MEA Foundations
Landscapes of Silence: A Silent Retreat for Restoration and Renewal
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.
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Yearning for stillness in a world that never slows down?
Step away from the noise and rediscover the peace and calm at the center of it all. Our Landscapes of Silence retreats offer the space, structure, and support to quiet your mind, restore your energy, and help you return home to yourself.
Taught by beloved MEA faculty
World-class accommodations
Intimate group of 28 people max
Meals, snacks, and drinks included
Silence is the reset your overloaded mind has been craving
Constant pings, demands for attention, and an endless stream of news designed to keep you on high alert leave you feeling anxious, scattered, and disconnected from what matters most.
It’s a cycle that makes even the most intentional and committed of us feel overwhelmed or exhausted, with not enough room for the clarity, joy, and fulfillment we crave.
The good news: your mind and body already know how to reclaim the harmony and equilibrium you’ve lost.
They just need the quiet space to remember how.
Teddi Dean
Head of Mindfulness & Movement | Artist
Teddi Dean is the Head of Mindfulness and Movement here at MEA. He offers a fun, accessible and wisdom-filled approach to both meditation and yoga. Teddi teaches with a creative and authentic approach. He 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. He is also an artist and has written and directed two feature films, A Holy Promise and Love Will Travel.
Supported By the MEA Team
Nica Celly
Content Facilitator
Nica Celly is an artist, entrepreneur, and facilitator whose work explores the relationship between creative practice, embodiment, and self-trust. Working at the intersection of visual art, writing, and contemplative practice, she guides experiences that invite participants to e ...
View BioOur Agenda at a Glance
Monday:
4:00 PM: Arrival/Check-in
5:00 PM: Welcomes with drinks
6:00 PM: Intro of Staff and Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation
Tuesday:
6:00 AM: Coffee + Tea + Fruit
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Free Time
10:00 AM: Logistics & Circle
11:30 AM: Meditation
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Meditation + Wisdom Pod
5:30 PM: Sound Bath
6:30 PM: Dinner
Wednesday:
6:00 AM: Coffee + Tea + Fruit
7:00 AM: Breakfast
7:30 AM: Mind-Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Free Time
10:00 AM: Logistics & Circle
11:30 AM: Meditation
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Meditation + Wisdom Pod
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner and Fireside Music
Thursday:
6:00 AM: Coffee + Tea + Fruit
7:00 AM: Breakfast
7:30 AM: Mind-Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Free Time
10:00 AM: Logistics & Circle
11:30 AM: Meditation
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Meditation + Wisdom Pod
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner and Fireside Music
Friday:
6:00 AM: Coffee + Tea + Fruit
7:00 AM: Breakfast
7:30 AM: Surfing
8:30 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Free Time
10:00 AM: Logistics & Circle
11:30 AM: Meditation
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Meditation + Wisdom Pod
4:30 PM: Graduation Photo, Ceremony, and Fiesta
Saturday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Checkout/Departure
Sunday:
A return to embodied presence
Our Landscapes of Silence retreats in Santa Fe and Baja are for anyone craving peace and struggling to find it amid life's relentless pace.
Ranging from 5 days in Baja to 3, 4, or 7 days in Santa Fe, these retreats invite you to move beyond words, sink into presence, and reclaim the innate harmony between silence and embodiment.
Members of our mindfulness and wisdom faculty will hold a sacred and nurturing container for you to rediscover the aliveness within rest – and the wholeness that emerges when body, breath, and awareness move as one.
If you’re ready to step out of the noise and find the space you need to rest, listen, and reconnect with your innermost self, our Landscapes of Silence retreats will provide you with the sanctuary you seek.
What you’ll gain from your days of restorative contemplation
Deep nervous system reset and cellular healing
Through soundbaths, restorative yoga, and guided meditations, you'll activate your parasympathetic nervous system and experience healing at the cellular level. Stillness dissolves anxiety and stress patterns that have become embedded in your body.
Profound wisdom from multiple spiritual traditions
Daily Wisdom Pods with expert teachers will expose you to contemplative practices from Christian Mysticism to Buddhism, Sufism to shamanic traditions. You'll gain practical tools for navigating life's challenges with greater wisdom and spiritual depth.
Enhanced creativity and mental clarity
The combination of silence, nature immersion, and walking meditation quiets mental chatter and opens space for fresh insights. Many participants experience breakthrough creative ideas and clarity on major life decisions during and after the retreat.
Lasting mindfulness practices you can take home
You'll learn sustainable techniques for staying present and grounded in daily life, from breath awareness to nature-based meditation. These aren't just retreat experiences, they're lifelong tools for maintaining inner peace amid external chaos.
Who this is for
Our Daily Rhythm of Renewal
Throughout each day, a balance of stillness, movement, and reflection will invite you into deeper alignment with the land and yourself:
Daily Wisdom Pods Offer Contemplative Teaching and Discussion
While most of the retreat will be held in silence, once a day we will gather for a one-hour Wisdom Pod where our wisdom faculty will offer teachings that touch on mindfulness and wisdom traditions ranging from the Christian Mystics to Buddhism, Judaism to Sufism, and other contemplative mythology and rituals. Each Wisdom Pod will be open for a period of quiet discussion before returning to the shared sanctuary of stillness. If you wish to remain in silence during these sessions, your preference will be honored.
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 silent retreats are facilitated by members of the MEA Wisdom faculty, including: Teddi Dean (Head of Mindfulness and Movement), Nica Celly (Experience Facilitator), Saul Kuperstein (Resident Shaman), and others.
These handpicked facilitators are highly trained professionals who are all midlifers themselves and have been extensively trained in the MEA Method. They bring a wealth of experience in helping others create their fulfilling next chapter.
(Note: facilitators may differ depending on workshop length and location.)
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”.
Nourishment for the body and soul
Throughout the week, you’ll be treated to a beautifully curated menu of fresh, organic meals designed by MEA’s Executive Chef, Krista Steinhauer and prepared by our amazing in-house chefs. Reflecting Krista’s signature artistry and devotion to mindful nourishment, each meal becomes a celebration of flavor, color, and vitality, prepared with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients that honor both the land and the spirit of this retreat.
Krista’s culinary creations are more than food, they’re an invitation to presence. Meals are served in silence, allowing you to engage your senses fully, to taste and feel each bite as an act of gratitude. In the hands of our incredible chefs, nourishment becomes art, aligning perfectly with the retreat’s rhythm of embodiment and care.
7,000+ 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.
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.
Come as you are and leave inspired and restored
Landscapes of Silence is more than a retreat – it’s a homecoming to the self that lives beneath the noise. Stillness becomes your teacher and awareness your guide into a deeper, more intentional way of being.
And when you return to the “regular” world, you’ll discover the noise hasn’t changed – but you have. Something inside you knows how to stay anchored, intentional, and clear, no matter what the world demands.
Your All-Inclusive Luxury Retreat Includes:
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never done a silent retreat before – is this appropriate for beginners?
Absolutely. Our facilitators create a safe, welcoming environment perfect for first-time participants. You’ll receive gentle guidance throughout, and daily Wisdom Pods break the silence for teaching and discussion. If you need support, our faculty is always available.
Is the entire retreat held in complete silence?
Most of the retreat is silent, but we gather daily for one-hour Wisdom Pods where silence is broken for contemplative teachings and group discussion. You’re also welcome to remain silent during these sessions if you prefer. Emergency communication is always available.
What’s the daily schedule like?
Days include guided meditations both indoors and in nature, gentle movement and yoga, restorative yoga, soundbaths, walking meditation on ranch trails, and one Wisdom Pod session. Evenings are spent in contemplative gathering around the fire under the desert stars.
Do I need meditation experience to participate?
No experience necessary. Our practices are designed for all levels, from complete beginners to seasoned practitioners. Gentle movement and yoga are suitable for all abilities, and our teachers provide clear guidance for every activity.
What should I bring and what’s provided?
We provide yoga mats, meditation cushions, and all program materials. Bring comfortable clothing for movement, layers for desert weather, and personal items. Detailed packing lists are sent upon registration.
What if I find the silence too challenging?
Our experienced faculty understands this concern and provides compassionate support when needed. You can always step out for air, connect with a teacher, or adjust your participation level. Many find the high desert’s natural silence surprisingly comforting and healing.
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
