A Seven-Day Initiation for Men Who Hunger for
Seven days to confront the wounds and unconscious patterns shaping how you react, relate, and lead, and to build the self-trust and emotional steadiness to remain open, speak truthfully, and meet intensity without shutting down or controlling.
Join us in Yelapa, Mexico
November 8-14 2026
Pura Vida Retreat, Yelapa, Mexico
Created by Zat Elias and assisted by Adam Sica and other Men’s Wisdom Work leaders
Somewhere underneath the man you show the world is another one who has never fully trusted himself, and he has been running your life more than you can imagine.
You look outside yourself for approval, for acknowledgment of your worth and your value.
Maybe you look to your partner or your friends, letting them decide that you’re worthy and capable.
Or maybe you’re the nice guy, the people pleaser, giving away your power, playing small, staying quiet about what you actually want just to keep the peace.
Or you’re someone who loses his shit.
Your anger gets triggered, you go into aggression, you become controlling because it’s too difficult to deal with the intense emotions you or others are feeling.
Maybe you shut down, become aloof, and completely lose that open, loving, wise part of yourself.
Fire in the Belly is seven days of confronting and unearthing what has been running your life beneath the surface, healing the wounds that keep you bound to old beliefs and behaviors, and meticulously practicing a new way of seeing, believing, and being until you begin to embody the man you know yourself capable of becoming.
Through guided shadow work, deep relational work, embodiment, meditation, breathwork, and sacred ceremony, you will enter into a radical experience and the art of the deep masculine.
This retreat brings together a unique synergy of over 40 years and multiple traditions in the extraordinary power of conscious brotherhood.
Men Reflect on the Retreat
Coco
Retired Army Sergeant
Dave Ehrenberg
Retired Airline Captain
Matthew
LMFT
In Their Own Words
“My experience at the men’s retreat in Yelapa was extremely powerful. It was a journey into the deepest parts of my core that were simply too difficult to access on my own.
Cleansing and releasing is a powerful experience when it is shared with like-minded men. The experience worked so well because there was a “safe container” created where I could completely let go of ego and connect with myself and other men.
Since returning from the retreat my world has slowed down and I feel more connected to myself and those I love. If you have the opportunity to join the brothers in Yelapa don’t miss it. It’s a life-changing experience.”
Jeffrey
Therapist, Florida
“I told my partner when I returned from the retreat that aside from being present for the birth of our two sons, the retreat was the most moving and profound experience of my life.
A year later, I still feel the same.
Being in deep practice with so many open-hearted, conscious men allowed me to see and honor the depth of my own being and that of my retreat brothers. It reminded me of my strength and beauty, and reaffirmed how vital it is to do this work: to look at and honor all parts of myself, and to have the courage to take action when change is needed.
The retreat helped me return to my life with a more open, grounded, and present heart—able to show up fully as a man, father, partner, and friend.”
Adam Kuen
“This retreat was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I went in not knowing what to expect and carrying a long history of feeling uncomfortable around other men like I didn’t quite fit in.
By the end of the retreat, that completely changed. I felt a deep sense of brotherhood. I felt seen, accepted, and like I truly belonged.
Through the brilliantly led practices and teachings, I learned to move out of my head and into my body to bring balance and integration to my heart, body, and mind.
That integration has become a lasting gift, transforming how I show up in my relationships with my wife and kids, and in my work and daily interactions.
I’m deeply grateful for the heartfelt, authentic connection I shared with the other men. I carry the memories of that experience and the powerful work we did together—with great respect and gratitude.”
Loren Brown
Psychologist
In my 35 years on the spiritual path, this retreat has changed my life most profoundly.
After my first retreat with Zat and returning to my regular life, I felt myself walking taller, with a deeper confidence, more presence, and a sense of true peace.
I have been on many retreats and am cofounder and co-owner of Pura Vida Wellness Retreats in Yelapa, Mexico. I have led and hosted retreats for the last 10 years and have had the luxury of being around many facilitators.
On this retreat, I have witnessed that the groups of men who arrive are not the same groups of men who leave. Each year, the whole group buys into the process and experiences true transformational change.
I witnessed the shedding of masks and the emergence of everyone’s authentic, vulnerable self. Zat provides a very sacred, safe place to do the real work that I have been avoiding my whole life unconsciously. His understanding of the shadow and deep contemplative teachings spoke to my core.
I have never met someone as in tune, with the ability to process impromptu so effectively and effortlessly.
The retreat deepened my sadhana: my daily spiritual practices and disciplines, and reinforced how essential those practices are to my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
This Men’s Retreat WILL impact you in deeply healing ways. I urge each of you reading this testimony to highly consider making this retreat a gift of self-love to yourself.
Chris DePriest
Breathwork Teacher and Retreat Owner
The most common thing men share with me after completing the retreat is.
“That was the most powerful and beautiful experience of my life.”
Zat Elias
Lead Facilitator / Teacher
The purpose I now live with and the depth of intimacy in my relationship are directly connected to my work with Zat
It’s safe to say my life would not be the same without my work with Zat. He was a pivotal role model for me and taught me what it means to be a truly embodied man in the modern world in a time where I truly needed it.
Our work together was the initiation into manhood that I had never received and always knew I needed.
The purpose I now live with and the depth of intimacy in my relationship, along with the richness of my spirituality and abundance, are directly connected to my work with Zat.
Zat is truly a master of his craft. If you want to radically transform your relationship, yourself, and your life, Zat is the man to walk that path with.
~Allan McGrath Isbell
Embodiment & Polarity Teacher
What Is Fire In The Belly Men's Retreat ?
This is not an escape from your life. It is an intentional interruption of the painful and unconscious patterns that have been shaping it.
Fire in the Belly is a highly unique seven-day initiatory retreat for men of any age or spiritual orientation.
◆ It is a time set apart from your ordinary life, familiar roles, routines, and habitual patterns to enter a deeper journey of reflection, meticulous practice, and radical exploration.
◆ It is a chance to create and begin to live into a new vision: an embodied experience of the man you desire to become.
◆ This retreat is masterfully held, heart-led, and highly facilitated, giving you the time, structure, and skilled guidance to go beneath the old wounds, stories, and trauma that still shape how you react, relate, and lead.
◆ The work draws from ancient wisdom and Eastern consciousness traditions, pranic breathwork, trauma-informed embodiment, relational practice, contemporary shadow psychology, and the crucial masculine-feminine dynamic work influenced by David Deida’s teachings.
◆ This is an opportunity to confront what has been running your life beneath the surface, heal what continues to bind you to old beliefs and behaviors, and meticulously practice a new way of seeing, believing, relating, and being.
Men leave with a new baseline: a steadier nervous system, greater confidence & self-trust, a more open heart, and a radical presence that shifts their whole experience of relationship, deep masculine leadership, and fathering.
The Initiatory Work:
- Daily Sunrise Meditation: Daily practice builds discipline & willpower
- Sacred Ceremony: Sweat & Fire Ceremony with Rodrigo Balleste
- Daily Embodiment: to access a more connected & grounded presence
- Relational Intimacy Work through: Masculine-feminine dynamic skills to shift patterned behavior in intimate relationship
- Shadow Work Practices: unwind old stories, imprints & wounds that sabotage your life
- Transformational Pranic Breathwork Practices: To improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, energize, heal, relax, and release emotional blockages.
- Emotional Capacity / Intelligence Work: Individual and group practices for working with grief, anger, shame, fear, desire, and the emotions beneath reactivity. You learn to feel and express what is there, build the capacity to stay with intensity, and integrate it into how you relate and lead.
- Power of Sound, Music & Mantra Chanting: Drumming, toning, chant, group rhythm practices, and movement.
- Bodywork: Group bodywork healing practices & one-to-one sessions available.
- Cultivating the Power of the Heart: Practices, teachings, and techniques to strengthen the heart energy and develop deeper courage, compassion, and resilience.
- Vision Quest / Adventure: A one-day pilgrimage by boat to a deserted beach.
- Nature + Elemental Healing: Surrounded by pristine beauty, waterfalls, beaches, and an absence of cars and pollution, the retreat launches you into a different energetic experience, where solitude, silence, and time in nature become part of your extraordinary healing.
EARLY REGISTRATION
Early Registration Pricing Is Available Now
SAVE $400
Reserve your place with a $1,200 deposit.
RETREAT FAQ
Application & Enrollment
Participation is by application only for new participants. To apply, click the Book Your Free Exploration Call button to schedule a brief Zoom conversation, or email Support@menswisdomwork.com directly.
-If you’ve attended before, you don’t need to apply again, you can register directly by clicking the Register Now button in the pricing section.
Due to the limited number of spaces and the advance commitments required to reserve accommodations, the $1,200 deposit is non-refundable, but it can be applied toward a future retreat. As the retreat date approaches, we maintain a strict no-refund policy once registration is complete.
However, we understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise, so we are open to considering requests on a case-by-case basis.
Absolutely, we offer very flexible payment plans. Please check in the Register Now button or email Support@menswisdomwork.com.
Arrival: Sunday, November 8, 2026, late afternoon or early evening. Departure: Saturday, November 14, 2026, late morning.
Dates, Cost & Reservations
Arrival: Sunday, November 8, 2026, late afternoon or early evening. Departure: Saturday, November 14, 2026, late morning.
All-inclusive retreat pricing ranges from $2,250 to $3,095 for early registration pricing, depending on your room selection. Pricing includes accommodations and meals. Reserve your place with a $1,200 deposit.
See the Room Options and Pricing section below for full details and availability.
Travel & Logistics
You need a valid passport for Mexico. And for most places no visa is needed but please check with your local Consulate.
Please arrive at Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) by 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. Take a taxi to Los Muertos Pier, followed by a water taxi to Yelapa.
The retreat begins with dinner at 6:00 p.m. and an evening circle.
-The program ends late morning on Saturday, November 14, please schedule your departing flight after 1:00 p.m. to allow time for travel.
-To arrive early or extend your stay, please contact the retreat center directly for availability.
We highly recommend travel insurance that covers both your flights and your time at the retreat, including medical coverage. Yelapa is a beautiful, remote, sub-tropical location, and as with any travel to this kind of environment, a bit of health and safety awareness goes a long way.
Travel insurance gives you peace of mind in case of any unexpected illness, injury, or travel disruption.
What's Included
Pricing includes 6 nights’ accommodation, all meals (except 1-2 self-paid meals in town), a full program of classes, and a temescal fire ceremony.
Airfare, gratuities for the Pura Vida retreat-center staff, water taxi (approximately $25), personal healing sessions, extra purchases, and the group excursion boat ride (a low cost, nominal fee) are not included.
Absolutely delicious freshly, prepared in open air kitchen, mostly organic, vegetarian with fish or chicken available. Prepared with LOVE by the cheffing staff of Pura Vida. Smoothies also available.
Private rooms are on a waitlist. If you’re interested, please sign up for double occupancy, and you’ll be added to the waitlist. We’re doing our best to accommodate everyone who requests a private room.
The Retreat Center & Location
This program is held at the Pura Vida retreat center in Yelapa, Mexico. Yelapa is a sacred rare jewel, truly a place of natural beautiful, raw nature, where the river meets the sea.
-There are no cars or airports in Yelapa, and that remoteness is exactly what keeps it so safe.
-From the moment you land, it’s a straight line, taxi to water taxi to shore, into one of the most pristine and protected settings you’ll experience.
-Safety has never been an issue here, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, and that seclusion is part of what makes it such a safe, protected place to do this work.”
For more info and photos of the retreat center, visit their website: https://puravidaecoretreat.com/.
TripAdvisor also has more photos and reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g504234-d10680727-Reviews-Pura_Vida_Wellness_Retreat-Yelapa_Costalegre.html
What The Work Involves
The work draws from ancient wisdom and Eastern consciousness traditions, pranic breathwork, trauma / therapeutic -informed embodiment, relational practice, contemporary shadow psychology, and the crucial masculine-feminine dynamic work influenced by David Deida’s teachings.
Safety & Readiness
This is a trauma-informed retreat, which means we maintain a high level of sensitivity and awareness for those who carry trauma. If you are currently under the guidance of a health care provider, please consult with them before attending the retreat.
ROOM OPTIONS & PRICING
Shared Room, 3 to 4 men $2,250
Big spacious open-air room with a private bathroom and a sleeping loft.
Room 1
Open Air Double Room $2,450
Larger open air private room with 2 queen beds, private bathroom, great view of either ocean or jungle.
Rooms 3, 5, 7, 9, 12
Open Air Private Room $2,750
Smaller open air private room with private bathroom, great view.
Rooms 2, 11, 13, 14
A/C Room Shared Double $2,595
Larger A/C room with 2 queen beds, private bathroom, balcony, and good view. A/C option or open windows.
Rooms 2, 11, 13, 14.
A/C Private $2,895
Small private room with private bathroom, balcony, and amazing view. A/C option or open windows.
Rooms 17 and 18.
Deluxe Single King Room $3,095
Larger A/C room with private bathroom, large deck, and 2 beds, 1 king and 1 queen.
Room 8
Retreat Team
