Small groups. Real time with founders Sally & Eric — not distant hosts. A free-roaming herd of rescue horses, thriving and healthy, who choose to come and share space with you.

Food grown steps from your plate, soil to soul, designed to please your gut as much as your mind. Miles of quiet trail to walk off the stress and seep in the nurture.

And once you arrive, nothing left to do but feel taken care of — by vibrant land, an active herd and welcoming humans, ready to meet you exactly where you are. This is horse-facilitated retreat life the way it's meant to feel.

Do you ever feel like you're doing all the right things—but still feel tired, stuck, or quietly disconnected from yourself? Maybe this is exactly what you need.

This retreat isn't about fixing anything—it's about finally exhaling.

Come back to yourself in a space that invites deep rest, gentle movement and quiet connection with wise, grounded horses and nourishing land. Here, you'll trade pressure for presence, and distraction for clarity.

Most guests tell us the same thing: something in them softens the moment they arrive — before a single horse experience has even begun. It's the clean air, the sound of the land, the water straight from our own spring, the fact that for these days, nothing is asked of you. You arrive, and we take care of the rest — your body, your meals, your comfort, your time.

We keep our groups small on purpose. It means real time with Sally and Eric, a pace that never feels rushed, and a level of personal attention you won't find in a bigger retreat. Many guests say it feels less like a retreat centre and more like a home — right down to our dogs, who have a way of finding exactly the person who needs a nudge or a nuzzle that day.

There's a real sense, too, of joining something rather than just visiting it — the herd, the land, the small community here all carry on after you leave, and while you're here, you're genuinely part of it.

In a world that rewards constant output, busyness and noise, this retreat offers a return to your natural rhythm.

You begin with mindful movement on the rooftop deck, watch the herd graze as you sip your coffee, and discover what life is like as a horse, as the herd guides you back to a place of calm and inner steadiness.

This isn't about doing more—it's about letting go and allowing your system to remember what it feels like to be in balance.

It is time to connect back in with yourself, which is the root of connection with everything else — other people, animals, nature, peace, power, positive energy and even the universe (or whatever word you use for that). This is the beginning of finding balance, a sense of wellness, the feelings you are looking for.

You have all the wisdom you need inside you – even when it doesn't always feel like that. You just need the right setting and the right tools…and we know just the place…

Many people are feeling isolated or disconnected, or feeling out of balance, needing to numb the uncomfortable stuff (with phones, food etc) and wondering – especially in this digital age – how can I find real connection? Or how can I find what I am missing?

And a huge part of that answer is connection. Actually SELF connection. Learning to listen at a deep level to what's really ongoing for you, exploring what stresses you out and what lights you up, who are you really with other people, and who do you want to be?

Sometimes finding that means +— ranch life, where the pace slows, the noise falls away, and you can feel rooted, wild and free all at once. This is the place where that can happen.

As sensitive herd and prey animals, horses have an amazing capacity to sense, read and respond to what we are feeling on the inside. They know when we are connected, when we are not, when we are authentic and when we are not (even when we don't know ourselves) and they act accordingly. Their survival depends on it.

They don't have the capacity to be inauthentic and, being wired to do whatever they can to create positive connections, they actively want us to be connected as part of the herd.

A horse can – with their reaction to us and interaction with us – gently guide us to be in our best place, authentic, connected with ourselves and valued herd members. There's something in being welcomed into a herd that people carry with them long after — the felt sense of belonging somewhere, of being part of something whole. Add in the base level support of beautiful, vibrant nature and the volcano energy and you will feel the benefit of a full nervous system reset, a top up of good feelings and the secrets to feeling connected in life. Nature knows, horses know, we can practice.

When we are tuned in and aware, we find the answers. And once we know how to create connection with ourselves, everything falls into place.

This is a week where you can experience, explore, unwind and be fully yourself. Expand past your comfort zone and actually enjoy the ride – and do it with a group of people who came for the same reason.

Everything here is done with the same care we invite you to bring to yourself. Our herd of rescue horses is looked after thoughtfully — their wellbeing shapes how we run the whole property, not just the retreat days. The food you'll eat is part of that same soil-to-soul thinking — grown largely in our own garden and harvested with the same intention we bring to the horse work. And our miles of trails aren't just scenery — they're part of an active reforestation effort, lined with newly planted trees that monkeys and other wildlife use to feed and travel through.

They're yours to wander quietly too, to walk off whatever the horses stirred up, at your own pace.

And your time here supports more than your own week: it supports the local community too, through the people we employ and the projects we back in the village nearby, including the local school. When you bring your energy to Tula Vida, you become part of something that carries on long after you leave.

Are you ready to refill your own well of positive energy?

The horses are waiting for you!

See you soon,

Sally, Eric and the Tula Vida herd

This retreat is for you if:

• You've been “on” for too long, supporting everyone else and need a place to be held yourself

• You feel emotionally or physically depleted and want to reconnect with your own well-being (even if you're not sure what that means)

• You've read the books, tried the apps and still feel like your system hasn't truly softened

• You love nature and animals and notice that with them, it's easier to be more yourself

• You want clarity, freedom, peace or presence—but don't want to force or “push through” anything (you've tried that for too long)

• You're curious what happens when you slow down enough to hear your own truth

• You want to be fully taken care of — in body, in company, and in nature — without having to think about a single detail

• You like the idea of your time and energy going towards something bigger than yourself — a herd, a piece of land, and a community

You don't need to be an expert in mindfulness or have any experience with horses.

Just bring your open heart, your tired nervous system and your longing to feel better.

Away from the sights and sounds of busy human life, we have created an oasis for both humans and horses. Every time we step onto the land we feel the power of the natural world to soothe, nourish and restore us.

Tula Vida Ranch

Tula Vida Ranch is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, an expansive sunset view and pristine rainforest, with rivers, springs and ponds — the horses roam freely in this stunning environment where you will find you can breathe more deeply and re-discover your flow.

Accommodation

Our rooms are beautiful and comfortable with a terrace and individual bathrooms — don't be surprised if a horse wanders over to say good morning while you're on it.

The Villas are double rooms with private bathrooms and a stunning terrace. The Lodge has private rooms and is where we share meals, practice yoga on the rooftop deck and is a safe, comfortable space to rest. It's less a facility and more a home away from home — somewhere you can put your feet up, and the dogs might just curl up next to you while you do.

Nourishment

Meals are home-cooked with love, using fresh local ingredients — much of it grown right here in our own garden, food forest and hydroponic beds, harvested daily. We think of this as a soil-to-soul culinary experience: food isn't just fuel here, it's part of the work. Those daily-harvested greens and garden vegetables are chosen specifically to support nervous system regulation and gut health while you're doing the deeper work with the horses.

Our water comes from our abundant natural springs and we have air fresh from the trees to breathe — everything is designed to be in harmony with the surroundings and support your mind, body and spirit to rest, re-energise and renew.

Environment and Herd

We are 100% off-the-grid with our own solar power and fresh spring water, living in harmony with nature while remaining a safe, comfortable human retreat. We even have good internet!

We have planted 1000s of trees and plants already, including a food forest and a nursery for endangered trees, to encourage the forest to regenerate and give wildlife corridors to pass through the neighbouring national parks. It is a true sanctuary for all visitors, which includes shy tapirs, rare bell-birds and plenty of toucans, sloths and monkeys.

We spend a lot of time out on the stunning 85 acre property — with trails, rivers, waterfalls, valleys, primary rainforest and abundant wildlife. Guests often use our miles of quiet trails as a silent integration path — walking alone for somatic processing, letting the body finish what a horse experience started, without needing to talk it through.

The horses live in 2 large herds, with friends, freedom, forage and plenty of love. All the things they need to support their own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

The Dogs

Our fun, lovable family of dogs are as much a part of Tula Vida as the herd. They have a way of knowing exactly who needs company, and when — expect a warm welcome, and probably a new best friend.

Tula Vida Foundation

Our 501c3 charity registered in the US with a mission to rescue horses in Costa Rica and sponsor people to come for transformational horse experiences and retreats.

A visit to us supports not just yourself but also the natural environment, the rescue horses, our herd's wellbeing, the local community who work with us — including the local village school and village projects we support — and people without the means to have these kind of experiences.

• Transportation: Roundtrip group transportation between Liberia International Airport (LIR) and Tula Vida at set times on Retreat Arrival/Departure Dates.

• Accommodation: 4 nights at Tula Vida Ranch with full access to miles of trails, surrounding horses, spring-fed pond and more.

• Meals: Home-cooked, soil-to-soul meals, from our own garden, three times a day — starting with arrival dinner on Day 1 and ending with departure breakfast on the final day.

• Qi Gong with the horses: Enjoy mindful, grounding movement with Eric Kolesar and the herd.

• Daily horse experiences: Transformational equine experiential learning with the Tula Vida herd, facilitated by Eric & Sally — create a connection with a horse, become part of the herd, and see where connection can take you.

• The trails: Miles of private trails across the property — your silent integration path for somatic processing, to walk alone at your own pace whenever you need space to let something settle in the body.

• Sunset moments: Gather for spectacular sunsets to savour the moment and practice gratitude together.

• Massage: Enjoy a 1 hour intuitive, therapeutic massage.

• Warm company: Full run of the property alongside our free-roaming herd and our resident dogs.

• Total peace of mind: Three complete, home-cooked meals a day mean you genuinely don't have to open your wallet once you step onto the property. Once you arrive, there's nothing more to arrange or pay for — all you have to do is show up.

• Airfare: You arrange your own travel to/from Liberia airport (LIR) in Costa Rica on retreat arrival/departure dates

• Alcoholic beverages: We recommend not drinking alcohol during the retreat so as to be fully present and connected

• Trip insurance: We require that travel insurance is purchased in case of any need to cancel, travel disruption or medical emergencies

• Tips: This is optional but often people want to leave tips for staff and drivers

• Day 1 — Arrival

  Arrival transfer from Liberia International Airport (LIR), time to settle into your room, and a welcome dinner together as the sun goes down over the valley.

• Day 2 — Horse Partnering Ceremony & Building Connection

  Morning: A quiet, guided ceremony to meet the herd and be partnered with the horse who will walk alongside you this week. This is the doorway into everything that follows — the first moment your system realises it's safe to be truly seen.

  
  Afternoon: Time on the ground with your horse, learning their language and beginning to trust your own. No riding, no performance — just presence, patience, and the slow unfolding of real connection.

• Day 3 — Nervous System Deep Dive & Exploring the Land

  Morning: A full morning of horse-facilitated experiences with your horse and the wider herd, designed to meet you exactly where you are — whether that's grief, overwhelm, joy, or everything at once. The herd doesn't rush or fix; they simply help your body find its way back to feeling, healing and settling, at whatever pace your system needs.

  
  Afternoon: A free afternoon to wander our miles of quiet trails at your own pace — past rivers, through primary rainforest, beneath a canopy alive with birdsong and the hush of leaves. This is your silent integration path: space to let the morning's work settle in the body, breathe in air that tastes different here, and simply be held by the land. This is also when your 1-hour massage is offered, for anyone who'd like an extra layer of rest and integration.

• Day 4 — Qi Gong with the Horses & Becoming Part of the Herd

  Morning: A gentle, grounding Qi Gong practice led by Eric Kolesar in the quiet company of the herd — slow movement, breath and presence, with horses grazing nearby as your teachers in stillness.

  
  Your final full day is spent simply being with the herd as one of their own — no agenda, no goal to reach. Whatever you're carrying — busy mind, tender heart, tired body — comes with you, and you're accepted exactly as you are. This is the felt experience of belonging, without having to perform it.

• Day 5 — Departure

  A final breakfast together, warm goodbyes, and departure transfer to LIR.