Moving through Grief Retreat, Costa Rica

Named “Top rated” by Retreat Guru and BookRetreats.com and recognized as one of 6 “Best Grief Retreat in the World”

Holding it All…Together

When it comes to talking about grief and loss, most people get uncomfortable. We’ve been taught that it’s socially unacceptable to express our grief, so we’ve learned to “Hold it together!”

We are striving to create space for people, who like us, think it’s not only important, but necessary, to surrender to sorrow, invite vulnerability, share stories, and engage in rich conversations about what we all know to be one of the most universal human experiences. We aren’t here to fix you, just to witness, and walk along side you and as you move through grief in this transformational Costa Rica grief retreat. We invite you to join us in holding it — together.

Grieving isn’t about getting over it or moving on. It’s about allowing it to be there, rolling with the waves, learning to navigate the ebb and flow, and ultimately choosing to love fiercely and live fully engaged in life.

Grief can be raw, messy, and unpredictable. Allowing it to bubble to the surface, and giving yourself permission to feel whatever comes up, is a necessary part of the healing process. The result is a natural shift away from pent up anger, sadness, avoidance and fear toward love, compassion and acceptance — letting go of what no longer serves you and choosing to engage in a life that supports the new person you are becoming.

Grief can certainly be triggered by loss, but your grief journey may have begun another way. Perhaps by considering your own mortality, being faced with an unexpected diagnosis, either your own or someone you care about. Maybe you are grieving because so much of the world is suffering. Whatever the reason, it’s okay to grieve. It’s an important act of self-care.

Making space for grief in our lives frees us up to experience more joy. Grief and joy are not mutually exclusive — learning how to carry them at the same time is key. Accepting that loss is inevitable, that grief is a normal and natural response, and that life is not an entitlement — those are the things that help us appreciate being alive and fully present for the ups and downs of life.

The container we create together seeks to re-imagine our relationship with grief and loss, and how by doing so we enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. We hope this unique grief retreat Costa Rica program will inspire you to make more space to express your grief, to be witnessed, and to witness others in your families, communities, and beyond.

Grief Retreats Costa Rica

Experience the Awe of Costa Rica

Where Pura Vida is a way of life.

Costa Rica is world-renowned as a place that is not only beautiful, but is actually good for your well-being. Celebrated for its incredible biodiversity, the country is famous for its eco-tourism, which leads the world in efforts to protect the environment.

Named “Best Retreat Center in the World,” Imiloa Institute sits high on a mountain top, deep in the jungle near the popular beach town of Dominical on the Ballena Coast in the Southern Pacific region of the country, close to some of the country’s best beaches, waterfalls, tropical rainforests and national parks overflowing with a diversity of flora and fauna sure to astound any nature lover.

Experience the meaning of Pura Vida in this incredible corner of the world, flanked by warm ocean and lush jungle inhabited by toucans, macaws, sloths, monkeys, and even big cats!

There’s simply no better place to relax, enjoy and celebrate life.

Grief Retreats 2024

The Journey of Moving through Grief

We are excited to explore with you the beginning of what we believe to be a paradigm shift — away from avoidance and fear, toward love, compassion and integration.

TwoCan Retreats’ Grief Retreats 2024 will be a series of guided workshops, grief and praise rituals and embodied movement practices, including integrative yoga, meditation and breathwork, sharing stories, mindful journaling, song circle, ecstatic dance, sound-healing, reiki and so much more…we’ll grieve and explore our own mortality together.

Learning how to identify grief, recognizing where it shows up in your body and letting go of painful emotions while simultaneously honoring your pain and remembering your loved ones, is essential to the healing process.

Using mindfulness, conscious breathing and other embodiment practices as modes of moving through grief allows for the release of deeply held emotions. Grief is a physical as well as an emotional state, and by fully attuning to your somatic experience of grief you can move more fluidly towards healing and growth.

You will learn to regard grief as a constant companion, whose presence reminds us to meet both life and death with mindful awareness, love and compassion.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to show up for yourself and others who are grieving, offer compassion and support, and continue these important conversations.

Immersed in a jungle paradise, surrounded by the natural beauty of Costa Rica, the Moving through Grief retreat offers community, compassion, and a safe and supportive container for healing your heart.

Grief Retreats Costa Rica

Click here to read guest reviews from past TwoCan Retreats!

Your Facilitators

Grief tender, joy seeker, founder of TwoCan Retreats and Regional Director/Clinical Consultant for the Waves of Grief Collective™, Stacy McCrory is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in Santa Barbara, CA, providing guidance and support to individuals, couples and families going through major life transitions, healing from trauma, grief and loss. Stacy guides and empowers her clients to be embodied, practice mindfulness and compassion for themselves and others, connect with nature, experience awe and make meaning in their lives.

Stacy expanded her focus, both spiritually and professionally, and pursued more specialized training around grief and loss, becoming a death doula in 2021. She is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) ‘End-of-Life Doula Council’ where she provides volunteer grief support virtually to clients throughout the United States. At home in Santa Barbara, she and her husband Mike hold community grief rituals at the beach in proud partnership with the acclaimed Waves of Grief Collective™.

Although Stacy hosts and facilitates retreats for TwoCan Retreats, she is not providing therapy at any time during the retreat.

For more information on Stacy’s background, click here.

Singer/Songwriter, lead man for the multi-platinum band Toad the Wet Sprocket and solo artist, Glen Phillips had been seeking modes of non-performative music for years when he discovered the Community Singing movement. Song circles focus on short, teachable heart-centered songs ranging from unison melodies to layered multi-part pieces. Community singing welcomes all voices and all levels of musical skill. The experience is a little like church without religion — no dogma, just the feeling of connection with ourselves, spirit and each other. After major life changes in 2016 Glen was introduced to ceremonial and ritual work including grief ritual, setting him on a path of personal study, ceremonial participation and co-facilitation.

For more information on Glen Phillips’ background, click here.

Jenn Parma is a passionate spiritual life coach, who supports clients in the preparation and integration of deep healing processes, stress/anxiety management, trauma release, and grief and loss. Through her commitment to her personal healing and development, she has found deep inspiration in being of service to her community and the Earth.

She holds a sacred, intentional and safe container for others to heal old traumas, cast off limiting beliefs, and awaken to their highest potential. A facilitator and co-creator of High Vibration Breathwork and Grieve and Breathe, Jenn is 200-hour YTT certified, a reiki master, death doula, meditation guide, sound healer and psychedelic integration coach.

For more information on Jenn Parma’s background, click here.

Amber Deylon is a Grief Guide, Death Midwife, Council Facilitator, creator of Grieve and Breathe and board member of The New Normal Charity. After her beloved mother ended her life in 2019, she trained as a Death Midwife in the Bridging Transitions lineage with founders, Birgitta Kastenbaum and Cheserae Scala. Now Amber supports her mentors in hosting educational trainings, and serves as a practicing Death Midwife in her sweet town of Ojai, CA. Her own journey with grief transformed her life and permitted her to move from surviving to thriving. She is also a singer in the Moon Valley Choir of Ojai, CA. Moon Valley Choir is a collective of women, local to Ojai, who sing in celebration of life, healing, and exploration of the great mystery. They encourage the art and practice of deep listening through ceremonial music.

For more information on Amber Deylon’s background, click here.

Sandy K. Schmidt is a certified yoga teacher, meditation guide, and Ayurveda practitioner. She has been teaching in Costa Rica for the past seven years. Her approach is passionately focused on understanding yoga as a philosophy of life, and as an internal support system, assisting individuals as they navigate through their grief and other major life transitions, including the loss of a loved one. On the mat, she finds that yoga frees and opens our body through movement and breath, while off-mat practice opens our mind and perspective. By practicing both, in our healing journey we grow in the totality of our being, body and mind, and more easily experience the union of all aspects of life.

For more information on Sandy Schmidt’s background, click here.

Aliza Rivja, MS,  is a Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, an ordained Kohenet Hebrew Priestess and officially a DJ Witch (graduate of PhDJ). Her dance floors are literal jungle parties where nature gets down with us and a new earth births between beats. When Aliza’s on the decks, bodies breathe better, ancestors exhale and sound systems pulse to the deeper prayer of Pachamama. Aliza has touched thousands of lives through dance – leading the dance community in the New York City area, locally in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica and globally from her Zoom screen, and as co-founder of Imiloa Institute’s Soul Sundays and Mama of Mariposa Movement.

For more information on Aliza Rivka’s background, click here.

Grief Retreats 2024

5-Star Luxury Accommodations

Imiloa Institute, Dominical, Costa Rica

Imiloa is a Hawaiian word that means “creativity expressed through wonder and imagination.”

We understand the importance of set and setting, and are confident that Imiloa Institute checks all the boxes, creating the ideal container for both practical and spiritual teachings and integration.

Immersed in a mystical jungle oasis near Dominical, Costa Rica, Imiloa Institute is a world-class eco-luxury retreat venue nestled deep in primary and secondary forests, on 22 acres of pristine jungle teeming with wildlife and surrounded by the sounds and smells and power of nature. Meditation walking paths with hand-made stairs and lighting create an immersive and easy way to experience the wonders of the jungle. A year-round river with waterfalls flows through the property, and hot springs are just a few kilometers away.

This luxurious venue within an enchanted jungle environment is the perfect setting to dive deep and experience the transformational powers of the jungle, this sacred land, along with our ancestors spirits and guides holding space for us.

NOTE: Imiloa is a “dry” campus, meaning there will be no alcohol on site.

The “Heart” of Imiloa can be found at the center of the property, where you eat, relax and share time together. Close by, you can dip in a salt water pool or soak in a spa overlooking the ocean.

The HoMe is a 2700 square foot Balinese super-structure that hangs 100 feet in the jungle – the gathering place for workshops, yoga and meditation.

A variety of accommodations awaits you at the Imiloa Institute, including three 180-year-old Bali homes that were imported from Indonesia and boast beautifully detailed, hand-carved architecture.

In addition, there are six jungle bungalows to choose from, built on the side of the mountain on the pathway to a private waterfall. The Bali-inspired interiors feature natural finishes and gorgeous exposed showers and bathtubs overlooking the unofficial “sloth sanctuary.”

Six Buckminster Fuller-inspired geodesic domes complete the picture. They are built near a small river, boast a sacred design geometry, and are partially solar powered. Here you can experience the soothing sounds of water and experience nature unlike anywhere else on the planet.

(See below for more detailed information on accommodations.)

Grief Retreats Costa Rica

World-Renowned Plant-Based Cuisine

Imiloa serves healthy, locally-sourced, gourmet vegan meals that are artistically plated, scientifically nourishing and delightfully crafted.

Imiloa chefs use locally sourced food from up to a dozen farmers and vendors within a 90-minute drive from the retreat center.

The full-service vegan cafe serves three meals daily, along with healthy snack options like smoothie bowls, fresh tropical fruit, and jungle superfoods. Asian-inspired flavors include dishes like plant-based pad thai, mango ginger salads, jackfruit tacos, summer rolls, and a delicious array of avocado & plantain sushi.

Personalized service – TwoCan style

TwoCan Retreats is known for the “5-star” level of service they provide to their retreat guests. Mike and Stacy are always on hand, ready to see to your needs, from the moment you land in Costa Rica to the day you say farewell (and beyond).

Providing a level of service not seen anywhere short of the most exclusive resorts, be cared for like family on your Costa Rica adventure with TwoCan Retreats.

Don’t just take our word for it, read reviews submitted by past TwoCan Retreats guests by clicking here.

All-Inclusive Package Price:

$2222 - $6222

Depending on Accommodations:

VIP Bali Houses, Sky Forest House, Poolside Bungalows Private or Shared Jungalows and Geodesic River Domes

*VIP Accommodations include your choice of one of two 200-year old handcrafted Bali Houses, Joglo and Potoo, both with private plunge pools and stunning rainforest and ocean views, or enjoy a spacious suite at the Sky Forest House with beautiful views. Sky Forest house has a large private patio with infinity pool and AMAZING panoramic views of the ocean and the rainforest.

Also included is your choice of one of the following:

• Unlimited access to our wellness bar

• 1 hour Massage

Grief Retreats 2024

The Rooms

VIP Bali Houses — Joglo & Potoo

Private and secluded 200-year-old homes from Bali, imported from the Java Islands, these homes boast surreal vista views of the Pacific Ocean, their own saltwater plunge pools and hand-carved art as old as the houses.

VIP Joglo House — Single or Double Occupancy; $6222 (additonal person - $2222)

Perched on the edge of the cliff, at the furthest end of the property, sits a 170 year old home from the Java Islands called Joglo. Complete with a writer’s desk, outdoor Balinese shower and hand-carved architecture, Joglo is teeming with history and comfort. One King bed. Ocean and rainforest views. Wraparound sundeck. Excellent natural ventilation with cross-breezes and ceiling fans. Hidden private soaker tub. Kitchen. Fiber optic internet.

VIP Potoo House — Single or Double Occupancy; $6222 (additonal person - $2222)

This two-floor imported home from Bali will have you wishing you’d never leave. Complete with a King bed and a Single bed in the corner of the 180 year old home, Potoo combines open-air jungle luxury with unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean. On the lower level you will find a private saltwater plunge pool and private area perfect for spa treatments. Ocean and rainforest views. Wraparound sun deck. Kitchen. Excellent natural ventilation with cross-breezes and ceiling fans. Fiber optic internet.

Bali Suites 1 & 2 (Poolside Bungalows) — Single occupancy, $4444

Situated at the top of the mountain in the 200 year old Bali Village, Bali Suites are located just a few steps from the shared infinity pool, with gorgeous views overlooking the rainforest and Pacific Ocean. Featuring a wooden structure that feels like a tree house, enjoy full bathrooms with Balinese showers and private dressing areas. One King bed. Air conditioning. Fiber optic internet.

The Jungalows — Single occupancy, $4222; Double occupancy, $3444 per person

The six Jungle Bungalows are in close proximity to the common area, and right on the pathway to a private waterfall. Bali inspired, the interiors feature natural finishings and beautiful details. Spacious bathrooms feature a shower and soaking tub looking out on the rainforest. Air conditioning. Fiber optic internet. One King or two Single beds. Private jungle deck with comfy seating overlooking the unofficial “sloth sanctuary.”

Geodesic River Domes — Single occupancy, $3888; Double occupancy, $3222 per person; Triple occupancy, $2888 per person

Inspired by sacred geometry, the six Geodesic River Domes sit in the rainforest along the edge of a private river. Enjoy the soothing sounds of flowing water paired with the vibrant sounds of the jungle. Partial river views. Open-air private shower with rainforest views. 2 King or 3 Single beds. Full 3-piece bath. Air conditioning. Fiber optic internet.

SKY FOREST HOUSE

Sky Forest is on 8 contiguous acres to Imiloa, making the campus feel like a 30-acre wonderland. This exclusive 3,500 sq. ft. home features three expansive bedrooms, two downstairs and one up, with mountain, jungle and ocean views respectively.

The paths from the Sky Forest home connect to the Bali Village, not far from the Heart of Imiloa. The home features a full kitchen, a large comfortable living room and its own private infinity pool with panoramic ocean views. The patio around the pool features another 500 sq. ft. of outdoor space, perfect for relaxation, reflection and connection. 

Left to right: Living room, dining room and kitchen areas; Ocean View suite; Private infinity pool; Jungle & Mountain View suites.

VIP SKY FOREST SUITES

Private Single or Double Occupancy Rooms*

• Ocean View Master Suite - $6222

1 King bed, A/C, Wifi, ensuite bathroom.

• Mountain View Suite - $5888

1 King bed or 2 Twins, A/C, Wifi, ensuite bathroom.

• Jungle View Suite - $5888

1 King bed or 2 Twins, A/C, Wifi, ensuite bathroom.

*Additional person is $2222

What’s Included

• Round-trip in-country air and ground transportation from San Jose International Airport (SJO) to Imiloa Institute

• 5 nights accommodations at a 5-Star Luxury Retreat Center on 30 acres in the jungle, teeming with wildlife

• 3 fresh, healthy, organic, plant-based meals a day

• Daily group activities focused on a heart-centered, holistic approach to grief and loss

• Daily yoga and meditation practice intended to deepen your experience and maximize your integration process

• Breathwork, Ceremony, Ritual, Integration, Sound-Healing, Song Circles, Ecstatic Dance

• Grief & Journaling Workshop

• Optional group excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park or Nauyaca Waterfalls.

• Ground transportation for the duration of your retreat

• Unlimited coffee, tea, fruit and freshly made snacks, every afternoon

What’s Not Included:

• International Flights to/from Costa Rica

• Travel Insurance

• Optional Wellness/Juice Bar

• Tips for Imiloa Hospitality Staff

Grief Retreats Costa Rica

Retreat Itinerary

(Schedule and activities are subject to change.)

Day 1

7:30 AM – Suggested arrival time at SJO International Airport (no later than 8 AM)

8:30 AM – Meet at SJO Domestic Terminal for private air-charter to Quepos

9:15 AM – Depart SJO for Quepos to meet ground shuttle to Imiloa Institute

11:00 AM – Arrive at Imiloa Institute; Orientation & Lunch

1:00 PM – Check-in; Rest, swim, explore, connect

2:00 PM – Property Tour

4:00 PM – Welcome Circle & Altar Ceremony

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Yoga Nidra w/sound healing by candlelight

Day 2

7:00 AM – Yoga/Movement

8:30 AM – Breakfast

10:00 AM – Grief Circle/Council

12:30 PM – Lunch

2:00 PM – Journaling Workshop: The Five Gates of Grief      

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:00 PM – Grief Ritual Ceremony

Day 3

7:00 AM – Yoga/Movement

8:30 AM – Breakfast

10:00 AM – Integration and Journaling

12:30 PM – Lunch

2:00 PM – Grieve and Breathe – Council & Breathwork Ceremony

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Integration & Song Circle

Day 4

7:00 AM – Yoga/Movement

8:30 AM – Breakfast

9:00-3:00 – Self Care

4:00 PM – Grief and Praise - Song Circle

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Loving Kindness for ourselves, each other and all beings.

Day 5

7:00 AM – Yoga/Movement

8:30 AM – Breakfast

10:00 AM – Give Back: Dominical Beach Cleanup with Operation Rich Coast

1:00 PM – Lunch

3:00 PM – Cacao Ceremony & Ecstatic Dance

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Closing Circle

Day 6

7:00 AM – Yoga/Movement

8:00 AM – Farewell Breakfast

9:00 AM – Check-out/Shuttle to Quepos Airport

10:00 AM - Depart Quepos for SJO

10:30 AM – Arrive at SJO Domestic Terminal

Grief Retreats 2024

Travel & Insurance Requirements

Please refer to the Terms & Info section.

Additional Details

Reservations:

• Deposit to hold your spot: $1000 due at booking.

• 50% of balance due by 06/01/2024.

• Balance of trip package price due by 09/01/2024.

Cancellation Policy:

• Full refund, less $500 cancellation fee, for cancellations requested by 08/01/2024.

• 50% refund for cancellations requested by 09/01/2024.*

• No refunds after 09/01/2024.*

*Unless…

1. YOU are able to transfer your retreat package to another qualified person.

2. WE are able to sell your package to another qualified person.