Resilience / Oaxaca Retreat 2021

We believe that more resilient humans make better leaders.

This is an intensive four-day (three nights) training to explore the fundamentals of Emotional Resilience, specifically designed for leaders of fast-paced teams and companies—sharing daily practices that cultivate a sense of grounding in a time of groundlessness.

You'll leave knowing how to remain centred in challenging environments, hold space for your team and embrace your leadership potential.

Mornings are focused and interactive sessions, afternoons include immersive activities around San Jose Del Pacifico – including moderately strenuous hikes and ceremonial Temazcal to reinforce learnings. 

WHEN

November 2 - 5, 2021 (three nights)

WHERE

Based on the current roll out of vaccines, we anticipate international travel being more accessible by the end of this year.

We’ve secured a tranquil mountain refugio located in the highlands of Oaxaca, Mexico, where we’ll be sleeping in nine solar powered wood cabañas—built around a large organic garden, overlooking a spectacular valley with over 20 nearby waterfalls.

The nearby San José del Pacífico is nestled south of Oaxaca City at 8000ft altitude, historically famed as the origin of ‘hongos mágicos’ (hallucinogenic mushrooms)—with foraging tours offered for those with a budding interest in mycology.

Instructions on how to get there and other logistics will be shared with attendees after booking. 

WHAT

As leaders operating in challenging times, our rational decision-making capacity is often compromised by stress to the point where we become overwhelmed. The ability to respond with both courage and composure—amidst unfolding uncertainty is the mark of resilient leadership.

Resilience is the process of growth—you can either intentionally set aside time to increase your capacity, or wait for a stressful situation to knock you way out of your window of tolerance.

Whilst navigating times of heightened uncertainty, our modus operandi is to regulate our own nervous systems—both so that we're capable of coherent and high-level decision making whilst maintaining the emotional agility and bandwidth to hold space for our teams as they also manoeuvre through challenging scenarios without burning themselves out.

The highest-leverage use of our time as leaders is to invest in ourselves by upgrading our mental toolkits and cultivating higher degrees of embodied self-awareness.

It’s common to hear that we should learn to be resilient, yet far from being an innate character trait, this 'adaptive capacity; is a skill that must be practised and requires permission to invest time into cultivating it. With the right tools and techniques, we can turn challenging setbacks into fuel for personal and professional growth.

Sessions are highly interactive and draw on the hosts and attendees experience from leading teams in diverse settings—from fast-paced startups to larger scale operational teams. Attendees will learn how to:

• Self-regulate your emotions and scale yourself as a leader.
• Develop a resilience operating system for cultivating equanimity and calm
• Avoid burnout amidst stressful situations and operate within your window of tolerance
• Manage your nervous system to build greater capacity to hold space for team members who may be struggling with stress and anxiety.
• Build a consistent mindfulness practice—exploring common barriers to meditation.
• Practice two micro-breathwork practices for calming anxiety and building energy, used by both monks and Navy Seals for nervous system regulation.
• Enquire into your capacity to both ask and receive support
• Practice your capacity for facilitating meaningful connection in virtual environments
• Invest in your own resilience and self-awareness to help mitigate burnout and, through better focus, improves your capacity to execute. 
• Integrate resilience practices into your day when you return home.
• Show up as a leader who consistently invites the best from your team

To read a summary of our extensive research into emotional resilience: Emotional Resilience in Leadership Summary or Full Report.

WHO

Space is limited this year.

Studio D Retreats attract people from diverse backgrounds and life stages. Past attendees have included designers, researchers, filmmakers, strategists, founders, VCs, and security specialists, from independents to those working for some of the world's most interesting organisations. All have an international mindset and many are looking to broaden their network of likeminds, skillset and world view.

We also offer a scholarship for a local attendee. Suitable candidates can apply here.

COST

The retreat includes:

• Four days of informing and inspiring talks and walks
• Three nights accommodation
• Breakfast, lunch and dinners, plus a freshly prepared organic Mexican banquet dinner on the second evening

Excluded in costs: flights, travel to/from venue, alcohol, visa, insurance, optional activities.

DETAILS

We’ll operate popup studio style accommodation, including taking turns to cook breakfast and generally look after ourselves. Attendees will share gender split cabañas. We have a full run of the refugio, so if you appreciate more privacy, you can opt for a cabaña further afield, or pull out a mattress and sleep under the stars.

The venue operates a vegan kitchen that uses locally grown produce (including from the refugio gardens). For the second night's banquet we'll be heading to a local restaurant that caters for broader tastes.

Sessions will be in English. For newcomers to Mexico, we’ll provide ample instructions on how to get there from Oaxaca City.

Free time can be spent wandering around the organic farm, hiking to the impressive ‘Luna Tree’, sweating it out in the sauna or simply kicking back in the cabaña.

For those that wish to extend their trip and are feeling adventurous, Jonny is a resident in Oaxaca and will be heading to the nearby coastal town of Puerto Escondido for a freediving, surf and humpback whale-watching trip following the retreat, and will be extending an invitation for others to tag along. 

If you wish to do some solo exploring, there are also multi-day mountain biking trails and extensive waterfall hikes to be found locally, as well as world-renowned cuisine to be sampled in Oaxaca City.

This will be self-organised as a group and pay-as-you-go, we'll coordinate well before the event.

TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Based on the current roll out of vaccines, we anticipate international travel being more accessible by the end of this year.

As circumstances are changing daily, we are exploring all the options available to us. Please monitor the situation with COVID-19 including entry restrictions and quarantine measures. All attendees may require proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Furthermore, local travel requirements may require proof of vaccination in order to travel.

Please review our cancellation policy before booking. All attendees are required to sign a risk waiver. Reach out if you have any questions.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

The event is led by Jan Chipchase, the founder of Studio D, and Jonny Miller, co-founder of Maptia and Curious Humans.

Through Studio D, Jan provides research, design and strategy services to clients with a global remit and has developed protocols for both managing teams in complex, often stressful environments.

Jonny is an advisor to Studio D, helping our teams become more resilient as we navigate challenging environments. 

We hope to see you at Resilience / Oaxaca retreat.

—Jan & Jonny

Terms & Conditions | Cancellation Policy