Ten days at The Essence is a return to yourself. In the jungle outside Tulum, with your phone and distractions left behind, you create space to see clearly what is actually shaping your experience. Through reconnecting with your body, energy, nature, relationships, and perception, you begin to notice what has been running your life—and what you are ready to choose differently. At the heart of the retreat is one simple question: Where am I directing my attention, my energy, and my life—and is that where I truly want them to go? You may discover something both simple and profound: happiness was never waiting for your circumstances to change. It is available now. The ten days are an opportunity to experience that—not as an idea, but for yourself.
Stillness, detox, and guidance, held in a fixed daily rhythm. Each one shifts something on its own. Ten days of all three at once is a different order of thing.
After a few days without a screen to reach for, the mental noise settles on its own. You stop performing — no faces to keep up, no notifications to answer. The thoughts you've been outrunning start to surface, and there's nowhere to put them except here.
The detox brings things up. Your private hour with Chi is where you work with them. Part energy work, part conversation, adjusted to what you actually need. And it doesn't stop at the hour — he will be there to guide you through the rest of your days here too.
Everything you eat is plant-based, gluten-free, and low in sugar — designed to support the inner work, not distract from it. Porridge in the morning, a fresh juice at midday, a nourishing main meal, and a light dinner in the evening.
Devices go into a box upon arrival and stay there. No screens, no notifications, not even a clock. Attention span comes back. You remember what it's like to be in a room without also being somewhere else.
A private cabaña with A/C, or a bed in the shared cabaña with fans, a mixed dormitory for up to three guests of any gender who may not know each other. Both have an en-suite bathroom and their own entrance. One price covers the whole stay — the bed, the food, the teaching, all of it.
| 1 person | 2 people | |
|---|---|---|
| All dates | $2,888 | $3,999 |
| Per bed | |
|---|---|
| All dates | $1,777 |
Ten days here is a real commitment, so we begin with a conversation: a few words from you, then a call. Just write when you're ready.
Plenty of time for rest and reflection
Still unsure about something? That's normal — it's why we start with a conversation rather than a checkout.
Ask us anything →Yes. Devices go into a box on day one and come back on day ten. We hold an emergency number for family, and someone checks it daily — so you can be reached if it truly matters. Everything else can wait.
Not at all. Most people who come have little or no formal practice. Your session with Chi is where you get what you need, meeting you exactly where you are. And with a group this small, nothing about you gets overlooked. You don't need to prepare anything.
You have one private hour with Chi, and it's flexible by design: part energy session, part conversation, weighted to whatever you need. Chi doesn't work from a method or doctrine. It's direct observation and reflection, not advice-giving. Beyond that hour he's present throughout the ten days, so if you want to sit down with him, you say so. Your session is recorded, and before you leave Chi builds a personalized action plan from it and from what he's seen in you across the ten days.
Vegan, gluten-free, and intentionally low in sugar — built on whole, unprocessed ingredients. The morning meal is porridge with tropical fruit, midday is a fresh juice blend, the main meal is at 2:00 PM, and dinner in the evening is light. Tell us about any allergies or medical needs when you apply.
Yes. The gate is never locked and you can go whenever you want. The program is paid for as a whole, though, so leaving early doesn't refund the unused days.
A 30% deposit confirms your place and is not refundable once paid. The remaining balance is due 7 days before arrival, or 30 days before our Christmas and New Year dates. Inside that window the balance is also non-refundable. Cancel before it and the balance comes back to you in full.
We send full travel notes once your place is confirmed — the nearest station, the pickup time on arrival day, and how to coordinate with others in your cohort. Most people arrive together on the afternoon of day one.
