Mah Jong & Mindfulness™
Costa Rica
March 18th-23rd, 2027
More than Mahjong. More than Mindfulness.
Experience a deep immersion into community, play, peace and renewal, surrounded by the unparalleled beauty of the Costa Rican Cloud Forest.
This unique, once-in-a-lifetime retreat blends the joy and fun of game play with grounding practices designed to restore your body, mind, and spirit. The lush background of the Costa Rican Cloud Forest is a key player in the transformation you are bound to experience during this unforgettable event.
Surrounded by misty mountains, vibrant greenery and the sounds of nature, the Mahjong & Mindfulness Retreat is an invitation to slow down and reconnect- with yourself, with nature, and with a community of women seeking the same sense of joy, balance, and connection.
Shared experiences will include:
🀄Mahjong instruction for beginners and mini-tournament play for experienced players.
🀄Mesmerizing Sound Baths
🀄Daily Yoga, Movement and Meditation
🀄Guided walks amongst the magnificent nature of the forest
🀄All meals and snacks- joyfully prepared and enjoyed
🀄 Honest and thought-provoking discussions with new friends
🀄Optional spa treatments to enhance your stay.
"All the things social media has taken away, Mahjong has given back to us."- Kelly Ripa
Whether you are a total beginner or a seasoned player, this unique weekend has something to offer for every level of experience. Unparalleled instruction and fun mini-tournaments will be coordinated by Elva and Jami of "Let's Play Mahjong"- our onsite experts! Experience Mahjong like never before- in a shaded outdoor location, surrounded by the sounds of the flowing river, and a multitude of exotic birds, or after dark, under a dazzling star-filled sky.
MAHHONG & MINDFULNESS? REALLY?
It may sound like an odd combination of practices at first, but when you think about it, Mahjong really is the ultimate form of mindfulness. Mindfulness is all about remaining present; not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. When you become involved in Mahjong play, you couldn't be more present. From figuring out your own hand to considering what the rest of the table is doing, you have little choice but to remain in the moment. Mahjong has captivated the country in a way that is needed now more than ever- offering an opportunity for socialization without pressure, exercising the brain, and the satisfaction of finding joy and fun with a bunch of tiles, a card, a mat and three other actual human beings.
There's something that happens when you sit around a Mahjong table with a group of like-minded women. A common interest, a sense of playfulness, a chance for human contact in the context of fun and laughter. Whether you are an experienced player or completely new to the game, you will be welcomed into the embrace of ease, sisterhood, and simply feeling good.
Mah Jong & Mindfulness™
Costa Rica
March 18th-23rd, 2027
Our home for the retreat...
Verdesana - A Costa Rican Paradise
About Verdesana...
Nestled high in the lush mountains of Costa Rica’s Orosi Valley, Verdesana by Imiloa is a hidden sanctuary where cloud forest beauty, fresh mountain air, and deep tranquility come together. Surrounded by rolling green hills, tropical gardens, a pristine flowing river and panoramic valley views, Verdesana offers the perfect setting to disconnect from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with nature, creativity, and community.
Our retreat location blends quiet luxury with the raw, breathtaking beauty of nature, designed to inspire rest, adventure, and meaningful connection. Wake each morning to birdsong drifting through the mist, spend your days amidst the tropical landscape, your leisurely game play making way for walks on lush forest trails; yoga by the flowing river, soaking in wood-fired hot tubs, and nothing but Mother Nature's song to fill the background. End your evenings beneath star-filled skies in the peaceful Costa Rican mountains.
Thoughtfully designed spaces, peaceful surroundings, and personalized hospitality create an atmosphere that feels both grounding and deeply restorative. The exceptional Verdesana staff caters to every need with warmth and care, ensuring each guest feels supported, comfortable, and completely at ease from the moment they arrive.
Each day is elevated by gourmet chef-prepared plant-based meals crafted from fresh, vibrant ingredients that nourish both body and spirit. Dining at Verdesana is an experience in itself — colorful, intentional cuisine enjoyed against the backdrop of Costa Rica’s breathtaking mountain landscape.
The peaceful energy of this exceptional location invites you to:
🪻 Unplug from your constantly busy daily life
🪻Embrace stillness and joy.
🪻 Reconnect with yourself.
🪻Return home feeling lighter, calmer, and deeply renewed.
🪻Connect with a community of women- meet as strangers; leave as friends.
Located only about 90 minutes from San Jose International Airport, Verdesana combines the serenity of a secluded retreat with some of Costa Rica’s most breathtaking natural landscapes. Whether you’re joining us for wellness, exploration, learning, or simply to slow down and breathe deeply, Verdesana provides a truly magical backdrop for the experience ahead.
This is more than a destination — it’s a place to feel grounded, inspired, and fully alive- a uniquely restorative environment where luxury and nature exist in harmony.
Mahjong as you like it — From Beginner Basics to Friendly Competition
Throughout the weekend, Mahjong will be woven into the retreat with something for everyone—gentle, beginner-friendly instruction for those eager to learn the tiles and rhythm of the game, and engaging mini-tournament play for experienced players who want a fun, spirited challenge. Whether you’re just starting or already love the strategy and camaraderie of Mah Jong, you’ll enjoy plenty of time to play, connect, and immerse yourself in this timeless game.
If you're craving community, hoping to learn Mahjong, eager to deepen your existing practice, or simply longing for a mindful getaway, this retreat offers something for everyone.
Join Us Next March
Come for the Mahjong. Stay for the mindfulness, the nature, the peace that only a pristine and untouched location like this can offer. Leave feeling restored, inspired, and a little more you.
Ready to reserve your spot?
Registration is now open.
Come, unwind, get your game on and find your calm!
Retreat Activities
Mahjong
Whether you’re brand-new or already loving the game, enjoy guided instruction for beginners and relaxed open play for experienced players.
Sound Baths
Experience the healing vibrations of sound baths, where crystal bowls and other instruments create a tranquil atmosphere for deep relaxation.
Time in Nature
Immerse yourself in the healing energies of the Costa Rican cloud forest, with ameditative walks and guided forest bathing, promoting calm and a deeper connection to the natural world.
Meditation and Movement
Begin each day with centering practices to cultivate inner peace and clarity.
All Meals Included
Start your day with native Costa Rican coffee at your door, just the way you like it. Then enjoy three chef-crafted, gourmet, plant-based meals, prepared with a focus on balanced nutrition and protein intake. Dining here becomes an experience unto itself!
Spa Treatments
Enhance your stay with optional restorative spa treatments, surrounded by the serenity of the Costa Rican mountains. Choose from massages, energy work, holistic therapies, and wellness rituals that invite complete relaxation and renewal.
Community Building
Engage in group activities and discussions that foster a sense of belonging and connection with fellow participants.
Five Days In Paradise...
Your time at Verdesana...
We'll start with slow mornings and move through the rest of the day in our own time. While Mahjong will be the anchor of our week, a girl does not live by Mahj alone- especially not in paradise! We'll intersperse game play with activities and experiences that take on new meaning at our stunningly lush home for the week.
Best of all, there will be no rushing, no pressure, no need to do anything other than relax, have fun, and connect- with each other, with nature, and most importantly, with yourself.
A typical day...
🦋Start your morning with a cup of your favorite drink- prepared the way you love it- left at your door by the dedicated Verdsana staff. Savor your Costa Rican Coffee or Ginger Tea on your private porch with majestic greenery sprawling out before you.
🦋Join your friends in the yoga space- or possibly the garden or by the river- for morning meditation and movement- again enveloped by lush greenery on all sides.
🦋Move into the dining room for a gourmet breakfast- so much to choose from- all healthy, locally sourced, and carefully crafted for your well-being.
🦋Time for play and morning activities (see below)
🦋Back to the dining room for a gourmet lunch- again creative chef-prepared five-star cuisine. Linger over the meal while you savor the majesty of the flora and fauna that surround you.
🦋More Mahjong play and afternoon activities
🦋Free time before dinner to walk, meditate, journal, rest, hang with friends, more
Mahjong, or anything that you want- this is YOUR time!
🦋A memorable leisurely dinner. Discuss your day, plan for tomorrow, and know that you are eating healthy, ethically and locally sourced food. Gluten-free and plant-based, Verdesana's chefs ensure that meals are high protein, tasty, and nourishing for body, mind, and spirit.
🦋More Maj and evening activities until bedtime. Sleep peacefully and soundly, lulled to bed by the mesmerizing songs of the forest and the river.
Activities & Experiences- Subject to change and flow as we do!
*Mahjong instruction and guided play for beginners; mini-tournaments for more seasoned players, all guided and taught by experienced instructors who know how to make the game even more fun than it already is!
*Fully embrace the concept of rest and relaxation with daily mindful practices such as Sound Baths, Yoga Nidra, Meditation & Handpan Journey, Forest Bathing, and more.
*Hike through 100 acres of regenerated forest that make up Verdesana. Walking paths, river access, small bridges, gardens, and forest trails are woven throughout the land. Marvel at the native flora and fauna, including tropical flowers, eleven types of hummingbirds, agoutis, deer, wild pigs, kinkajous, and the adorable native Coati. Continue your walk to one of three nearby waterfalls, or take a meditative stroll through the on-site labyrinth.
*Immerse yourself in wood-fired hot pools, filled with fresh water directly from the river flowing through the property. Relax in the spa-like experience of the soothing waters or invigorate yourself with a hot/cold plunge between the hot pools and the river.
*Come on a group outing to the charming nearby town of Orosi- to shop, sightsee, stroll, and grab some ice cream!
*Join a fascinating plant walk on the property with a local herbalist, to learn about the spiritual and medicinal wisdom of plants growing right on Verdesana's land. Create your own hand-crafted herbal infusion from native plants that you encounter.
*After dark, gather at a bonfire for fun, friendship, star-gazing, and a mesmerizing sacred fire performance.
*Book an optional spa treatment and sink even deeper into the cocoon of peace that envelops you.
Accomodations
All 12 beautifully appointed cabins are meticulously furnished with comfortable Queen-sized beds and furnishings. Cabins are hand-crafted from regenerated cyprus forests directly from the property. All cabins feature outdoor decks with prime views to gardens, forests and mountains.
(Warning: you may not want to leave!!)
Private Cabin
$4,900.00
(three available)
*One queen bed
*Private ensuite bathroom
*Private furnished deck
Two-Bedroom Shared Cabin
$4,700 per person
( four cabins available)
*Two private bedrooms
*Spacious living room
*Shared bathroom
*Large furnished deck
Shared Cabin
$4,500.00 per person
(four available)
*Two queen beds in shared room
*Shared ensuite bathroom *Private Furnished deck
One-Bedroom VIP Cabin
$5,100.00
(one available)
*One king bed
*Private furnished deck
*Fireplace
WHAT'S INCLUDED...
- Five nights accommodation in your choice of room
- Three nourishing and delicious meals (and snacks) daily. Gourmet chef-crafted meals are gluten-free and vegan- friendly. Special requests accommodated, including high-protein options.
- Mahjong instruction for beginners and guided mini-tournaments for experienced players.
- All other daily activities, including yoga, sound baths, meditations, plant walk experience, forest bathing.
- Transportation from and to San Jose airport at designated times.
Spa Services, optional excursions, private Sound Healing and/or Reiki sessions will be available during your free time for an additional charge.
Meet Your Retreat Team
Diane Barnett- Host
Diane Barnett, founder of Grounded Meditation, spent over two decades practicing law in New York City before following a quieter calling—one rooted in stillness, healing, and inner peace. In 2009, she stepped onto a new path and began to teach yoga and meditation at New York City studios. A few years later, she relocated to Connecticut, where her passion for mindfulness and well-being continued to grow.
In 2019, Diane founded Grounded Meditation with the motto “Find Your Calm”—a heartfelt mission to make meditation and related practices more accessible, inclusive, and approachable for all.
Today, Diane specializes in Sound Baths , Sound Healing Therapy, and Meditation Instruction, weaving these deeply restorative modalities into retreats, workshops, private and corporate wellness events.
Diane is a graduate of Cornell University and CUNY School of Law, and holds an array of certifications in teaching meditation, yoga, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, tapping (EFT), pranayama, and Reiki. She is also a certified Forest Bathing guide and trained Dancing Mindfulness facilitator—always exploring new ways to help others reconnect with their bodies, their breath, and the present moment.
Diane believes that everyone can meditate, everyone deserves to heal, and that something powerful happens when women gather with intention. Her retreats are a reflection of that belief—safe, soulful spaces to pause, breathe, and begin again.
Catherine Barrett- Co-Host
Catherine Barrett began her meditation journey years ago as a healthy coping mechanism for everyday stressors, as well as way to discover inner peace through mindfulness. She strongly believes meditation to be one of the most profound forms of self-care and is deeply passionate about guiding each student on their own unique path to develop a practice that suits them. Catherine supports Grounded Meditation’s premise that meditation should be accessible to people from every background and walk of life. She facilitates her classes, workshops and private sessions with that premise in mind.
Certificates in teaching the Shamatha style of meditation as well as in Sound Healing, Reiki and Pranayama (breath work) round out Catherine’s knowledge and ability to provide user-friendly instruction to all. She leads meditation workshops, sound and energy healing sessions with Grounded and volunteers at Silver Hill Hospital, where she teaches meditation to the inpatient adolescent population and those in the Executive/Professionals Program. Catherine received a BS in Sociology from Sacred Heart University.
Elva Grosman and Jami Josephson-Chace of "Let's Play Mahjong - Mahjong Instructors
A dedicated Math and Special Ed High School teacher for 15 years, Elva brings her love of teaching and connecting with others to every Mahjong game. An empty nester now living in Putnam Valley, she cherishes her memories of learning Mahjong while growing up on the Jersey Shore.
Jami, a professional ballroom dancer with over 30 years of experience, brings a unique blend of artistry and instruction to her Mahjong teaching. She's a passionate player who lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, son, and rescue pup.
Now, these lifelong players have turned their shared love for Mahjong into a unique experience for others. Combining their teaching expertise with an infectious enthusiasm, Jami and Elva make learning Mahjong fun, engaging, and memorable - like a party with your closest friends!
Booking & Payment
*PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CANNOT HOLD A ROOM WITHOUT A DEPOSIT!*
Reach out to us at groundedmeditationstudio@gmail.com or (203) 717-4777 for any retreat-related questions and registration information.
OR:
Submit The Registration Form
Please fill out the booking form with your contact details, room preference, and any relevant notes or requests.
Be sure to indicate your level of play- beginner (in need of instruction) or experienced!
Send Your Deposit
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your room.
Send payment via:
Choose Your Payment Plan
You may choose to:
-
$500.00 initial deposit to reserve your room.
-
Half of remaining cost of room due within 30 days of deposit.
-
Balance (second half) due within 30 days after first half is paid.
-
Or payment plan available. $500 deposit; balance due in five equal monthly payments
-
Or pay in full up-front for a 10% discount
TO PAY WITH VENMO:
Scan the QR Code below with your venmo account
Retreat Cancellation Policy
-
$500 deposit is non-refundable.
-
Other funds are:
-
Fully refundable 180 or more days prior to the event
-
50% refundable if canceled 90 -180 days prior
-
Non-refundable if canceled within 90 days
-
-
If you cancel within 30 days and we are able to fill your spot, you will be eligible for a 50% refund
Please Note: Our standard event cancellation policy does not apply to this retreat.
