments. Everything is accessible to beginners, and the intimate group setting means you’ll have plenty of support.
What's included in the investment?
Everything you need for four transformative days: all workshop sessions and materials, luxury accommodations at Rising Circle Ranch, chef-prepared gourmet meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), snacks and beverages throughout the day, and access to the ranch’s 2,600 acres of stunning high desert. The only additional costs are your travel to Santa Fe and any personal expenses. Horseback riding is available as an optional add-on.
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 find the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.
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