Navigating Transitions with guest faculty Day Schildkret

Renewing Purpose: Modern Rituals to Navigate Life Transitions

May 5 - May 10, 2025 in Baja, Mexico
Led by: Day Schildkret, Thérèse O'Neill, Daniel Weinzveg

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

Create your own modern rituals to reflect, reimagine, and recommit to living your best life as you navigate change with grace and equanimity

Change is the only constant in life. But just because life is always changing, that doesn’t mean we’re always ready to change along with it.

Too many of us get stuck at the threshold, reluctant to let go of our attachment to a life that no longer exists and cross through into an unknown future.

We fear change because modern society hasn’t equipped us with the skills to make sense of our transitions and understand how and why they matter.

The good news is, these skills are something we can develop – and rituals are a powerful tool to help with this.

Rituals mark the important endings and beginnings of our lives and make it easier for us to embrace the insight, energy, and liberation that transitions can bring. They can help you make better sense of your life and develop the resilience and clear-sighted optimism you need to thrive no matter what unexpected developments arise on your journey. 

In this Navigating Transitions workshop co-facilitated with award-winning author, artist, teacher, and ritualist Day Schildkret, you’ll learn how to incorporate simple modern rituals into your life that will help you honor and sanctify the important thresholds you will experience in your life – and uncover the powerful lessons they have to teach you.

What you’ll gain

Through a combination of our MEA Navigating Transitions curriculum and Day’s ritual-based practices incorporating art and nature, you will:

  • Discover how to use ritual to connect the dots between where you’ve been, where you are, and where you want to go
  • Find powerful meaning in change and embrace the transformative thresholds of our lives
  • Leverage the power of "symbolic action" to align your psycho-spiritual experience with your desired reality
  • Visualize possibilities and prepare yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually for your next chapter
  • Move from fearing uncertainty to participating fully and creatively in life’s inevitable changes
  • Develop your own personal rituals and rhythms that will give you stability when navigating uncertainty
  • Discover the 7-step Morning Altars practice to use nature, art and ritual for understanding and meaning
  • Discover how to find awe, contentment, and gratitude in all of life’s experiences, even the uncomfortable moments
  • Create custom "Threshold Wonderings" that provide reflection, refinement and direction to point your way forward into the unknown
  • Improve your ability to accept change and adapt more quickly and easily to whatever life brings

By the end of your five days with Day and the MEA faculty, you will feel rejuvenated and energized and will be excited to dive back into your life and embrace your next exciting chapter.


You will have powerful new rituals you can use to give your life meaning and structure during times of transition and will feel greater peace and clarity around the changes you’re dealing with – as well as a deeper sense of meaning and connection to the world around you.

Meet your faculty

Day Schildkret

Author of Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change

Leading with Meaning | Ritual | Art

Day Schildkret has spent the past 20 years empowering tens of thousands of people to make their lives more meaningful while connecting them to the moments that matter. His work transcends borders and cultures because it teaches people they can make sense of life, especially as it changes, by returning to the fundamentals: Nature, art, and meaning.

Day has taught workshops and created installations at Google, The 9/11 Memorial Plaza, The Hammerstein Ballroom, The Andy Warhol Foundation, California Academy of Sciences, Esalen, and many others. He works with companies and organizations to shape their culture by designing work rituals to celebrate successes and failures, reinforce identity, stimulate emotional connection, build a sense of belonging.

Day is the author of the upcoming book, Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change, as well as the author of Morning Altars: A 7-Step Practice to Nourish Your Spirit through Nature, Art and Ritual. His work has been featured on NBC, CBS, Buzzfeed, Vice, Well+Good, My Modern Met and four times in Spirituality & Health Magazine.

Day has been featured by Participant Productions in a SoulPancake video series. His art is currently on permanent exhibition at the California Museum of Oakland. 

This workshop is for you if...

You’re going through a major life change and currently feeling stuck at the threshold, unable to pass through 

You’re overwhelmed with uncertainty and finding it hard to move forward into the unknown

You’re searching for clarity and insight to help illuminate your journey into unfamiliar territory

You want to honor and embrace the transitions you’re going through, and embrace your new chapter with optimism

You’re ready to let go of the things that no longer serve you and create space for what’s to come

You’re looking for ways to bring more art and creativity into your life, and explore your deeper connection with the universe

You’re eager to learn simple rituals that you can use to give your life more structure and meaning

You’re excited to join a community of life-spirited people who are learning how to navigate change

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

Meet your MEA facilitators

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

Thérèse O'Neill

MEA Facilitator Lead

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.

Daniel Weinzveg

Experience Facilitator

Daniel holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Development, and is a certified breath coach and yoga instructor. For over 10 years, he has supported diverse individuals, teams and organizations to create positive changes – improving communication, collaboration, and overall performance.

His approach is highly collaborative, working closely with people to understand their unique needs and challenges, then designing a safe and supportive environment where individuals and groups can explore their strengths and limitations as they develop new skills and strategies for success.

With a multicultural background and a passion for personal growth, he drives positive change in diverse settings, utilizing a decade of expertise in facilitation.

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Meaning-making helps us navigate change and pass through thresholds with grace and purpose

People everywhere are hurting because many of us don’t know what to do when life changes.

Rituals allow you to slow down to honor and become present in the moment as you mark the real moments in your life, so you can fully acknowledge and release the past with love and embrace what’s coming next. 

When you’re able to meet the wonders and sorrows of your life with clear-eyed wakefulness and strength, you’re better able to learn all of the lessons life has to teach you and appreciate the complex beauty of life, in all of its myriad awesomeness. 

Embrace the power of ritual and discover how rich and meaningful your life can be

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 was designed by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, and from the first bite you will taste the difference.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced and organic, and the food is made from scratch in our kitchens by incredible chefs.


The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention 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.
  • Prices start at $4,000

Ready to start your journey?

Renewing Purpose: Modern Rituals to Navigate Life Transitions

May 5 - May 10, 2025 in Baja, Mexico
Led by: Day Schildkret, Thérèse O'Neill, Daniel Weinzveg

Step into your next chapter with confidence and ease, knowing that every detail of your experience is being taken care of by our world-class faculty and hospitality team.

Starting at

$4,000 per person

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

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

Dana Anton

Lucas Erie