LISTEN • EMBODY • CONNECT • COCREATE

 

February 22nd – March 1st, 2025

at Posada Natura

Rio Naranjo Valley

COSTA RICA

 

DANCE YOUR MEDICINE is a multi-day, eco-sensuous retreat about evolving our consciousness, nourishing and healing ourselves through somatics, movement and community.

Together, for 8 days and 7 nights, we will imbibe pristine nature and food, dance to luscious music, deepen into embodied connection, and learn how to harness it for creating good in the world.

There is So. Much. To Tend to.

 

 

The world is uncertain, chaotic, and mysterious, especially these days. In a capitalistic culture, joy, rest, and rejuvenation are radical acts. They build our resilience to face the road ahead. 

 

We unplug in order to recharge.

 

We commune with nature in order to remember who we are.

 

We come to listen to our bodies’ wisdom.

 

We come to effect change from the inside out.

 

We gather to learn a better way in community. 

 

We gather to heal our hyperindividualism and codependence, and learn interdependence.

 

We come 

 

to Celebrate. 

 

to Feel.

 

to Be Danced.

Our Ethos

EMBODIMENT is the practice we invite you to cultivate; of your purpose, of your truth, of the unique medicine you bring and how to find that through moving your body with others.

SHIFT YOUR PARADIGM into a full love embrace of what turns you on and lights you up. Discover how living in acceptance and curiosity of your body, boundaries and what brings you alive, and how honoring that in others gives way to a radiant, thriving life.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT of conscious dance infusing the world with mindful connection and the pleasure of being alive. Adventure with Cocréa’s brilliant team of facilitators as they masterfully weave the themes of consent, emotional intelligence, radical self expression and holistic living through the mediums of movement, breath, music and touch.

Retreat Features

 

Classes in:

  • Mindful Fusion Partner Dance
  • Contact Improvisation
  • Resilient Body
  • Yin, Hatha, & Restorative Yoga
  • Ecstatic Access Solo Movement

Intentional Dance Parties & Ceremonies

Hyper-Local Cacao

Theraputic Indiginous Breath Work

Trauma-Informed Somatic Education

Riverside Retreat Space

All Organic, Vegetarian Meals

Nature Meditation & Bathing

Epic Jungle Waterfall Trip 

Outdoor Pool

BIPOC, LGBTQIA & CIS/HET Identifying Affinity Gathering Opportunities

Love • And MORE!

COME PLAY WITH US!

 

“Before this retreat I was feeling disconnected from myself, my body and my dance.

I left not only having reconnected with myself and my dance but also having had the realization that this is what makes magic on the dance floor...to be embodied, connected with myself and have an open heart to connecting with others.

What I loved most about this retreat was the way in which the whole experience was skillfully crafted to lead me down this spiral of learning, self realization and interpersonal connection.

I just trusted the process and the skill of these beautiful facilitators...the result was deep transformation for myself and for my dance!”

– Michelle Raine, Integrative Trauma Therapist, Dance Your Medicine participant

michelleraine.com/

“These are staple somatic practices you’re teaching in a totally different context.

It’s non-verbal consent without the new age fluff and it WORKS.”

-Buster Rådvik, Founder and Owner at Embodied Intimacy

www.embodiedintimacytraining.com/

“What I loved about this retreat is the opportunity to step in deeply to a dance that brings both structure and freedom together.

This dance is like therapy. It’s an analogy for life on so many levels. To dive in with others feels connecting in ways so rare, precious and soul enlivening.

Thank you!!!”

- Kiki Mariotti, Dance Your Medicine retreat participant

“I have always loved to dance, but had limited vocabulary and some dense blocks preventing me from feeling comfortable in social dance settings…

I feel like I have deepened my connection with my own body, learned a new and delightful language, and received techniques to commune with others in a more profound way.

And it was fun and easy. I am so excited to go out and dance!”

– Niema Lightseed, Coach, Yoga teacher and Poetess

www.radicalwellbeing.com

“If you see these people doing a workshop within a 10 hour drive, you should make it.

It's not just a dance class, it's a life training that helps with all forms of connections and relationship.”

- Martín Bullo, Owner/Chef, Sierra Nevada Camp Chef

https://sierranevadacampchef.com

"I learned so much about myself and how I relate to people and my environment, and now weeks after I see my relationships are also transforming.

From the start of the week to the end I felt like a completely different person, so full of energy and life.

Wren has a beautiful and unique style of teaching that is welcoming to each part of the soul, he invites a space of  healing and true authentic embodiment through words of wisdom and movement.

I will forever carry these teachings with me, so much gratitude for Cocréa.

– Jensyn Stanley, Momentom Collective Green Resident participant

“Eloquent, articulate and talented...

spreading the consciousness of connection through the lens of partnered dance far and wide.”

– Mark Metz, Creator/Editor of Conscious Dancer Magazine

www.consciousdancer.com

Prepare to be Melted by the Beauty of Posada Natura

Our Embodiment Temple

Release and let go into the full embrace of Posada Natura.

Posada Natura is a gathering center located on the southern pacific coast of Costa Rica. They host retreats, conferences and programs with focus on wellness, education, social change and environmental conservation

The space provides a container to connect people to the powerful rejuvenating energy of an ancient rainforest, and wholesome wellness experiences. Their team is comprised of leaders in the fields of holistic health, spiritual practice, and environmental conservation.

Seated above one of the cleanest rivers left on earth, Rio Naranjo, and surrounded by over 7,500 acres of rainforest that their partner 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Eco Era, has protected since 1991, Posada Natura is a pristine container to explore what being in right relationship with the planet can feel like.

Come as you are.

Leave as you want to be.

Soak in the beauty of this living work of art and its curators.

FACILITATION TEAM

Wren LaFeet

Wren LaFeet

Cocréa Founder and Retreat Co-Lead Facilitator

Wren is an embodiment guide intent on living in right-relationship as a 21st century human. Wren shares body-based practices synthesized from social partner dance, mindfulness, Taoism, the Gene Keys, watersheds, neuroscience and psychology that support interpersonal connection and positive change. In 2013, Wren co-founded Cocréa with Antje Schäfer as a vehicle for exploring mindful, consent based relational practice through movement and dance. 

 

Drawing from 2 decades in the theater driven by the exploration and understanding of human conflict, Wren creates brave spaces for humans struggling with disconnection and longing for a deeper sense of belonging to come home to themselves through the body. Wren’s own many years of seeking led him through theater and filmmaking, circus, nomadism, psychedelic-informed music culture, yoga, consent culture, decolonization work, permaculture, addiction recovery counseling and breathwork practice. Along his path, nature, community, relationship, humor, movement and a sense of belonging to something far larger and more unknowable than this seemingly separate self are the consistent threads with which Wren braids meaning and purpose into life.

 

He is a TEDx speaker, featured author in “ReInhabiting the Village”, certified Attunement Therapy practitioner and HeartMath certified trauma sensitive educator. Wren currently abides on the traditional unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver, BC). 

 

He has been dancing since 1998 and began performing on stage when he was 6 years old. He recently completed working with Embodied Recovery as a substance use disorder counselor in Los Gatos, CA.

Odessa Avianna Perez

Odessa Avianna Perez

Retreat Co-Lead Facilitator and Trauma-Informed Somatic Educator

Odessa Avianna Perez, MA, LMFT, is a trauma-informed somatic psychotherapist, embodiment and social justice educator who helps individuals and groups heal from fragmentation and remember agency, magic, and belonging. She holds a masters in Somatic Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies and triple bachelor degrees in Dance, Theater Arts, and Sociology from Rutgers University. 

Odessa has been guiding movement-based groups into deeper self-knowing and embodiment for over 20 years, starting first as a choreographer and director of an interdisciplinary dance company dedicated to emergent, improvisational, and self-revelatory performance. Coming from a dance performance background, Odessa’s interest started to shift towards mindful, authentic and explorative movement methodology when she stumbled into her first Contact Improv dance at a jam in New York City. She has been practicing and teaching Contact Improvisation as a form of self inquiry and relationship alchemy since 2010.

Odessa is deeply curious about the intersection of personal and collective trauma, collective nervous system states and expression, and how we can use somatics and dance to integrate our trauma for better relationship, community and planet.  She has facilitated workshops at dozens of retreats and festivals throughout California and internationally, using somatics, movement, and contact improvisation as the platform through which to explore safety, relationship, building capacity for discomfort, interdependence and inclusion.

In her psychotherapeutic private practice, she weaves somatics, movement, interpersonal neurobiology, polyvagal theory, attachment work, and social and racial justice frameworks into her work with individuals and couples. She is the Inclusion and Belonging lead for SoulPlay festivals and currently resides in Tongva/Kizh territory – aka Los Angeles, CA.

Natasha Richards

Natasha Richards

Yoga Teacher

An artist, alchemist and passionate yogi, Natasha has dedicated the last 12 years to exploring various forms of yoga, movement and other self development modalities. A creatrix by nature, Natasha is always working on or learning some new form of creative expression. Each adding a unique ingredient to her understanding of the intricate tapestry of human existence. Beginning as a way to navigate her challenges and facilitate her spiritual growth, the joy and freedom she finds continues to inspire her to lean in, learn more and peel back more layers. Natasha’s grounded approach to life, combined with her love for music and intuitive, embodied movement, create an atmosphere of safety, playfulness, exploration, and permission in the various spaces and roles she steps into.

Natasha is a cis-gender, able bodied, biracial female residing on Anishinaabe lands of the Chippewas of Georgina Island (Ontario, Canada). As a certified Yin and Goddess FlowTM student and guide with foundations in Hatha and Vinyasa modalities, Natasha thrives on supporting others as they navigate their own multifaceted selves, embracing their strengths and confronting their struggles. She fearlessly dives into the depths of challenging and unspoken emotions, gently guiding her students to explore these aspects with curiosity and compassion. Her supporting role within Cocrea and SoulPlay Festival continues to teach her how to best show up and hold this space by helping her find new ways to be in integrity, care and right relationship.

Natasha’s commitment to growth and expansion continues to extend beyond yoga and movement. In 2020, Her path led to Costa Rica, where the transformative power of Kambo found her. Inspired by profound experiences, she became a Certified Kambo Practitioner through the Rainforest Healing Center in Peru in 2022. These days she’s begun to delve into the realms of Human Design, Authentic Relating and Thai Massage. Wherever she goes, her mission is to foster a vibrant community and remind individuals of their inherent strength and wisdom.

Malina Dawn

Malina Dawn

Guest Yoga Teacher & Breathwork Facilitator

Malina is a queer métis and nehiyaw iskwew (Cree Métis woman) who’s family is from the Red River Cree area in so called Canada.  Raised on the prairies and well-travelled through her young adult years, she found her own healing path through Yoga and the Red Road.  Through reclaiming her culture and applying the principals taught in traditional ceremony and the science of yoga, she has experienced great healing and personal transformation. Through these indigenous world views and ways of life she weaves her cultural wisdom with yogic knowledge.

She is a Yoga teacher, breath work therapist, dancer, writer, drum carrier and song catcher and loves to share ceremony through indigenous traditional and futurism teachings.   She is a strong voice for decolonizing wellness by teaching how to use indigenous ways of life appropriately and as medicine for healing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Today she creates healing spaces for in person and online yoga classes, retreats, ceremonies, workshops and trainings all over turtle island. She has spent the last 15+ years working with indigenous, non indigenous and LGBTQ2S+ youth.  She continues to work with people of all ages and walks of life to guide them to the reclamation of their own culture, identity, body and healing through a strength based trauma informed lens. She is passionate about sharing her culture, building bridges in community, emotional intelligence and honouring the interconnectedness in all of Creation.

She is currently living, learning, unlearning and loving life on the traditional unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. (Vancouver, BC)

GOT CURIOSITY?

We’d be happy to chat with you to see if Dance Your Medicine is right for you!

Schedule a free call with us to see if it’s a fit.

Odessa Avianna Perez

Odessa Avianna Perez

Lead Facilitator

Wren LaFeet

Wren LaFeet

Lead Facilitator

Posada Natura Accommodations

Facilities

Situated alongside an enchanting river and surrounded by rainforest, Posada Natura’s spacious, open- air palace is the epitome of jungle luxury. Expansive gathering spaces, temple and practice spaces, lounge and dining areas are woven into lush tropical gardens along our river. Our group will have exclusive use of the space to spread out, drop in and commune with the land, each other and the work of embodying more deeply.

 

Ammenities:

  • high speed wifi
  • multiple private gathering spaces
  • temple space for group or private practice private
  • pool, jacuzzi and river access
  • expansive gardens and rainforest trails

Posada Natura Food

We believe that food is healing. We source all of our produce from local, organic farms to create fresh, plant-based meals for every retreat. We believe in nourishing the human body with nutrient dense, fresh ingredients cooked by our incredible chef.

All food is locally sourced and organic.

We incorporate what we can from our land depending on the season – mostly different kinds of fruit: oranges, limes, mandarins, mangosteens, rambutans, noni, durian, plantains, bananas, star fruit… and more!

As part of Dance Your Medicine you’ll enjoy:

  • 3 organic , nutrition-focused meals daily
  • Tea, coffee and snacks available throughout the day

While 3 glorious meals and snacks are provided, the retreat programming will be full of movement, exploration and expression that each of us will process differently. Naturally you may require a little extra support to move you through each day and experience. We ask that you take note of your needs and plan accordingly.

 

Accommodations are within 3 Cabinas.
1 Bungalow available for a small group.
Each cabin has a shared bathroom among 6 people.
All tickets include 3 delicious meals per day.

Shared Room

Twin Bed
Shared Bath

Dorm

Twin Bed
Shared Bath

Private Room

Balcony looking into Jungle
Queen Bed
Perfect for Couples

Bungalow

Three Twin Beds or
One Queen and One Twin
Shared Bath

THE MUSIC

This year, music will be provided by your four facilitators, Wren, Odessa, Natasha and Malina.

We’ve taken these last few years to hone our DJ and musical container crafting skills, and we feel excited to bring you the precise vibes to take you where you need to go.

Take a listen to some of the past music journeys featured at Cocréa events and otherwise.

Odessa’s Sets and Playlists

Malina’s Session Playlists

Natasha’s Session Playlists

Enhance Your Retreat Experience

Book a 1-on-1 Session

Our retreat facilitators are available for limited private sessions for you to get personalized support and more focused inquiry.

Wren, Malina and Natasha are available for sessions during the retreat.

Odessa is available for post retreat integration sessions.

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RESPONSIBILITY

 
By living – simply being alive – in a time of such change while holding systemic, global privilege, we at Cocréa believe that we have a responsibility to leverage that power to do good things. 
 
Our time here is finite. As such, part of the way we desire to leverage our power is by providing access to our programming at minimal cost to those for whom the cost of an event would be prohibitive.
 
Everyone deserves to have a good time dancing with others, no matter what culture you were born into. 
 
We also believe in ending systemic oppression which is why 1% of all our year end profits go to Color of Change, and 1% of THIS event will go to the Found Nation to assist in their continuing work of enriching the lives of some of Costa Rica’s remaining indigenous people, the BriBri.

 

DETAILS

We have the capacity this year to create space for 1 Non-Costa Rican BIPOC scholarship participant.

Our BIPOC Scholarship is intended to support access for this event in the context of historical and present day systemic inequities that disadvantage people of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and mixed-race heritage.

 

BIPOC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Please take some time to thoughtfully complete our scholarship application form. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why Partner Dance?

Dancing in intentional connection with others offers a wealth of benefits. It has been shown time and again how necessary it is for us humans to engage in healthy, physical contact with one another. We hold this truth at our core and endeavor to offer spaces for this need to be met in a good way. Building upon this foundational aspect of our humanity, Cocréa opens doorways to finding versatility and ease as we move through life.

Improve Communication

  • Improve awareness and sensitivity to emotional and physiological states of other people.
  • Practice listening to verbal and nonverbal cues.
  • Calm the mind to increase presence and attentiveness to another person’s sharing.
  • Increase emotional intelligence.

Embody Consent

  • Practice asking for and giving your full embodied No and enthusiastic Yes.
  • Honoring and respecting boundaries.
  • Interpreting and understanding body language.

Build Confidence

  • Practice taking risks and trying new things in a supportive environment.
  • Become more comfortable with spontaneously expressing yourself through movement.
  • Enjoy the experience of feeling grounded in a powerful, fluid body and calm, curious mind.

Practice Community

  • Add variety and fun to your week through playful interaction with likeminded people.
  • Gain skills you can teach to existing dance partners.
  • Experience a sense of belonging within the larger Cocréa and Fusion communities.
  • Connect online with national and international Cocréa community.
  • Have fun and laugh with new friends.

Expand Creativity

  • Open new neural pathways of self-expression through exploration of dance form and a diversity of music.
  • Strengthen and integrate all the parts of your body to support that expression.
  • Release self-limiting beliefs that hold you back from being fully expressed.
  • Develop trust in the phenomenon of emergence and learn to be guided by the moment.

Enhance Somatic Awareness

  • Discover movement of your body as a living wisdom within you.
  • Develop stronger body awareness for more graceful movement.
  • Master spatial awareness for greater ease of movement in daily life.
  • Find flow as you move through your world.

 

Ready to Shift Your Paradigm?

 

 

COVID POLICY

There are currently NO COVID RESTRICTIONS for this event
We reserve the right to change this policy as conditions and circumstances around world health change.

See Our Refund Policy Here:

FAQ

 

  • Is there transportation to and from the venue?
    • In order to make your journey to Posada Natura as smooth as possible we will be organizing private and/or group shuttles from SJO airport to Posada on Friday, March 24th, 2023. Depending on arrival dates, we can organize shuttles earlier if necessary. We will also organize shuttles for departing Posada to head back to SJO on March 31st. Note: there is an extra cost for the shuttle, prices vary depending on the number of people on board. Shuttle is from SJO to Posada and vice versa, no extra stops in between besides a quick bathroom stop. Drivers accept cash in colones. If you are coming or going from somewhere else, please get in touch with us to help you arrange your transportation separately.
  • What airport is the best to fly into?
    • SJO, Juan Santamaría International Airport
  • Will I be able to go to the beach?
    • The retreat center is on a beautiful river and the nearest beach town is about 30 minutes away. We suggest you book additional time before or after the retreat to enjoy the ocean.
  • What’s the nearest town?
    • Londres is the nearest town and the closest ATM. You will need to find a ride there if you need to use the ATM and we suggest you get money at the airport when you arrive.
  • What would I need money for during the retreat?
    • If you would like to purchase local cacao grown on the land we’ll be staying on, that will be available for 8000 colones (approximately $16). There is also a small shop with clothing and jewelry if you’d like to shop a little.
  • Is there lodging near SJO if I am arriving early or staying after?
    • Yes, Villas Norma is a great place to stay and is 15 minutes from SJO. Find more info here: Villas Norma
  • Can I still book 1-on-1 sessions with the facilitators?
    • Yes, the facilitators will be available for a limited amount of sessions that will be available to purchase as add-ons. During the retreat Natasha and Wren will be having sessions and after the retreat Odessa has a number of sessions available in March with exact dates TBD.
    • You can purchase these through our ticketing link here: Purchase 1-On-1 Add-On Session