PAST: EMBRACE: An Envision Community Retreat

Govinda is the alter-ego of producer/composer Shane Madden. He began studying violin and composition at the age of eight and went on to study classical violin where he fell in love with electronic music production. It was in Madden’s pursuit of his gypsy roots that opened his ears to music from around the world. From experiences learning violin with mysterious masters on his journeys across the globe and his passion for modern design and technology, the current sound of Govinda was born. The Govinda live show immerses the audience as a participant with a textured atmosphere of exotic bass vibrations interwoven with cosmic visuals, world class dancers and mesmerizing vocals – all in harmony with live electronics and violin.

Benita (BJ) Galvan, is seasoned Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor, founder of Handstands Anonymous™ and co-founder of the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga. With multiple thousands of hours teaching Anusara trainings and events around the world, three decades of teaching experience and a lifetime of earth practices and wisdom studies, she is considered a master yoga teacher, a ‘teacher of teachers’. Beej loves traveling the world and teaches a therapeutically aligned, playful dynamic yoga practice, infused with inspired wisdom. Her passion of yoga is contagious and wicked handstands are almost always on the menu!

The current Director and Educational Curator and Puntamona Center for Regenerative Design and Botanical Studios, Sara leads trainings and workshops in herbal medicine, permaculture design, tropical Deep Ecology, field-to-the-plate holistic nutrition and women’s retreats. She is a clinical herbalist of 15 years, practicing planetary eclectic herbalism with a foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Wise Woman Reclaiming philosophy, focusing on food-based healing and local ethnobotanical traditions. She is a passionate mentor and educator. Sarah is the co-founder of Medicines from the Edge: a Tropical Herbal Convergence and co-producer of Envision Festival.

The founder and primary Director of Puntamona Center for Regenerative Design and Botanical studios, Stephen has been living in Costa Rica, since 1995. Stephen observed the problems facing small farmers and communities in Central America and Costa Rica due to mega-monoculture agricultural practices and loss of dynamic community. He strives to provide students, landowners, businesses and neighbors regenerative solutions and strategies to increase quality of life. Stephen is an avid and passionate ethnobotanist, plant collector, permaculture designer and educator, operator of education environmental and botanical tours, implements permaculture gardens and food forests on home and many hundred acre scales, and community developer. He is the co-founder of both Medicines from the Edge: a Tropical Herbal Convergence and Envision Festival.

Josh Wendel, Owner of Selva Armonia Retreat Center and Maracatu Restaurant (a healthy and natural place to dine in Dominical, Costa Rica), and Co-Founder of the Envision Festival, has been living in the jungles of Costa Rica for over 9 years and studying organic gardening and medicinal plants for over 16 years. Josh’s dedication to the environment has lead him to choose a unique lifestyle, one that is in alignment with his vision of a healthy and sustainable Earth. As a devout vegan, surfer, traveler and organic farmer Josh’s infectious zest for life will leave you renewed and connected with what is important to you.