Meditation teacher, spiritual coach, and writer Ben Katt presents...

Discovering The Hero’s Journey in Midlife

Oct 27 - Nov 1, 2025 in Baja, Mexico

Led by: Ben Katt, Thérèse O'Neill, Teddi Dean, Saul

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

Discover the map that turns midlife confusion into clarity – and a quest worth living

Midlife can feel like the ground beneath you has shifted.

The roles that once defined you don’t fit anymore – and the motivations that once fueled you no longer ignite the same fire.

It can leave you feeling stalled, uncertain, even invisible.

But this disorientation isn’t the end of your story. It’s the threshold every hero must face before a new chapter begins.

Across cultures and centuries, epic stories of growth, struggle, and transformation – from Moses, Odysseus, and the Buddha to Frodo and Luke Skywalker – all follow the same map: the Hero’s Journey.

It’s a timeless path that shows us how to leave the familiar behind, face the trials that shape us, and return with the wisdom and power to live fully.

This isn’t just mythology — it’s the map you can follow in your own life.

And in his upcoming five-day workshop, Ben Katt – author of The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness in Midlife – will show you how to locate yourself on that map, gather the allies and tools you need to succeed on your journey, and step into your role as the hero of your life.

Because midlife isn’t decline. It’s initiation into your fullest self – wiser, braver, and more alive than ever.

Are you ready to cross the threshold?

Join Ben for five days in Baja and discover where you are in your own midlife story. The Hero’s Journey will help you find meaning in your struggles, see what’s calling you forward, and gather the allies you need for the road ahead. You’ll return home with clarity, courage, and a renewed sense of purpose to live your next chapter as its true hero.

What you’ll gain

Through Ben’s experiential Hero’s Journey and mindfulness teachings, you will:

Understand the universal stages of midlife and identify where you are on your journey
Discover the resources that will help you overcome the challenges and embrace the opportunities of each stage
Grow your capacity to hear the wisdom of your soul even during times of uncertainty
Learn how to navigate seasons of darkness and disorientation with confidence and trust in a positive outcome
Build a toolkit of rituals and practices to sustain you on your travels and adventures
Gather your companions and allies who will teach and support you on your journey
Design your midlife Hero’s Journey roadmap to help you stay focused and on target to your goals
Reclaim your sense of purpose and find more joy and meaning in everything you do

By the end of your five days with Ben and the other MEA faculty, you will be bursting with clarity and renewed purpose and feel energized and inspired to take the next big step on your Hero’s Journey.

Meet your faculty

Ben Katt

Author of The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness in Midlife

Mindfulness Teacher | Speaker | Coach

Ben Katt has been helping people experience deep transformation and create lives of greater joy, compassion, and purpose for the past twenty years. His first book, The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness at Midlife is a guidebook and memoir about the inner journey we all must embark on in order to live our fullest lives.

Ben is the founder of the WITHIN Prison Meditation Project, serves as a hospice chaplain, and writes regularly about identity, purpose, creativity, and belonging in his weekly STILL newsletter.

Ben is a certified advanced meditation teacher of the 1 Giant Mind technique, holds a Master of Divinity degree, and was an ordained minister for over a decade. Previously, he led The On Being Project’s work in supporting religious and spiritual leaders in the work of social healing.

Ben is an expert at adapting ancient personal development practices for modern contexts in order to help people wake up to who they are and why they are here.

This workshop is for you if...

Struggling to find yourself and longing to live a life of greater meaning and purpose

Excelling at the game of life but something’s missing and you’re not sure what it is

Dealing with midlife transitions involving endings and loss and uncertain how to find your way forward to your next chapter

Ready to let go of what’s no longer working so you can create room for what’s to come

Excited to embark on your life’s next adventure but aren’t sure where to begin or what you need to navigate the journey successfully

Interested in spirituality and curious to explore the deeper mysteries of life

Searching for practical tools to help you feel grounded and connected to the universe around you

Wanting to cultivate a regular mindfulness practice that makes it easier for you to connect to your inner self

Meet your MEA facilitators

In addition to the powerful sessions conducted by Ben, you will be guided through the core MEA curriculum by our faculty members:

Thérèse O’Neill is the Facilitator Lead for MEA’s Baja campus. She 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 resident of Baja, where she makes textiles and travels in her free time.

Teddi Dean is the Head of Mindfulness and Movement here at MEA. He offers a fun, accessible and wisdom filled approach to both mediation and yoga. Teddi loves working with beginners and has a gift in showing that each and every one of us is capable of dropping into stillness.

Teddi Dean grew up in Southern California where he was immersed in surf and skateboard culture. He was part of skateboard royalty as a team member of the infamous Powell and Peralta Bones Brigade.

If you have attended one of our workshops in Baja, you’ve probably met Saul and received some wisdom from him. He is a shaman, designer, and entrepreneur who has charmed and enlightened MEAers for seven years now.

Born in Mexico to a Mexican mother and Jewish father, Saul has always lived in multiple worlds and realities at the same time. His early sensitivity to other vibrations and premonitions shaped his life’s path, leading him to dedicate his life and work to serving others and supporting communities in their spiritual growth and well-being.

People of many different belief traditions and many with no spiritual beliefs at all have received valuable insights from their experiences with Saul. We are sure you will feel inspired and grateful for the time you get to spend in his calm and peaceful presence.

Do this powerful work on our awe-inspiring beachside campus in Baja

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”.

Beach walks
Poolside lounging
Warm ocean waves
Fire pits
Magical sunsets

When you answer the call, you discover who you are and what you’re capable of achieving

Embarking on the Hero’s Journey requires you to leave the familiar, get help from others, befriend the darkness, wander in the wild, face your death, defeat the villain, and return home with a gift to share with others.

This is the archetypal journey that all heroes experience when they answer the call to rise to their potential and find their path forward to wholeness. Now it’s your turn.

Are you ready to cross the threshold and embark on a life-changing journey of self-discovery?

People come for the workshops,
but they stay for the community

This is truly MEA’s “secret sauce” and something you can only experience in person: the powerful connections you will make, not only with your fellow participants and the incredible MEA faculty, but also the deeper sense of connection you will feel to your own inner self and the natural world around you.

Research into aging shows that your relationships play a HUGE role in your health and wellbeing later in life. At MEA, you will make deep and lasting connections and become part of a larger community that will make your life richer and more meaningful.

Many of our alumni cohorts have stayed in close touch for years after their workshop and we have a growing number of local alumni chapters all over the world. It’s a joy for us to see them continuing to offer each other community, friendship, and support as they create thriving midlives for themselves. So if you have been feeling at all disconnected or isolated on your journey, we would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned the food?

The MEA experience is designed in part by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, which means the food is amazing.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced, organic, and made from scratch in our kitchens by hand-picked chefs. The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention the blended drinks made with fresh fruit and other top-shelf ingredients.

Each retreat center has multiple kitchens that always have snacks and beverages available. At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious!

Your Workshop Includes

5 days and nights of lodging at our boutique luxury retreat center in Baja or Santa Fe with all of your meals, snacks, drinks and other amenities included
Daily sessions and experiential activities to help you connect with your inner self, envision your desired experience, and release what no longer serves you
Meditation covering a range of practices to soothe your nervous system and help you cultivate greater mindfulness and presence in the moment.

Movement to get the energy flowing and build your strength and agility as you chart your course forward to the life you want to live.
Incredible bonding experiences with the most amazing humans you’ll ever meet.
Three delicious, chef-prepared meals plus snacks throughout the day prepared from scratch with the freshest local ingredients.
Festive gatherings to cultivate connection and celebrate the joy and beauty of life.

Tuition starts at

$3,000

Ready to start your journey?