My Audacious Adventure
I recently got back from my very first trip to Mexico. I know, I know, I am practically the only adult over 50 on the west coast of North America who’d never been there before. I can’t explain exactly how that happened but I’m glad I remedied the situation. It wasn’t just any old trip though. I spent 2 weeks at MEA, aka The Modern Elder Academy, which is a “Midlife Wisdom School” outside of Todos Santos in Baja, Mexico. Part of their mission statement is “to build a community of inspired and empowered midlifers” which is, of course, right up my alley. Like me, they believe that “Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a calling.”
MEA came onto my radar this past January when a fellow coach friend mentioned she was heading there for a workshop, and as she described it to me I felt such an overwhelming feeling of “Yes, THIS!” that I knew I needed to go there myself. Their programming consists of varied, week-long workshops and what they call Sabbatical Sessions which are more DIY. While the workshop weeks are typically highly scheduled and intense, a “Sab Sesh” can be longer than a week and includes optional activities like morning mindfulness, yoga, communal meals and “structured conversations” which are essentially facilitated discussions around topics like transitions, values, power, trust and storytelling, etc… There are also extra experiences you can add on including surf lessons (not so much) and a session with a shaman (ding ding ding!). Within a couple of weeks I had booked my flights and was ready to go. (Note: paying your children’s college tuition with an Alaska Airlines card = lots of frequent flier miles. Yippee!).
But back to my “Yes, THIS!” moment…
The truth is that for the past few years, I’ve been feeling increasingly dull around the edges. I mostly blame it on social media and collective PTSD from the pandemic and the last 2 elections but there are a few additional factors in play. It’s an odd combination of sluggishness, impotent rage and shame coexisting with deep appreciation and gratitude for all of my privilege and blessings. My mind has regularly felt like the inside of a boxing ring as I allowed my thoughts to throw punches and fling me around. I’ve been periodically managing to get back on my feet again but rarely for very long.
Once I decided to press the GO button on a 2 week Sab Sesh I felt sharper than I had in months. I was going to have an audacious adventure! I hadn’t gone anywhere by myself for 2 full weeks since I had my kids, which meant at least 25 years, and while I was the teensiest bit nervous as I stepped out of my comfort zone, the overall anticipation was exhilarating.
I found my passport, dug out some summery clothes, packed and repacked my suitcase. I made sure I had my journal, my matcha and my sunscreen, sent in the required covid test and I was ready. When I checked into my flight I saw I’d been upgraded to first class (thanks again to that Alaska credit card) and it turned out I was in the front row of the plane with no one beside me. It felt like a wink from the Universe in a situation where one of my main objectives was to be able to better hear my own voice again.
What followed was 2 weeks of peace, beauty, connection, rest, delight and new experiences.
Every morning started with mindfulness meditation overlooking the ocean. There were 3 incredibly delicious meals each day, shared at a communal table with a variety of interesting people from all over the place. There were folks from London, Canada, Texas, Maine, the Bay Area, Santa Fe and more. There were around 15 of us when I arrived and that number fluctuated downwards and then back up over the 2 weeks I was there.There were some wonderful art classes (one of the other guests was an art teacher), a writing workshop, restorative sound baths, yoga flow and more. I read 2 whole books which, if I’m being honest, felt miraculous as I’ve barely had a decent attention span in like 2 years. The staff were genuinely kind and attentive, always greeting me with a smile and an,“Hola Lisa!” And holy sh*t, those sunsets …
My favorite thing (on the loose and purely optional schedule) were the “structured conversations.” They made me feel like I was scraping a layer of shmutz off my brain - and maybe my heart as well. Experiencing even a small modicum of learning, growth and connection with other souls in a totally safe container was just what this girl needed.
But my “Baja Aha” came from my experience with Saul the shaman. Saul grew up in Mexico City in an Orthodox Jewish home. Years of experiencing psychic “nudges” eventually led to him becoming a practicing shaman which he has been for the last 25-ish years.
He picked me up on a pitch black morning at 5:30 AM and proceeded to drive me to his “office,” which is a spot at the top of a cliff overlooking the desert, mountains and ocean. As we drove up the narrow, winding dirt road I was half tempted to ask if, as a shaman, he’d ever foreseen his death and did it involve us driving over the edge of this cliff together, but I thought better of it. When we arrived at the top he gave me a flashlight, some blankets and a little cushion and helped me get situated on a rocky perch with a view of where the sun would shortly appear. We did a meditation together and then he left me for a bit, with instructions to release any wishes or intentions.
I opened my eyes to magic. With my 360 view I could see a glorious sunrise over the distant mountains while all around me the sea and the cliffs were coming into view. I was utterly awed by the beauty and the vastness and the sheer magic of being alive in that moment, in that place. Unexpectedly I started crying and the tears kept coming as my heart cracked wide open. I sent some things out into the Universe (one of which came back to me the very next day!) and reveled in the joy of it all.
He returned a few minutes later and we moved to the other side of the cliff which overlooked the ocean. He lit some copal (a traditional incense), looked in my eyes, took my hands and gave me a reading during which he quite accurately talked about my kids, my husband and about myself and some things to pay attention to going forward. Afterwards we stood to do some final blessings and energetic cleansing and at that point I told him that I, too, was Jewish. He was delighted and suggested that together we do a shehecheyanu, which is a blessing to express gratitude to God for new and unusual experiences. It was the perfect way to finish, and the whole experience left me energized and buzzing for days.
More moments from my time in Baja included all the vibrant colors, the pomegranates and papayas getting ready to ripen, the endless bougainvillea and the smell of the sea. Also, yoga and meditation with dogs wandering in and out, walking with new friends to Cerritos (a nearby beach town) for fish tacos, hiking in Punta Loba, riding horses along the ocean just before sunset, sitting around a fire pit while being serenaded on guitar by by Yovani (who makes a killer margarita), poking around shops in Todos Santos and sharing Shabbat blessings with some challah that we got at Petit Lēon (a mind-blowing little French bakery where they sprout their grains and have a gluten-free menu). I also found out that awe, like what I experienced with Saul, is one of the pathways to Purpose (with a capitol P), but more riffing on that at a later date.
I left with new friends, profound gratitude, a sense of reconnection and renewal and a vow that I would come back again soon.
One thing is for certain: there will be more audacious adventures to come.
XO,
Lisa
