p h e n o m e n a
an embodied retreat
A weeklong retreat for changemakers & community leaders at the edge of transition
you are invited to 7 days, 6 nights in
PÄhoa, Hawaiāi, October 22-28 2025
We are calling in leaders, caregivers, artists, educators, and cultural stewards
those whose work ripples outward
join us for a 7-day immersive retreat rooted in somatic practice, earth connection, and regenerative leadership.
PHENOMENA is an application-only,
week-long somatic retreat on the
Big Island of Hawaiāi
held for those who are constantly holding others. This is for the visionaries, social workers, facilitators, creatives, bridge-builders, and cycle-breakers who are doing the slow, necessary work of cultural change. Not to escape it, but to be resourced for it.
This retreat offers land connection, somatic tools, spacious integration, and communal nourishment. Itās not just about rest. Itās about remembering your aliveness. So you can keep going ā not from depletion, but from wholeness.
At PHENOMENA, we donāt study from a book.
We study from the body, the elements, and the interconnected web of lifeālike the roots of the Mother Tree, the ancient forest matriarchs that nourish the entire ecosystem. Research by Suzanne Simard shows that these trees send nutrients, information, and care through underground fungal networks to support surrounding life. What if our leadership functioned the same way?
āTrauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence. The body is the portal.ā - Peter Levine
Meet Your Guides
Kendra Adler & Malia Wright-Merer
We are somatic facilitators, cultural stewards, and longtime friends
with a shared devotion to this question:
what would it be like to not rush?
to pause? to listen to the space in between?
what emerges when we rest, and when we play?
how do we show up when we are resourced, in our bodies,
our leadership, and our communities?
PHENOMENA was born from this inquiry,
and from our own lived experiences of burnout, transition, deep grief, loss, confusion and the slow return to the body through land and relationship.
Together, we bring decades of training in somatics, embodiment, trauma integration, community facilitation, and healing-centered leadership. We also bring laughter, gentleness, silliness and a fierce commitment to honoring complexity.
We are not your only guides
We invite the guides of the land, Ź»Äina: lava, rock, ocean, gecko, fern, and the fierce energy of Pele (goddess of fire, lightning, volcanoes, and wind, as well as the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.) While honoring the native Hawaiian people who steward this land.
This retreat is about listening, resourcing, remembering our own indigeneity and how we can emerge into collective creation.
We are honored to guide this space for other changemakers and cultural leaders navigating their own thresholds.
We invite you
to EBB with us,
to RETREAT with us
on these sacred lands.
who
is this for?
PHENOMENA is for you if...
You are a community builder, leader, artist, educator, therapist, activist, or facilitator whoās been quietly (or loudly) holding a lot.
You are tired
Youāre craving a space where you donāt have to explain the complexity of what you do ā because everyone in the room understands that healing and leadership are layered, relational, and often invisible.
You long to reconnect with your body, with the land, and with something deeper than strategy.
Youāre seeking a new way to lead, one that is cyclical, relational, and resourced ā not burnt out, over-functioning, or constantly pushing.
PHENOMENA is especially for:
Those navigating transition (personally, professionally, or spiritually)
Those moving through grief, change, or a reshaping of identity
Those who are often āthe ones people come to,ā and need a space to receive
Those who are overwhelmed and overextended ā and are ready to feel their own bodies again
the
experience
A full week (7 days / 6 nights) held in sacred, living landscape on the Big Island of Hawaiāi ā a place shaped by fire, lava, and regeneration
Daily somatic practices ā gentle movement, breathwork, creative exploration, and deep listening ā all trauma-informed, consent-based, and nervous-system aware
Earth-based rituals that help you remember how to be in relationship with land, body, and the more-than-human world
Time to be alone, time to be together, time to feel what youāve been too busy to feel
A curated, intimate group of fellow changemakers and leaders who are also longing for depth, slowness, and soul-aligned connection
Nourishing plant-based meals prepared daily, and open-air cottages where you can sleep to the rhythm of frogsong and ocean breeze
Learn various somatic approaches: Body-Mind CenteringĀ®, Ayurvedic Lineage, Word As Movement.
15-minute jungle walk to the ocean and volcanic thermal ponds
Excursions and embodied explorations with Kehana Black Sand Beach & HawaiŹ»i Volcanoes National Park
Airport Transfers from Hilo International
Airport (ITO)
investment
investment
the investment rages $2700-3500, depending on shared or private room (including lodging, airport transfers, meals, workshops and excursions). Financial assistance is offered for those seeking support.
Does this spark curiosity?
Our nest
Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center (KMEC) in PÄhoa, Hawaiāi, offers a wonderful spiritual uplifting environment to heal and grow. Located a half mile from the beach, this sanctuary has access to swimming, fresh fruits, thermal ponds and the newest black sand beach in the world created by the 2018 lava flow. We will be fed by this land, by the stewards who take care of them, and we will return the gesture of care.
Imagine,
releasing the buzz of our phones and computers and being immersed fully in relationship to land.
Sleeping in screened-in retreat bungalows, feeling the ocean breeze and listening to songs of koki frogs at night.
we reconnect to our own indigeneity,
our deep belonging to place, to ancestry, to life
what we practice here
doesnāt stay here
it comes home with us and moves beyond us
in how we lead, love, care and create
this is not just a retreat
it is a return to relational power
PHENOMENA (n), to bring light to, what which is seen, that which appears
this is a return
to land
to body
to the quiet knowing that we are not separate
here, we learn to resource differently
not through strategy, but through relationship
we listen to the earth
we let it shape how we move, lead, and care
FAQs
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To cultivate an intimate experience, this retreat is capped at 12 participants.
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Roundtrip ground transportation to/from Hilo International Airport*
6 nights lodging at Kirpal Meditation & Ecological Center
Daily workshops, excursions and explorations led by Malia and Kendra
Plant-based and gluten-free meals prepared by professional chefs
An hand gathered curiosity and exploration toolkit
Free time to explore the property, visit the nearby soaking thermal pools and new black sand beaches, or enjoy your personal practice
*Ground transportation included if arriving/departing October 18 and 24, 2025
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Airfare to/from Hilo International Airport
Gratuity for the wonderful staff
Travel insurance (We recommend Travelex insurance)
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If you wish to cancel your retreat registration you must notify us in writing at info@ebbwithus.com.
Once weāve received your notice, cancellation will take effect subject to the following:
Cancel prior to August 24th, 2025:
Full refund (less $500 nonrefundable deposit)
If cancellation takes place prior to August 24th, 2025, any payments made will be refunded minus your $500 nonrefundable deposit.
Cancel after August 24th, 2025 & prior September 24th, 2025:
50% refund (less $500 nonrefundable deposit)
If cancellation takes place after August 24th, 2025 & prior September 24th, 2025, 50% of the retreat payments paid up to date of cancellation will be forfeited plus the $500 nonrefundable deposit.
Cancel after September 24th, 2025:
No refund
If cancellation takes place after May 22nd, 2025, 100% of the retreat price will be forfeited.
Please note: We are sorry but injury and illness do not disqualify you from any of the above cancellation policies. No exceptions will be granted.
Cancellations due to COVID still fall within the parameters of the general refund policy.
We recommend travel insurance to help you plan for the unexpected.
Reminder: $500 deposit due with registration is nonrefundable.
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To support our efforts to have the financial means to prepare your retreat to the best ability, paying in full is preferred if you have the means, BUT, Yes! Payment plans are available!
Payment plans run over a 5 month period starting at $550 per month.
Your registration is activated by paying a $500 nonrefundable deposit. (either the first payment of recurring payment or the first $500 if paid in full)
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We want to make sure the retreat is supportive and safe for everyone.
Guest safety is a priority for Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center. All guests will be required to follow public health regulations from state and country departments at all times. Closer to the retreat those current guidelines will be sent to all participants and staff.
In addition to following state and country guidelines, participants *may* be required to provide the following by Company and/or Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center, depending on the current state of affairs:
Negative Covid test between 24-72 hours prior to arrival at Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center on Friday, August 22nd, 2025
Failure to comply with any government COVID safety requirements, Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center protocols, will result in your forfeit of the retreat experience, any costs paid to the retreat, and any out of pocket expenses.
COVID testing expenses will be at the cost of retreat participant.
Cancellations due to COVID still fall within the parameters of the general refund policy.
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Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center (KMEC) in Pahoa, Hawaiāi, offers a wonderful spiritual uplifting environment to heal and grow. Located a half mile from the beach, this sanctuary has access to swimming, fresh fruits, thermal ponds and the newest black sand beach in the world created by the 2018 lava flow.
About a 75-minute drive from Hilo International Airport, Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center [KMEC] is a 10-acre organic orchard with over 30 different trees planted with the intention of providing food and healing.
KMEC celebrates life in its myriad forms. We live in harmony with the jungle environment, which means you will probably encounter harmless creatures such as spiders, geckos and occasionally mongoose.
We have the least amount of mosquitos on this side of the island due to our constant trade winds, and we do provide 100% natural repellents if you need it. Our accommodations are simple and comfortable, with no televisions or phones.
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KMEC enjoys Hawaiiās ideal climate: Light ocean breezes, sunny days, pleasant year-round temperatures (65-85Ā°F) and occasional tropical showers.
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Hilo International Airport (airport code ITO).
The airlines that fly in/out of ITO:
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Transfers to/from Hilo International Airport [ITO] to KMEC is included in the price of the retreat if they fall on the retreat dates of August 22 and August 28, 2025 only.
Transfers included with the retreat costs include (1) one-way from ITO to KMEC and (1) one-way transfer from KMEC to ITO Airport.
Anything outside of these transfer dates will be at your own expense.
*masks may be required during shuttle travel*
We suggest arriving at ITO by 3pm on August 22, 2025.
This will allow you plenty of time to gather your luggage and make the 60-minute journey to KMEC in time for sunset, dinner and āOpening Circleā (If arriving at that time isnāt a possibility, not to worry!).
We suggest departure flights to be booked after 3pm on August 28th, 2025.
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If you are looking to book a room at the double room rate but plan on traveling solo, we can help you with that!
We are happy to pair you up with a fellow traveler looking for a roommate during the retreat.
Please email us at info@ebbwithus.com if you are interested in getting paired with a roommate.
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The KMEC cabins have all been built by hand and are designed to be in harmony with the trees and nature surrounding them.
KMEC is a fully integrated with state-of-the-art solar power and water purification systems, yet still has all the features of any āon-gridā facility, including:
Normal flush toilets
Instant hot water
Full electricity in each room
Free WiFi
This ensures you are comfortable and never feel like you are āoff-gridā living.
KMEC amenities include:
Fresh linens, blankets and towels
Full service laundry facility
Comfortable beds
Free wireless internet service
Ocean views over the orchard
Sound of the surf in the distance
Salt water swimming in thermal warm ponds just a half mile away at Isaac Hale Park
Safe, peaceful, healing ambiance with many flowering plants
Freshest air on the planet from the fragrant Trade Winds
Clear and beautiful star gazing
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We will bring in the intention to unplug during this retreat. To create the most space to connect with our environment.
If there is an emergency, AT&T phone and data works fine at KMEC. KMEC has poor Verizon reception and other carriers vary. Wifi connected forms of communication will also work. There is no landline onsite.
Wireless internet is available in many areas of the property. Usage is free. There is wi-fi at the dining area and yoga studio. Large downloads are strongly discouraged (it slows down bandwidth for everyone).
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You will have an opportunity to share your dietary concerns. We will do our best to accommodate your requests.
All meals at KMEC are plant-based, gluten-free, and prepared onsite by professional chefs. When possible the meals incorporate ingredients from the 10-acre organic orchard.
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Our suggested items so your retreat experience is most comfortable:
A personal Journal & pen
Art supplies (option to bring crayons, pastels, colored pencils or watercolors, etc)
Disposable camera or point and shoot camera (digital or film) if you want to stay āofflineā and off your phone
Reef-safe sunscreen
Comfortable clothing and layers
Comfy movement clothes
Bathing suit (2-3 might be nice to have)
Sunglasses
Sun hat
Sandals, flip flops
Walking shoes for exploring the property (shoes that you donāt mind getting dirty)
Lidded tea/coffee mug
Reusable water bottle
Personal hygiene items
Any medications/supplements you use
Headlamp/small flashlight
Earplugs & Eye mask (especially if sharing a room or sensitive to nighttime nature sounds)
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Due to the nature of the property, there are stairs and rough lands. If you to have an accessibility request that will make your experience better, please email us at info@ebbwithus.com.
Iām invested!
This retreat expercience is to step into the new,
Tuning into the phenomena
of yourself, what is possible, what transforms, in the
aliveness within the earth.
This creates a ripple effect
in our personal ecosystem and
our communal ones.
May this space
continue to
teach us for many cycles
after we gather.
see you there.
Much love,
Malia & Kendra
*we want to acknowledge that this experience is on native Hawaiian land. To honor the caretakers of the land and acknowledging the sacredness of this place a portion of the proceeds from this retreat will go towards an organization to support these intentions.