Freedom &
Sovereignty
Empress Retreat

Six days in the Costa Rican jungle for women in transition.

November 11–16, 2026
Apply for This Retreat→
An
Invitation
A woman in quiet reflection

Maybe the marriage ended. Maybe the house went quiet when the kids left, or the relationship you were counting on fell apart.

This retreat was created for exactly that season of a woman's life.

If you feel scattered by day, lonely at night and braced for what comes next, these six days in the mountains of Costa Rica are for you. Held in a safe circle of women, with nothing to manage, you will calm your nervous system and begin to release, reclaim and rise.

11:11

We begin on November 11, the 11:11 portal, a doorway where one chapter closes and another opens. We cross it together in an opening ceremony.

Is This For You?

You will feel at home in this circle if any of these are true for you.

  1. 01You have outgrown an identity, a relationship, a career, or a way of living.
  2. 02You want to reconnect with who you truly are.
  3. 03You are tired of living by other people's expectations.
  4. 04You are longing for deeper connection, adventure, and joy.
  5. 05You are ready to reclaim your power and create a life on your own terms.
  6. Apply for This Retreat→
The Experience

Moments from the week.

Women in a healing session
Sound healing bowls
Women gathered in circle
Hot pools at Verdesana
Plant-based cuisine
Yoga at Verdesana
Rose ceremony
Workshop space at Verdesana
The Six Days

Release.
Reclaim.
Rise.

Each day carries its own theme, with ceremonies, workshops and excursions woven around it. Afternoons are yours for the spa, the hot pools or simply resting in the jungle.

01
Day One

Cross the Threshold

Arrive at Verdesana, settle into your cabin and gather as a circle for dinner. That night we open with the 11:11 Ceremony, naming what we are leaving behind and what we are walking toward.

02
Day Two

Release

Morning yoga in the shala brings you back into your body. In the afternoon, the Release Workshop centres on a grief release ceremony, using breathwork and ritual to let go of grief, anger, guilt and stress. Sound Healing closes the evening.

03
Day Three

Reclaim

Walk the jungle trails to a waterfall for a chakra meditation and cleansing breathwork ceremony. After a free afternoon, the Reclaim Workshop shifts the focus from what you are letting go of to who you are choosing to be.

04
Day Four

Rise

The Quetzal is the Bird of Liberty, and it is the totem for this retreat.

At dawn we visit a local farm to see the Quetzal in the wild, a reminder that our spirits cannot thrive in cages that once felt safe. Afternoon yoga leads into the Rise Workshop, and at night the Fire Ceremony and fire performance help you step fully into your truth.

05
Day Five

Celebrate

After a morning at the local market, soak in the wood-fired hot pools set into the cloud forest. The Cacao Closing Ceremony and a final dinner lead into the DJ Dance Night with a female DJ, a celebration of your renewal.

06
Day Six

Return Transformed

Breakfast, goodbyes, and departure.

Throughout the retreat

Sacred rituals are threaded through the whole week.

Meditation, smudging, eye gazing, energy practices and chakra awareness. In free time you can also book spa treatments such as massage, Thai bodywork, Shiatsu and energetic grounding.

Tara Lynne Murphy
Your Guide

Tara Lynne
Murphy

Healing Arts Practitioner · Embodiment Guide
Touch of Earth Healing Arts, Asheville, NC

I drove an RV across the country alone and learned I could handle anything. Then I spent years in codependent relationships, the last one eight years long, and forgot. When I finally chose myself, I grieved, untangled the patterns, and found my voice.

Since then I have traveled solo through Europe, India, and Japan, and I have spent over 18 years in the healing arts, studying the mind through a Psychology degree, the body through massage school, the nervous system through CranioSacral Therapy, and the soul through Reiki Mastery, Light Language, and other energetic modalities. I co-founded the Appalachia Guild of Healing Arts and today I run my own practice in Asheville.

True freedom, if you ask me, is trusting yourself. As for my work, it rests on one belief: our energetic systems hold the key to lasting physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The woman on the other side of your fear is already waiting.

Let's go meet her.

What clients say
”
Tara not only listens to my concerns and what is going on in my personal life, but she feels it and allows God/Source to guide her in each session we have. I do not see her as just a massage therapist doing a job. She is a mentor and a friend.
Jennifer S. (Client)
”
Tara is a gifted healer and medical intuitive. She has also helped me to address some lingering emotional wounds that were preventing my body from completely healing itself. I highly recommend working with Tara for a very compassionate and insightful healing experience.
Program Client
”
She has built up my confidence in my intuition and in building my Reiki practice.
Reiki student
The Land

Verdesana
by Imiloa

Verdesana by Imiloa sits in the lush mountains of Costa Rica, a world-class wellness retreat center designed for transformation. That is exactly the environment we want you standing in while you decide what comes next.

Cloud forest trees at Verdesana
The Quetzal, Bird of Liberty
Cloud forest of Costa Rica
Jungle bridge in Costa Rica
Bananas growing at Verdesana
Verdesana cabins in the cloud forest
After

You will fly home from Costa Rica to the same life you left.

The divorce papers will still be filed, the house will still be quiet, the person you lost will still be gone. What changes is the woman who walks back through the door. Here is what the women who do this work tend to carry home.

01

A body that has stopped bracing.

The anxiety that has been running in the background quiets down. You respond to your life instead of reacting to it, and you can tell the difference.

02

A clear picture of what you are choosing next.

You leave having named the identity you are done with and the one you are stepping into. The crossroads stops feeling like a threat and starts feeling like a decision you get to make.

03

Sisters you did not have before.

The women in your circle will have stood at the same threshold you did. You will not have to explain yourself to them, and those friendships tend to outlast the retreat by years.

04

Light language codes and Reiki.

Tara works with light language activations and Reiki as part of her energetic practice. Both are offered during the ceremonies for those who wish to receive them, and many women describe the effects as something they continue to feel long after the retreat ends.

05

A memory you can return to.

The Quetzal in the wild, the fire, the waterfall, the dance floor under the night sky. When the old patterns call, you will have something true to remember instead.

Release. Reclaim. Rise. That is the shape of the week, and it is the shape of what you take home.

Claim Your Throne

Every tier includes the full retreat.
The only difference is where you sleep.

Empress Suite
$3,333

A cozy shared sanctuary with forest views.

  • ◆Two queen beds and a shared ensuite bathroom
  • ◆Furnished deck with a writer's desk
Royal Chamber
$3,777

Your own room, a shared home.

  • ◆Your own private queen bedroom
  • ◆Shared living room
  • ◆Forest, garden, or mountain views
Private Castle
$4,444

A cabin entirely your own.

  • ◆An entire cabin to yourself
  • ◆Private ensuite bathroom
  • ◆Queen bed
  • ◆River and forest views
Most private
VIP Queendom
$5,222

Complete privacy and restoration.

  • ◆An entire cabin to yourself
  • ◆King bed
  • ◆Private soaking tub
  • ◆Fireplace
  • ◆Mountain-top location
Ways to save
  • ◆Pay in full through Wise and save $500.
  • ◆Bring a friend and you will both receive a discount of $200 each.
  • ◆Payment plans are available on every tier.
Cabin interior at Verdesana
Gym at Verdesana
Dining area at Verdesana
Cabin exterior at Verdesana
Apply for This Retreat→
The Details

What is included.

  • ◆Airport transportation
  • ◆Five nights in your chosen cabin
  • ◆All gourmet vegetarian meals, three per day, plus snacks and drinks throughout the day
  • ◆Full retreat programming: opening and closing ceremonies, the Release, Reclaim, and Rise workshops, yoga, and meditation
  • ◆Grief release somatic ceremony
  • ◆Sound healing and cacao ceremony
  • ◆Waterfall excursion and Quetzal tour
  • ◆Fire ceremony with artistic fire performance
  • ◆Wood-fired hot pools and spa access
  • ◆DJ dance night
  • ◆Local market visit

What is not included.

  • —Flights to and from Costa Rica
  • —Personalized spa treatments (at additional cost)
  • —Purchases at the local market
  • —Travel insurance
FAQ

Questions you may be holding.

Is this a spiritual retreat?+

This is a women's empowerment retreat that weaves in spiritual practices to help you connect more deeply with yourself. The week includes meditation, smudging, ceremonial cacao, fire ritual, eye gazing, energy practices, and chakra awareness. You do not need any prior experience with these practices, only a willingness to participate.

Is alcohol served?+

No. This is an alcohol and substance free retreat.

What if I have dietary restrictions?+

Before you arrive you will receive a form for allergies and dietary needs. All meals are vegetarian, and Verdesana's kitchen team prepares food with each guest's restrictions in mind.

How do I get to Verdesana?+

Airport transportation is included in every tier.

Can I pay over time?+

Yes. Payment plans are available on every cabin tier. If you prefer to pay in full, paying through Wise gives you a discount.

The Threshold

November 11 is a doorway. On the other side is the woman you are becoming.

Freedom & Sovereignty Empress Retreat
November 11–16, 2026 · Verdesana by Imiloa, Costa Rica

Apply for This Retreat→

Touch of Earth Healing Arts · Asheville, NC

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