Health may not be the most important thing in life, but without it, nothing else matters.
And when you have good health, pretty much anything is possible.
- Feeling fit and fully alive in your body springs from a combination of mental and physical qualities. That aura of ease and self-acceptance is a special quality you sense in people who are at home in their bodies.
- Movement changes everything. A healthy body is fluid, inside and out. Feeling 100% alive requires the freely circulating flow of movement and energy and fluids in the body, from the synovial fluid that lubricates joints, to our spinal fluid to the water passing through our system and cleansing it of waste products, to lymph fluid and blood-anything that promotes circulation promotes life.
If you think of your body’s fitness needs as a pie, how would you slice it. Probably strength training and some form of cardiovascular work. I love strength training. It is the way to maintain muscle mass and stay strong as we age. Likewise, running and walking and other forms of cardiovascular activities are vital for aerobic health and maintaining a healthy weight. To complete the pie, it’s important not to ignore the body's fluid quality. This is much more than just stretching. It’s treating our bodies like the versatile tools they are, and exploring physical training that aims at integration like yoga and Pilates.
We will be addressing all three pieces of the pie during the week.
- Preventing the great decline - After 30, your body starts to lose muscle mass, and that loss accelerates as we get older. The solution? A simple 20-minute total body routine three times a week helps strengthen your body from triceps to toes. It’s easy to learn, and you’ll have a take-home video.
- Nutritious movement! Discover the 3 F’s of fitness and find simple ways to move throughout the day that are unique, original, and can be adjusted to your schedule.
- Negative Talk - Accepting who you are and your body type can help you feel more confident. Learn to let go, stop wasting energy trying to be something you’re not, and take pride in who you are.
- Walking..the unsung hero. Introduce HIIT into your walking workouts and learn techniques to make your walks more powerful and purposeful. Plus, it all happens on the beach.
- Win the morning, win the day! Morning habits are important! The decisions you make in the first 90 minutes of your day can jumpstart or handicap the next 12 hours. We’ll create a morning routine that works for you. Little shifts can add up to big results.
- The Power of posture.. Step into confidence while standing and sitting with less fatigue and more vitality! Strengthen your posterior chain to prevent “tech neck” (from looking down at your phone and electronics) and “question mark shape,” which is the posture we develop when we spend too much time slouching throughout the day.
- Be your own spin doctor.. Words matter! They influence and put a spin on our thoughts and ideas. Learn new self-talk vocabulary, shrug off the illusion of perfection, and enjoy moving your body.
- Setting intentions - Imagine what’s possible! Aim for the best version of yourself as we look into the future 10, 20, 30, and 40 years from now!
Your Workshop Leader
Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for 40 years. Her library of top-selling exercise workouts, books, nutritional products, and ReShape app, have inspired millions to move.
With her Art of Living podcast and daily blog, she delivers a strong dose of inspiration with the latest information on how to stay strong, fit and vibrant in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond!
Her motto is “Progress Not Perfection,” and she believes that when it comes to staying healthy, small changes add up to big results!
Kathy is the mother of two daughters and currently resides in Park City, Utah, where she can usually be found hiking or biking when she’s not writing or recording her podcast.
The founder of Crush., Janis Nakano Spivack is a seasoned and curious creative who’s experienced old school and new as a passionate “mentern” working with GenX and Millenial collaborators.
Is this workshop for YOU? Probably!
This program has been designed from the ground up to be relevant at any age, and to welcome all people of all genders, races, identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We rise together. It will be particularly valuable for those who are navigating an important transition in their life that feels like it’s become protracted. Come prepared to be propelled.
This program has been designed from the ground up to be relevant for anyone seeking vitality in every stage of life. Tune into your beautiful body and feel your very best today and tomorrow.
Our MEA Core Curriculum
When making your workshop selection, trust you can’t go wrong as up to 70% of the content we deliver is consistent in each workshop, designed to help you reframe aging, break through life obstacles, tap into your deeper life purpose, and craft actionable takeaways based in a newfound, growth mindset.
Our work is structured with three takeaways in mind:
- Hacks: practical tools that you can practice while you are here.
- Habits: longer term practices that can impact your daily life.
- Practices: a point of inflection and reflection to support your ongoing journey. Shift your mindset as we provide you with: the space to ask great questions, the inspiration to think differently, the time to reflect and the resources to support your path.
Guest faculty then bring their unique content and experience to each week led by MEA staff.
Themed weeklong workshops are grounded in four primary pillars based upon collaboration with academics and prestigious institutions like Stanford, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale:
- Reframing Aging: highlighting what gets better as we get older
- Mindset: helping midlifers move from a fixed to a growth mindset in life
- Transitions: providing tools to help people navigate their midlife transitions
- Regeneration: introducing MEA’s four principles for living a life of renewal
Workshop Agenda & Flow
We’ve carefully and intentionally designed your days on campus to facilitate the best possible experience and maximize your investment into YOU! Here’s what a typical day looks like. Please note this itinerary could vary and your week is immersive and intensive so please leave the office at home. All times are Mountain Time.
- Breakfast 7 AM - 8 AM
- Mindfulness Practice 7:30 AM - 8 AM
- Workshop Sessions 10 AM - 1 PM
- Lunch and Break 1 PM - 3 PM
- Workshop Sessions 3 PM - 5:30 PM
- Dinner 6:30/7:00 PM
We also allow space and signups for massage sessions, a shaman session and surf lessons. You’ll be guided to the process on how to reserve your spot once on campus.
Getting Here
To help you plan your trip please arrive at the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) by 4 PM on the start date of your workshop and depart anytime on the last date. Our amazing Hospitality Team will coordinate your ground transportation on your behalf.
Envisioning yourself in a workshop, but have questions?
Consider it an investment in your future.
MEA tuition is $5,500 per person for a private room, or $4,000 per person for a shared room. Full-tuition attendees must deposit 50% upon application, with the balance due 30 days prior to arrival.
Please note: beginning January 2023, a 7% tax and $100 service fee will be added to your final invoice.
MEA workshops offer a unique, educational and experientially-dense program with world class teachers and a community of like-minded travelers. Our idyllic oceanfront campus provides a rich container for deep learning in an intimate cohort setting. Thus, cancellations impact MEA unlike other travel destinations. And, we do understand that we’re living in a new world when it comes to COVID-19 and travel. So, if you must cancel, we will do our very best to fill your spot in a workshop. See our policy under Payments and Cancellations.
We know that our entire society is made stronger when everyone has the opportunity to learn, participate, and grow, regardless of economic status. To support diverse learning we are committed to having a portion of our workshop participants receive an award. We offer two levels of financial aid on a need-aware basis.
The financial aid request is included in the workshop application form. Please be aware that we have more requests for aid than we have available.
Applying for full tuition is the only way to guarantee you’ll be accepted into your preferred workshop.
Applications requesting financial aid will be in a shared room with another participant of the same gender. Our Gold level will be placed on an upgrade list for a private room should one be available. This is not guaranteed. Exceptions for specific medical or personal conditions may be considered.
- Gold: $1,250 award (Participants are responsible for $2750 tuition.)
- Platinum: $2,500 award (Participants are responsible for $1500 tuition.)
- Please note: beginning January 2023, a 7% tax and $100 service fee will be added to your final invoice.
We will announce Gold-level awards or offer alternatives within 5 business days of application submission. We will announce Platinum-level awards no more than 5 weeks before the requested workshop start date.
Once accepted, full payment is due within 5 business days. Failure to complete payment within this time will result in your award and application being canceled.
Deposit and Tuition Payment Policy
For full-tuition students, a 50% deposit is due at the time of your application. Your acceptance will be confirmed within 3-5 business days. If we’re unable to confirm acceptance, your deposit will be automatically refunded. The balance is due 30 days before the start of your workshop.
Financial aid applicants will be notified of acceptance either within 3-5 business days for Gold Award level or within five weeks prior to the start of the workshop for Platinum Award level. The remainder of tuition is due in full within five business days of the award notification.
Our Refund Policy
As you read through our policies, please note we highly recommend purchasing Allianz travel insurance to cover unforeseen illness, travel complications, flight interruptions, and other emergencies. You can also get multiple quotes from Square Mouth.
Our 24-Hour Cancel Policy
Planning a trip to Mexico can be complicated. Rest assured you can cancel your workshop application and request a full refund of your deposit payment within 24 hours with no penalty.
Other Cancellation/Credit Requests
In the unlikely event MEA must cancel a workshop due to unforeseen circumstances, you will receive a full refund.
For participants needing to cancel after our 24-hour grace period, our policy is as follows:
30 Days or More Prior to Your Workshop Start Date
MEA understands life events can pop up, making traveling to your planned workshop not possible. Should you need to cancel your attendance to your planned workshop, MEA will provide a 1-time credit to move you to a new workshop within 3 months of the original workshop start date, based upon availability. There will be a $125 change fee added to your final invoice.
Should you not be able to attend one of the offered workshops or there is no remaining availability to move you, MEA will provide a refund minus a 5% administrative fee.
Less than 30 Days Prior to Your Workshop
Your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect you from unforeseen circumstances that may prevent you from attending for any reason including, but not limited to illness, travel interruptions, family emergencies, etc.
Upcoming Workshops
Mastery Week: Optimizing Longevity with the "Blue Zones" Founder
Mastery Week: Women's Power Play Book
Finding the Magic of Midlife
