Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half
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.
Dr. Kerry Burnight
New York Times Bestselling Author | Creator of the Joyspan Framework | Former Professor of Gerontology
Discover Your Joyspan: Move from Fear to Confidence and Fill Your Next Chapter with Purpose, Connection, and Vitality
You've been sold a lie about aging.
The story goes something like this: your best years are behind you. Your body will break down. Your mind will slow. Your world will shrink. All you can do is maintain what you have and try not to lose ground too quickly.
But what if the opposite were true?
What if getting older meant growing stronger – not physically (though that’s entirely possible), but in the ways that actually determine how well you live:
Listen to Chip and Dr. Kerry Burnight on the Midlife Chrysalis podcast:
Why Facing Mortality Changes How You Live | Dr. Kerry Burnight
The truth is, you're walking into the richest, most expansive phase of your life.
But you need more than platitudes to get there. You need practical tools.
Because even if you reject the narrative of decline, you're still facing real challenges: aging parents who need care, your own health concerns that weren't on the radar five years ago, friendships that have faded, perhaps grief over losses you didn't see coming.
And when illness or diagnosis arrives, there's often an unspoken shame – like somehow you failed at aging "correctly."
You know you're supposed to push through and persevere when things get tough – and stay active, positive, and engaged. But knowing what you're supposed to do and knowing how to actually do it are two very different things.
Without practical tools, you stay stuck in reactive mode – dealing with each challenge as it arrives but never building the proactive strength that lets you meet life with confidence instead of fear.
What you need is the internal resilience to handle whatever life brings – and find your joy in any situation
Not the hollow "stay positive" kind of joy. Real joy – the kind that coexists with grief, challenge, and uncertainty and doesn't depend on circumstances being perfect.
The joy that's possible when you stop seeing challenges as mistake – when your life going off course—and start seeing them as simply part of the journey.
This is the kind Dr. Kerry Burnight calls "joy, anyway."
Imagine waking up with confidence that you can handle whatever the day throws at you, not because nothing hard will happen, but because you have the internal resources to meet it.
Imagine knowing exactly how to deepen the connections that matter instead of watching friendships fade through neglect – or facing a devastating diagnosis or loss and still finding meaning, purpose, and moments of genuine joy woven through the grief.
This is what becomes possible when you build psychological wellbeing with the same intentionality you bring to physical fitness.
That's what Dr. Kerry Burnight’s “Joyspan” framework makes possible.
Dr. Kerry Burnight is a nationally recognized gerontologist who has dedicated her career to helping people make “older better” – not through anti-aging hype, but through a revolutionary approach grounded in the science of wellbeing.
As a former professor at UC Irvine's School of Medicine and the bestselling author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, Kerry has spent decades translating cutting-edge research into practical tools that actually work in real life.
She's worked with patients navigating chronic illness, families dealing with elder care, and hundreds of thousands of followers who turn to her for her uplifting, no-nonsense guidance on thriving through midlife and beyond.
Kerry created the joyspan framework after recognizing what was missing from the conversation about aging.
Everyone talks about lifespan (how long you live) and healthspan (how healthy you are). But nobody was addressing the most important question: How well are you actually living those years?
Joyspan is Kerry's answer – a proven, science-based approach built on four pillars: Grow, Connect, Adapt, and Give. And she's bringing this transformative work to MEA's Rising Circle Ranch in Santa Fe this July.
If you're ready to build the internal resources to find “joy, anyway” in any situation, we'd love to have you join us.
During your four days with Kerry, you will…
Shift your mindset from decline to growth – and overcome the internal ageism that whispers "that ship has sailed" every time you want to try something new
Learn to cultivate joy that doesn't depend on circumstances – discovering how to find meaning, purpose, and genuine moments of happiness even while walking with grief, loss, or challenge
Strengthen your capacity to adapt when life brings the unexpected – building a toolkit of internal and external coping practices so you never feel helpless in the face of what you didn't ask for
Deepen your most important connections – and let go of the myth of independence. Learning how to intentionally manage your "social portfolio" and diversify your relationships to maintain connections over the long term
Operationalize purpose in ways that actually work – moving beyond vague aspirations to "little gives" that fill you with meaning without requiring you to solve world hunger
Build a takeaway toolbox of joy practices – simple, science-backed techniques you can start using tomorrow morning to shift what you see and experience throughout your day
Connect with an intimate group of fellow seekers – experiencing the power of being witnessed without judgment in MEA's signature small-group setting, where vulnerability creates lasting bonds
And you’ll do this powerful work in an intimate, small-group setting surrounded by the beauty of the desert and MEA’s world-class luxury and hospitality.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
Meet
Dr. Kerry Burnight
New York Times Bestselling Author | Creator of the Joyspan Framework | Former UC Irvine Professor of Gerontology
Dr. Kerry Burnight is a nationally recognized gerontologist whose life's work celebrates the gift of growing older. For eighteen years, she taught Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the University of California, Irvine, and cofounded the nation's first Elder Abuse Forensic Center.
As the bestselling author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half, Kerry has spent decades translating cutting-edge longevity research into practical, heart-centered ways to live with vitality, connection, and purpose.
Kerry’s work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS Mornings, Oprah Daily, NBC News, Time Magazine, BBC, and CNN. Her approach is refreshingly practical and grounded in research, and offers a proven framework for building the internal strength that makes the difference between people who thrive as they age and those who struggle.
Reviews for Kerry’s book, Joyspan:
The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half
Supported By the MEA Team
Mary Hofstedt
MEA Lead Facilitator in Santa Fe
As our Santa Fe Program Director & Facilitator Lead, Mary’s an experienced leader of mission-driven organizations and initiatives that benefit individuals and communities and strive to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world. As a facilitator and strategic advis ...
View BioTrisha Nakano Bhagen
Experience Facilitator
Trisha is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Learning Experience Designer, and mindfulness + yoga teacher With archetypes as an educator and coach, Trisha serves as a coach to individuals and groups, mentor to new coaches, and a ...
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
A Shift from Fear to Peaceful Confidence
You'll leave with the internal resources to handle whatever life brings—not because challenges will stop coming, but because you'll know exactly how to meet them with resilience, adaptability, and the capacity to find joy anyway.
A Practical Toolkit of Joy Practices
You'll walk away with specific, science-backed techniques you can incorporate immediately—from gratitude practices that shift what you see throughout your day to strategies for building the internal and external coping skills that make all the difference.
The Joyspan Matrix You Can Use for Life
Kerry will teach you her proven framework for building psychological wellbeing: how to keep growing despite ageism, deepen connections intentionally, adapt to life's inevitable zingers, and operationalize purpose through meaningful action.
Deep Bonds with an Intimate Community
In MEA's small-group setting of just 28 participants, you'll experience the power of being witnessed without judgment, share authentically from your third vault, and form lasting connections with people who understand exactly what you're navigating.
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
6:30 PM: Celebration Dinner
Thursday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
9:30 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:
The time to build your internal strength is now—not when crisis hits.
You already know challenges are coming. Your health will change. Your parents will need more care. Losses you can't predict will arrive.
But having the practical tools to meet those challenges with confidence instead of fear? That takes intentional work – and it gets harder to build these capacities when you're already in crisis mode.
Join Kerry this July, and you will:
This is your chance to build the life you want – one of expansion, growth, and joy, anyway.
Book your spot today
Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half
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 makes Joyspan different from other midlife or wellness workshops?
Most longevity programs focus on fixing what’s wrong or slowing decline. Joyspan takes a different approach. It explores how to actively expand your capacity for joy, meaning, and vitality as you age. Blending science, psychology, and lived wisdom, this workshop helps you understand what actually supports long-term wellbeing—and how to apply it in your daily life.
Do I need to be at a specific life stage to benefit from this workshop?
Joyspan is designed for people in the second half of life, but that doesn’t mean a specific age or circumstance. Whether you’re navigating a transition, questioning what’s next, or simply wanting more depth and enjoyment in your life, you’ll find relevant tools and perspectives here.
Is this workshop more about personal growth or scientific learning?
It’s both. Joyspan integrates research-backed insights on aging, happiness, and wellbeing with practical exercises and reflection. You won’t just learn concepts—you’ll explore how they apply to your own life in a meaningful, personal way.
What's included in the investment?
Everything is included: four days of immersive workshop sessions, all materials, luxury accommodations at MEA’s Santa Fe retreat, chef-prepared gourmet meals, and unforgettable group experiences – all within an intimate learning environment of just 28 participants.
The only additional costs are your travel to Santa Fe and any personal expenses.
What will I walk away with?
You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of what supports joy and vitality in your life, along with practical ways to cultivate it. Many participants also gain a renewed sense of direction, deeper self-awareness, and a more expansive view of what’s possible in the years ahead.
How is this different from other longevity programs?
Most longevity programs focus on extending lifespan. Joyspan focuses on expanding your experience of life—your emotional richness, sense of purpose, and daily enjoyment. It’s not just about adding years, but about making those years feel deeply worth living.
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