IMILOA PRESENTS
Learn the Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic
June 6-11, 2023
About The Retreat
“Pain pushes until inspiration pulls.”
~ Michael Beckwith
Difficult, painful, even tragic things will happen in our lives, no matter how high we build our castle walls, how many degrees we have, or how many likes we get on social media. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, and what we’re going to do when it does. In fact, according to an article published in Time magazine, it takes five to eight years to recover from a debilitating loss…unless you actively engage in the work it takes to alchemize it.
Much like our nightmares, each of life’s unexpected mishaps and misfortunes are an opportunity for self-growth and exploration. The Chinese got it right with their word for crisis: the symbol for “danger” and “opportunity.” In other words, we each can identify ourselves as the victim—“woe is me”—or as victorious: “Wow! There’s me! I survived!”
In this retreat, award-winning, bestselling author and dream expert, Doctor Kelly Sullivan Walden takes you on a deep dive into what she shares in her latest breakthrough book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste, best practices for finding miracles amid our darkest moments. Based on her personal and professional experience as a certified clinical hypnotherapist for the past 20 years, Kelly says, “I’ve found that the best way to overcome a tragic (or even slightly irritating) circumstance, is to truly look at it through an empowering lens.”
Kelly has reclaimed the word “ogle” from its historic bad rap definition: to stare at something in a lecherous manner. She suggests we deeply perceive our circumstances, as in to ogle them through a healing lens, using her 4-step OGLE method:
O: Identify the offending behavior.
G: Find the good in the offending behavior.
L: Determine how you’re peering into the looking glass.
E: Ask how this will elevate you, or what elevated action you will take.
In the “A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste” retreat we’ll explore Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). We’ve all heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but few know about PTG, the phenomena of extreme transformation that can follow a traumatic event. According to PTG, people who endure an adverse circumstance can experience radically positive growth afterward … if they access tools to create a life-serving context for what they’ve survived.
Are you ready to transform your tragic into magic and manifest your dreams?
Book now to do less and accomplish (way) more while you sleep.
Retreat Experience
DAY 1 – Tuesday, June 6th
Arrival
DAY 2 – Wednesday, June 7th
What’s your WHY?
We will explore your intention for being on the retreat. When the WHY is big enough, the WHAT and HOW fall into place.
You’ll call in your resources to support you on this leg of your journey – and discover you are stronger, bigger, and more powerful than the difficulties you face.
DAY 3 – Thursday, June 8th
Release your Nitty, Gritty, Shitty List
Download the difficulties you’ve been carrying with you; your list of aches, pains, woes, worries, and fears. In other words, what are the Offending behaviors and/or situations in your life? This is where you have permission to hurl, whine, blame, and judge. By illuminating what offends you, you make space for grace to take place.
DAY 4 – Friday, June 9th
What’s GOOD about it?
This is where you become a detective on the hunt for the gift horse in disguise, aka, “the miracle in the mud.” Even if it seems impossible that there could be anything good. For example, you’ll look for the intention behind the behavior, or consider what happened may be revealing your moral value on the opposite end of the scale from the triggering offense.
DAY 5 – Saturday, June 10th
Peer into the Looking Glass and Elevate
One of the most life-changing things we can do when we find ourselves triggered is to peer into the Looking Glass. First you’ll wrap yourself in a blanket of compassion, then look in the mirror while asking yourself “Have I ever, or how might I ever … or have I even thought about doing the same offensive behavior … even to the most microscopic degree?”
Then we’ll explore the question “How will I allow this situation to Elevate me?” This is where you identify a baby step you will take, toward higher ground, with regards to this issue/situation. You’ll create an action plan to course-correct and the more you ever upward toward becoming the best version of yourself you can possibly be.
DAY 6 – Sunday, June 11th
Departure
What You Will Learn
Besides getting to work on your dreams up-close-and-personal with Doctor Dream, Kelly Sullivan Walden, in a gorgeous, lush location, with delicious food and exquisite accommodations, through the A Crisis Is A Terrible Thing to Waste workshop, you’ll be empowered to:
- Look for and find the gold in the midst of any all challenges you have faced or will face
- Heal the wounds that stand in the way of your greatest dream-life expression.
- Shift your perspective to become the OGLER (instead of the victim or OGER)
What You Will Discover
In addition to learning/experiencing the 4 step OGLE formula for transforming the tragic into magic, you will discover how to:
Become an alchemist of your dreams and nightmares
Decode your dreams
Enhance your radar to magnetize more MOMs “Moments of Magic” (and high-vibe people, circumstances and opportunities) into your life
In other words, you’ll leave the retreat, with the OGLE formula in your back pocket, able to transform the tragic into magic at will, so you can more boldly live the life you came here to live.
Your Host
Dr. Kelly Sullivan Walden
Dr. Kelly Sullivan Walden is on a mission to awaken the world to the power of dreams. A dream enthusiast of both the sleeping and waking kind, people often refer to her as “Doctor Dream.” She’s no stranger to transforming the tragic into magic. In her new book, A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste: The Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic, she shares candidly about when she was robbed; her disruptive and oh-so-inconvenient hot flashes; a producer’s proposition of sex in exchange for a career-making television role; being there for friends during life-threatening crises, crashing in a hot-air balloon; a near-death experience, climbing up the wrong side of a volcano, and an adoptive daughter who never came home.
As a “dream expert” she’s had the honor of interpreting dreams for Doctor Oz, Ricki Lake, George Noory (Coast to Coast and Beyond Belief), the hosts from The Real, Logan Paul, Stassi Schroeder (Vanderpump Rules), Topher Grace, the Housewives of NY and the O.C. and many more. She’s the bestselling author of seven books, two journals, four oracle decks (Dream Oracle Cards, Dream Goddess Empowerment Deck, Awakened Dreamer Oracle Cards), and two apps. Her books include, I Had the Strangest Dream, It’s All in Your Dreams, Dreaming Heaven, Dream Oracle Cards, The Love, Sex & Relationship Dream Dictionary, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions, and Dreams and the Unexplainable, and Luminous Humanness. She is the multi-award-winning author of The Hero’s Journey Dream Oracle cards, journal, meditations, and app … Her latest book work of heart is A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: The Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic.
She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, and is a certified clinical hypnotherapist, whose unique approach to dream therapy led her to become a trusted advisor, coach and consultant, enriching the lives of thousands of individuals, including Fortune 500 executives, UN ambassadors, celebrities, inner-city kids, and stay-at-home moms. She is an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and the host of The Kelly Sullivan Walden Show on www.MindBodySpirit.FM (available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify).
Receive free gifts and learn more about Kelly’s work at:
www.KellySullivanWalden.com
Facebook: KellySullivanWaldenDreams
Twitter and Instagram: KellySWalden
Tiktok: KellySullivanWald
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KellySWalden
Testimonials
Death never happens no matter what anyone tells you! There is only life… in all its iterations. I was lucky to share that with Kelly Sullivan Walden after her near-death experience, of which she writes about in this book. Once we know that life doesn’t end when the body does, we can get on with the business of living with more freedom and joy. That’s what Kelly talks about in this book—she gives us the steps and tools to transform our tragic into magic…one metaphorical or literal lightning strike at a time!
As Carl Jung once said, ‘One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.’ In Kelly Sullivan Walden’s latest book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste, she does just that. She not only reveals her own shadowy stories and shares how she mined the gold from them, but she leaves a trail of breadcrumbs behind, along with a system to help us take our disempowered stories and transform them into the launching pad for our greatest compassion and contribution to humanity. And she does all this with the ability to belly-laugh at the dark, making sure it has no choice but to turn into light.
I hope your life is filled with grace, ease, and phenomenal prosperity. However, if you should encounter a bump in the road or any type of difficulty, my wish for you is that you learn how to see that life is never happening to you but for you. This is one of the reasons why I love Kelly Sullivan Walden’s book, A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste. It teaches us an enlightened perspective on how to perceive our tribulations and transform them into jubilation. The medicine in her 4-step OGLE process is truly life changing. I hope this book impacts you at least half as much as it has me!
Could there be a more important time in our lives to learn the energy-healing tools to pull ourselves out of the mud than now? I don’t think so. In fact, to become able to transform our tragic moments into magic moments (as quickly and thoroughly as possible) is the name of the game. This is why I wholeheartedly recommend Kelly Sullivan Walden’s latest book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste. This book is for anyone who wants to make the most at their difficulties to become the best version of themselves—to be able to pay it forward and make a difference on this planet.
A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste reveals how the darkest traumas and misfortunes of our private histories can be transformed into treasure in the form of deeper purpose. In this brave and innovative book, Kelly Sullivan Walden takes the mystery out of such alchemy by systematically revealing, through personal stories and her breakthrough 4-step method, how to face and embrace our nightmares (both waking and sleeping) in order to transmute them into fuel for creating the life of our dreams. This empowering book provides the gift of clarity—the means through which to excavate the mud of our pasts and uncover glimmers of our unique purpose for being alive.
For many of us, one of the muddiest areas of our lives is in the realm of our intimate relationships. If we want to attract and sustain the soulmate relationship of our dreams, we need to stop glossing over our heartbreaks. Instead, we need to read Kelly Sullivan Walden’s latest book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste, to help us shine a bright light on our crippling love-life woes to transform them into WOWs—and thus, become magnetic to the love we desire and deserve.
Having our dream life—a life where our greatest desires come to pass—is our birthright. But it doesn’t materialize without us learning some hard lessons along the way. I prefer the easy way—don’t get me wrong—but I’m grateful for my missteps and challenges because they’ve deepened me and given me access to valuable aspects of my inner wisdom that I never would’ve discovered otherwise. To help us flip the tragic into magic, I recommend the radically simple but profound 4-step process Kelly Sullivan Walden writes about in her book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste.
From one who is no stranger to the mud, phenomenal Kelly and her amazing book is the perfect inspiration to remind us to STOP wasting our funky moments—they are so deliciously (albeit intensely) rife with learning, growing…and let’s face it, Sacred Exfoliation! I highly recommend it as a way to ensure the transformation of your tragic into your magic.
We all face adversities, challenges, and many face crisis that leave them paralyzed.
But what if in these times the gold is hidden under the mud? Kelly ignites us with practical
tools and soulful wisdom to find our inner magician to free us from our personal cage and give
us wings to believe that indeed we are the alchemist of our own life! And how grand is that?!
Read the treasures of this book and find your magic tools.
Never in history (most certainly not in my history) has the bleep hit the fan more than it has lately. I am deeply aware of the fact that life can make us either bitter or better. This is why I love Kelly Sullivan Walden’s latest book, A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste. It helps us get down to the nitty gritty, to not just tolerate but celebrate the things in life that tip us upside down and shake us by the ankles. With Kelly’s OGLE process, you’ll learn how to quickly transform your tragic into magic.
When it appears like things are falling apart, a new world is trying to emerge—a world of higher values and vision. A world that works for the highest good of all. But it can’t happen apart from us. We each need to participate in this emergence by becoming the change we want to see in the world (personally, professionally, and globally). For this reason, I’m so excited about my friend Kelly Sullivan Walden new book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste. She gets into the nitty-gritty in her simple 4-step formula to teach us all how to transform our most difficult moments into a springboard into our greatest emergence.
Everyone in my world knows that I am a huge proponent of falling in love with our shadows. My dear friend, Kelly Sullivan Walden has written a book of her own personal shadows and her process of not just tolerating them but celebrating them. When I think of the world I want to live in, it’s one where we all stop glossing over or ignoring our difficulties and most painful memories, but one where we love them so much they become our access point to truly making a difference in other people’s lives and creating great meaning in our own.
Ticket Pricing
TRIPLES
$3,200
PER PERSON
DOUBLES
$3,600
PER PERSON
SINGLES
$4,200
PER PERSON
SINGLES
$4,600
PER PERSON
VIP SINGLES
$5,500
PER PERSON
Included
A completely private campus; available to your retreat group only. Access to a private waterfall, nature paths, incredible flora and fauna, and an ocean view infinity pool. Also included is a dedicated team of 20+ local professionals to coordinate everything for your enjoyment, from touch down to take off.
Private transportation from the International airport to our campus; a private driver and transportation to our campus in Imiloa Mountain.
What’s Not Included
Flights to SJO, Spa Services
THE VENUE
You will be immersed in a 22-acre jungle oasis in Dominical, Costa Rica.
This enchanted mountainside jungle venue is ten minutes from the beach and it is the perfect setting to experience deep healing, embraced by nature, yet completely luxurious.
While staying at Imiloa you will enjoy our nature paths, our private waterfall, our salt-water pool, stunning views and delicious and nutritious meals by our five-star vegan chef.
Accommodations
Included in each accommodation is the comfiest mattresses, 850 thread count sheets, storage space and dry rooms as needed, fiber optic internet, daily cleaning service, private en-suite bath, indoor/outdoor design for every accommodation with a focus on nature and being your private refuge, and full service, thrice-filtered private well for drinking water throughout the property.
BALI VILLAGE
Bali Village is perched 1200 feet about the Pacific Ocean, on a ridge line of flora, fauna and wildlife every direction you look. These 5 accommodations are 160-200 year old homes imported from Bali. Each with their own en suite bathrooms, the homes bring you back and create a self space for rejuvenation and transformation.
BALI MASTER SUITE
200 Year Old Homes from Bali. Imported from the Java Islands, these homes boast outdoor showers, full kitchen access, surreal vista views to the Pacific, their own salt water plunge pools and hand-carved art that is as old as the houses.
JOGOLO HOUSE
Perched on the edge of the cliff, at the furthest end of the property, sits a 170 year old home from the Java Islands we call Jogolo. Complete with a writer’s desk, outdoor Balinese shower, hand-carved architecture that will transport you to another land and time, Jogolo is teeming with history and comfort. Your cold plunge pool is adjacent to a warm bath, both outdoor. Full kitchen, too.
POTOO HOUSE
This two-floor imported home from Bali will have you wishing you’d never leave. Complete with a King Bed and a twin in the corner of the 180 year old home, Potoo has modern luxury with 360 views of the Pacific. On the lower level, a plunge pool and private spa. Potoo also includes many outdoor chairs, hammocks and a full kitchen, too.
BUNGALOW HILL
Six Jungle Bungalows built on the side of the mountain on the pathway to our very own private waterfall. Bali inspired, the interiors feature natural finishings and a gorgeous exposed shower and bath tub.
DOMELAND
Six Buckminster Fuller inspired Geodesic River Domes, among the best made in the world and partially powered by solar energy, sit perched on the edge of our private river with the fresh, flowing water feeding up to the domes. Experience the soothing sounds of relaxing and sleeping next to flowing water. Amazing!
THE HOUSE OF MASTERS
The House of Masters, located in the center of the property, is a 2,000 square foot Balinese structure hanging 100 feet in the Jungle canopy. Adjacent are restrooms and a yoga storage room for mats, blocks and more. The space can be converted for any type of retreat, workshop or dance party.
THE HEART OF IMILOA
A sprawling 3,000 square foot space that is the “Heart of Imiloa,” our social space features loungy, multicultural inspired furnishings, couches, and 5 imported tables from Bali, all under a Polynesian style roof.
THE PATHS
Jungle paths connect the 20+ acres at Imiloa, with hand-made stairs and lighting, creating an immersive, easy experience for you and guests.
THE WATERFALL
Beyond the Jungle Bungalows is a path that leads to our own private waterfall. Descend into what feels like an enchanted jungle forest as you bask in the magic and beauty of the surrounding nature.
Food
Spa
Imiloa’s world-class spa is a curated, sensual and deeply moving experience. Choose from Ayurvedic massages and practices, to a shamanic masseuse from our team members who are from the Boruca indigenous tribe here in Costa Rica, to more traditional Swedish, relaxation or Thai yoga massages, body wraps and others. A full list of spa offerings and a link to book during your free time will be provided to you before you arrival.
LUXURY TRANSPORTATION
- Schedule your plane to arrive at SJO. In order to access your private plane charter, all guests must be at the Domestic Terminal at SJO San Jose, Costa Rica no later than 3PM on the arrival day.
- Once landed, proceed to customs and instructions will be provided to meet Imiloa concierge.
- Proceed to baggage claim with concierge and proceed to Domestic Terminal (3 minute walk from International Terminal). Please be at the Domesitc Terminal at SJO San Jose, Costa Rica no later than 3PM on your day of arrival.
- Private Imiloa plane will be waiting to fly you to Quepos.
- Private ground transport shuttles will pick you up in Quepos and bring you to Imiloa.
- If you are already in Costa Rica, ground transport may be coordinated from Quepos, Dominical or Uvita as inclusive.
- Please do not plan to drive to Imiloa on your own. It is not permitted.
- If you need to arrive the day before, please stay at the Hampton Inn across from the airport, or plan to be in the San Jose Domestic Terminal for private flight to Imiloa by no later than 3PM (instructions will be emailed).
- You will depart Imiloa at 9AM, and arrive at the landing strip at 9:30AM, with an estimated arrival to SJO airport at 10:30AM. The domestic terminal is a 5-10 minute walk to the international terminal at SJO. Typically, it is suggested to be at the international terminal 2.5 hours prior to your international departure. Please book your departing international flight accordingly, knowing that you will be at the airport at 10:30AM on departure day.
Questions? Email us: impact@imiloainstitute.com
TRAVEL INSURANCE
- Imiloa has partnered with a comprehensive travel insurance provider that meets the entry requirements for Costa Rica and offers “cancel for any reason” plans to maximize coverage: www.globalrescue.com/imiloa (additional cost)
- We follow cleansing and sanitization protocols as per Ministry of Health to ensure a safe environment
- Staff and retreat participants are asked to follow and safety guidelines such as social distancing, washing of hands, and proper mask wearing.
Team
Location
Imiloa is located in the jungle, at the top of a mountain, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our lush retreat center is located adjacent to the second most biodiverse land on the planet.
Dominical, only 13 minutes away, is a beach town with surfer vibes, great coffee and plenty of shopping. Just north of our municipality is Quepos and to the south, Ojochal and Uvita, which is known as the Whale’s Tail.
Just 45 minutes east sits Costa Rica’s second largest city, San Isidro. Within an hour of Imiloa in all directions, you have access to airports, cafes, beaches, waterfalls, biodiversity and happy people ready to show you the lush, lovely area we call home.
You’ll arrive easily on our private plane, and your group will enjoy unlimited transportation to and from the beach, to and from the airport and throughout your stay with us.
