Kara Valentine & The Colibri Experiment
The Very Peri Mental Pause:
The Change isn't An Ending. It's An Awakening.
An extended weekend women’s retreat to help you rest, reconnect, and awaken to the woman you’re becoming with clarity, confidence, and calm.
February 5 - 8, 2026
When you click “Reserve your place” you’ll be guided to our retreat partner, Wild Heart Retreats, to complete your booking and payment securely.
Guided by experts in women’s health and holistic wellbeing, including medical doctor Dr. Tanya Atagi, this retreat blends evidence-based insight with restorative spiritual practices to help you move from surviving to awakening through perimenopause.
Does it sound like you?
You’ve been holding it all together for everyone else, but inside, you feel the quiet pull of exhaustion.
The changes in your body, the emotional ups and downs, the sense of disconnection — it’s a lot.
You’re craving space to breathe, to understand what’s really happening, and to feel like you again.
This isn't just a retreat - it is an awakening
Over four days, you'll move from confusion and fatigue to clarity, confidence, and calm.
You’ll learn what’s truly happening in your body, separate fact from fear, and discover evidence-based tools to support your physical and emotional well-being.
Through honest conversations, restorative practices, and expert guidance, you’ll begin to see perimenopause not as an ending, but as a powerful passage — a time to reclaim your energy, your voice, and your joy.
You'll leave with:
A deeper understanding of your body and its wisdom
Tools to support your daily well-being
A calmer nervous system and renewed vitality
A sense of connection and belonging
The reminder that you were never meant to walk this path alone
This is your midlife awakening — a return to wholeness, strength, and self-trust.
For the Woman Ready to Awaken Through Perimenopause
This retreat is for women who are ready to stop surviving perimenopause and start awakening through it.
It's for you if you:
Feel burn out, disconnected, or uncertain about the changes in your body
Crave honest, heart-centred conversations without shame or secrecy
Want to understand your body through both science and soul
Long for rest, laughter, and connection with women who get it
Are ready to embrace this season of life as a beginning, not an ending
You don't need to have it all figured out - you just need to be ready to show up for yourself
What awaits You at the Very Peri Mental Pause Retreat
Expert Guidance
With Dr. Tanya Atagi, a compassionate guide and expert in women’s midlife well-being, she will help you:
Understand what’s truly happening in your body
Separate facts from myths
Learn evidence-based tools for physical and emotional support
Reframe perimenopause as a passage into power
This is a compassionate, grounded education — not overwhelm, not fear.
Honest, Heart-Centred Conversations
You’ll meet other women who are done pretending perimenopause is “no big deal.”
Expect:
Real talk and laughter
Shared stories and relief in not having to explain yourself
Deep connection you may not have realized you were craving
This is a space with zero shame, zero secrecy.
Transformational Workshops & Circle
Across four days, you’ll experience workshops designed to help you rediscover your strength, clarity, and sense of self.
Sessions include:
The physiology of perimenopause
Emotional well-being and resilience
East-West approaches to hormonal shifts
Rewriting your personal story of The Change
Restorative practices that calm the mind and body
Plus, opening and closing circles that make the retreat feel whole and sacred.
A total value of: (Amount)
Buy/Enroll/Join now for just (Amount)
Restorative Evening Experiences
Wind down each night with offerings like
Restorative Yoga
Guided journaling
Creative expression sessions
Laughter and connection time
These are slow, soothing and nourishing - never rushed or intense.
Nourishing Food That Loves You Back
Beautifully prepared by Klaudia Burian, an integrative health coach and nutrition guide who believes that true healing begins with nourishment of both body and spirit.
All meals are included — wholesome, grounding, delicious food created to support energy, balance, and hormonal health.
Optional 1:1 Healing Sessions
Enhance your weekend with services such as:
Massage ($120)
Reiki ($95)
Astrology or tarot ($90)
Private restorative yoga ($100)
Many women use these sessions to deepen their integration or offer their body extra care.
Your Winter Sanctuary By The Lake
Which is why we're soooo excited to welcome you...
The Very Peri Mental Pause Retreat takes place at South Shore Resort & Retreats in Twin Lake, Michigan, a peaceful lakeside setting near Muskegon. In the stillness of winter, the frozen lake and snow-dusted pines create the perfect backdrop for reflection, renewal, and deep rest.
Wake to crisp morning air and the quiet beauty of nature, enjoy nourishing meals crafted with local ingredients, and unwind in warm, inviting spaces designed for comfort and connection. Between sessions, you might take a mindful walk along the snowy shoreline, sip tea by the fire, or simply let yourself be held by the calm of the season.
Workshops, restorative care, and playtime will be led by a team that blends science with soul, guiding you through a transformative midlife experience.
Where
South Shore Resort & Retreats, Twin Lake, Michigan, US
Travel
Fly into Grand Rapids, MI. Ground transportation options are available from the airport to the retreat centre.
When
Arrive Thursday, February 5 by 5:00 p.m. for the opening circle and dinner.
Depart Sunday, February 8 after the closing circle and brunch (by 11:00 a.m.).
When you click “Reserve your place” you’ll be guided to our retreat partner, Wild Heart Retreats, to complete your booking and payment securely.
Invest in Yourself
Your journey to renewal and reconnection begins here. The Very Peri Mental Pause Retreat is an intimate, all-inclusive experience designed to nurture your body, mind, and spirit.
- Shared Room (Twin Bed): $1,999
- Shared Room (Queen or Full Bed): $2,290
- Private Room (Full or Queen Bed, Shared Bathroom): $2,790
- Private Room with En Suite Bathroom (King Bed): $3,290
Each package includes three nights of accommodation, nourishing meals, all workshops and restorative sessions, and access to the full retreat experience.
Spaces are limited to keep the experience personal and deeply supportive.
Meet Your Retreat Guides
Kara Valentine
Impact Entrepreneur, Sacred Storyteller, Soul Journey Guide
Kara Valentine – Storyteller, facilitator, and creator of Elevationism, guiding the emotional + spiritual arc of midlife awakening.
Kara is a visionary social impact entrepreneur whose work bridges personal growth, global connection, and community empowerment. As co-founder of Threads Worldwide, she helped create pathways to economic independence for women artisans through fair trade jewelry and purpose-driven collaboration. She holds a degree from Tufts University and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver, grounding her work in both academic insight and compassionate leadership. With more than 15 years in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors, Kara blends lived experience, intuitive wisdom, and a deep commitment to global citizenship. She brings a gentle, expansive presence to every room—shaped by her passion for service and inspired daily by her two daughters.
Klaudia Burian
Health & Wellness Coach
Klaudia is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Functional Nutrition Counselor, and Mindset Meditation Teacher dedicated to reconnecting individuals with nature’s wisdom and healing power. Rooted in her upbringing on a homestead in Poland, she brings deep reverence for ancestral traditions and earth-centered nourishment. She creates magical culinary experiences using the finest local and seasonal ingredients, fostering delight as well as personal discovery of holistic well-being. With a gentle, grounded presence, Klaudia meets people exactly where they are—inviting them into wholeness, balance, and spiritual alignment through food, ritual, and mindful nourishment.
Dr. Tanya Atagi
Board-certified plastic Surgeon
Dr. Tanya Atagi – Board-certified plastic surgeon and advocate for women’s midlife vitality, blending technical precision with whole-body wisdom.
Dr. Atagi is one of Denver’s few board-certified female plastic surgeons and the founder of BESANA Health & Wellness. A Stanford-trained engineer, artist, and physician, she brings a uniquely multidimensional lens to women’s midlife well-being. Her medical journey includes a degree from Stanford, plastic surgery training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, and specialized fellowship training in Denver. A nine-time 5280 Magazine “Top Doctor,” she has also completed extensive functional and integrative medicine training with a focus on hormones and preventive care. Dr. Atagi’s approach is restorative and woman-centered—helping women move through perimenopause and menopause with confidence, clarity, and a renewed sense of vitality.
Your time is now.
Spaces are limited, and each one is held with intention.
If your heart is whispering yes, trust it.
When you click “Reserve your place” you’ll be guided to our retreat partner, Wild Heart Retreats, to complete your booking and payment securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the price?
Lodging, all chef-prepared meals, workshops, guided sessions, unlimited access to the hot tub and sauna, and activities are included. You just need to get yourself to the retreat — everything else is taken care of once you arrive.
How do I get there?
South Shore Resort is located in Twin Lake, Michigan — about 3 hours drive from Chicago and 2.5 hours from Detroit. You may fly into Muskegon (for convenience) or into Grand Rapids (for more airline options) and then drive the rest of the way. You’ll receive detailed travel info after registering.
What should I pack?
Comfortable clothes for movement, a journal, warm layers for winter walks, a swimsuit for the hot tub and an open heart.
Bookings & Payment?
All bookings are handled securely through our partner platform, Wild Heart Retreats.
Cancellation
Half refund - Half Credit 30 days before
2 weeks before - Half Credit unless we can feel their spot with women people
A question? please contact us!
We are here to answer all your queries - you can email us at [email protected]
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