I really enjoyed my time with Bend on the retreat. Thank you so much for providing a space for healing, movement, adventure, and self-care! I appreciated the time to connect with myself and the others on the retreat. Some of the things I loved include: - the private chef for the group and his incredibly healthy meals & snacks (I especially loved the smoothies and juices!); - twice-daily yoga that varied by time of day and throughout the week; - the resort/villa -- the pool, the rooms, the Shala, everything; it was beautiful and exactly what I needed; - the local field trips (especially the waterfall and snorkeling/boat day!); - not having to figure out local transportation and/or attractions on my own; - the broader location: I really liked staying in/near Santa Teresa and think the vibe of the area lent itself really well to the retreat on the whole; - opportunities for a bit of free time Some suggestions for improvement include: - provide a more detailed agenda with timings ahead of the retreat (this helps those of us who like to plan know what to expect and more importantly, what to pack!); - ensure everyone can attend the pre-retreat meeting in RI; - add some more formal opportunities for the participants to get to know each other and share about themselves (i.e., why are they going, what do they hope to get out of the retreat, what are their worries/concerns about it, etc.); - tell participants what time to arrive at the Shala on the first night way in advance of them booking transportation AND/OR arrange for folks to arrive a day early and stay at an Airbnb (a.k.a. try to have everyone arrive on the same day/time for group cohesion); - add a more formal closing to the last day/evening of the retreat -- give folks an opportunity to share more if they choose or just hold space for those who want to share; - hire more local Costa Ricans for services like cooking, massages, sound healing, etc.; - include a "sense of place" introduction to the land & the area during the first 24 hours (or in the pre-retreat meeting, which I didn't have a chance to attend) to give folks a history of where they're staying; - have participants take a class from Nancy (if you stay at House of Shakti again) Again, I LOVED this retreat and cannot thank Bend enough for the space for some much-needed healing and adventure. I feel like I returned to the explorer part of myself through this trip. Thank you <3

This trip was so amazing!!! Our retreat leader Ayla from Bend Studio, thought of every detail! We had beautifully prepared meals with fresh, local ingredients, thoughtful and safe drivers for the duration of our trip and incredible experiences. This was one of the best trips of my life!!! I have a hard time describing it in words, but I know that everyone that was on our retreat feels the same. Ayla rocked it all, what a SuperStar!!

Absolutely amazing ❤️