This is a 5-night immersive experience for practitioners who already work with the nervous system and want to go further — in their own bodies, in how to apply it in partnership with horses, and in their understanding of how to support clients.

Over 4 full working days, Dr Rebecca Bailey of the Polyvagal Equine Institute leads training alongside Sally Nilsson and Eric Kolesar of Tula Vida Ranch. Together, you'll explore Polyvagal theory in direct, embodied contact with an experienced herd of rescue horses who live and roam freely on the property — the horses co-faciliate with us as they are, in every moment, living demonstrators and teachers of co-regulation, neuroception, and ventral vagal safety, totally attuned to their environment — and to us.

The setting matters too. Tula Vida is an off-grid 85-acre sanctuary surrounded by forest, birdsong, volcanoes, and spring water. The present moment is a constant sensory invitation — and that is exactly the point. This is nature as nervous system medicine, not just backdrop.

You'll leave with your own well of energy genuinely refilled — and with a richer, more embodied understanding of what regulation, safety, and connection actually feel like.

That embodied knowing becomes a compass: something you can draw on again and again, whether you're sitting with a client in a difficult moment or supporting your client back to their own centre.

Ask your questions, bring your sticky points, and work through them in real time with Dr Bailey's depth of knowledge and experience alongside you.

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 volcanos, 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.  

The Villas are double rooms with private bathrooms and a stunning terrace. The Horse Manor has private rooms with a shared kitchen/living area and a stunning terrace where the horses may come and join you for your morning coffee. 

Our communal lodge is where we share meals, practice yoga and is a safe, comfortable space to rest. 

Nourishment

Meals are home-cooked with love, using fresh local ingredients.  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 - truly accessible nature.  

Tula Vida Foundation is a 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, the local community who work with us and people without the means to have these kind of experiences.

The Land

Eighty-five acres of off-grid sanctuary, set between three volcanoes, next to a rainforest preserve. The kind of place where your nervous system starts to settle before you’ve even unpacked.

Wander the trails at your own pace. Find a favourite spot. Watch the light change over the valley. There’s no hustle here — just open land and the rare gift of genuine quiet.

The Garden & Regeneration Project

A guided tour of our food forest and garden will show you where your meals come from and how we’re working to restore and regenerate the land. We’ve planted thousands of trees and created wildlife corridors connecting the surrounding national parks. This isn’t a backdrop — it’s a living, growing project, and you’ll get to walk right through the heart of it.

Feel the earth under your feet, the weight of real roots around you. Something in us remembers our connection to living earth as our form of safety and nourishment — and settles.

The Horses

Our herd of rescue horses roam freely across the property — you'll see them in the fields, on the trails, sometimes right outside your window.

An integral part of the training, the horses are co-facilitating and modelling the concept of building flexible and resilient nervous systems all the time.

The Food

All meals are home-cooked with love, using fresh ingredients from our garden or sourced from the local area. We do serve meat and we can cater to most dietary preferences.

Come and be taken care of. Feel your taste buds come alive with fresh Costa Rican fruits, share the culture in local dishes and feel a sense of belonging around our table where all are welcome.

The Movement

Start your mornings with a session of either Qi Gong with the horses (a gentle, meditative practice in the presence of the herd) or yoga on the rooftop deck with views of the volcanoes.

Start the day in your body, in the presence of the herd, and feel the difference it makes.

The Sunsets

Every evening, we watch the sun paint the sky spectacular colors and sink down over the valley. It’s a simple ritual, and often one of the things guests remember most.

Enjoy the awe and wonder, and let the day close gently around you.

This is not just any training - this is an opportunity for you and your own nervous system to deeply exhale, with likeminded friends.