Natalie reflects on the Fill Your Cup Retreat, a gathering of Groundswell facilitator graduates at the Yoga Farm in Costa Rica, hosted by alumna Susan Wood. Rather than a typical training, this was a space where everyone was both student and teacher to share new ideas, try new curriculum, and simple be held. Inspired by Machu Picchu as an ancient gathering place for healers, the retreat became a living reminder of what Groundswell believes in most: communities rooted in reciprocity, with each other and with the earth.

Twelve women from around the world came together in the lush jungles of Costa Rica — not just to learn to surf, but to reclaim their confidence, self-love, and freedom. Designed for first-time and beginner surfers, Emerge blended somatic therapy, sisterhood, and the healing power of the ocean. What unfolded was more than a retreat—it was transformation. From belly laughs to emotional breakthroughs, every wave held space for growth.

Some were there for surf therapy, others were there for facilitator training, but once again, we were all connected by a love for the ocean and a desire to learn how to help heal ourselves and others. We started the day with introductions and our first grounding circle, where we learned we wouldn’t know what we were doing each day until the morning (a both exhilarating and terrifying prospect for a planner such as myself)  and then headed out to the beach for our first exercise. Once again, there was something special about being able to learn about surf therapy with the sun on our faces and the gentle waves lapping the shore behind us as we embodied sea creatures, discussed blue and red mind theory, and collected items from the shore that spoke to us. After the first session we were told “go play in or around the ocean,” which was music to my ears.