“All human beings need spiritual commitment. Otherwise they become counting machines and believe that every aspect of nature is no more than an instrument that can be operated, mended, or replaced.” – Sir James Goldsmith

As a global community, what's happened in the last year or two demonstrates that we are in the midst of massive global change, a change that is calling upon us to evolve the way we live. What is evident from the global upheaval is that we can no longer rely on governments to take care of their people. Not only are governments breaking down, but so too are economies, education, journalism, religion and the medical model, whose treatments for diseases have become somewhat antiquated. No longer can we rely on any individual such as a priest, a governor, a president, a teacher, or a doctor to solve our problems. Instead, we have to figure out new ways to socially interact.

When you look at the world through this lens, what quickly becomes evident is that the more we can develop community— a group of individuals who share the same level of consciousness, the same interest in personal evolution and development, and the same desire to become less reliant on all those external agencies—the more a new consciousness emerges. From the cell to the human being, it’s no longer about survival of the fittest, it’s about the cooperation of the community—and healthy communities are made up of healthy people. During my world travels over the years, I have found a model for what’s possible in a lovely place in Mexico called Cuixmala, located about an hour north of Manzanillo.

For many years I vacationed with friends and family in Costalegre, a pristine paradise located between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo in the southern area of coastal Pacific Mexico. Combining nature, stunning architecture, and community, it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. Over the years that I vacationed in the area, I’ve gotten to know many people in the community, including the founding family of Cuixmala. Just recently, I was fortunate to spend some time at the 30,000-acre estate turned eco-resort -- after the owners contacted us sharing their intention to start hosting private events.

Surrounded by lush jungles, coconut palm groves, and banana orchards that roll into sweeping savannahs and lagoons, Cuixmala (which means the soul’s resting place) was developed by Sir James Goldsmith, a French-British financier from London.

I was so inspired by Cuixmala because it’s the perfect environment for what I believe is the future: the creation of communities where individuals are less reliant on grocery stores and power supplies, and where they can have access to everything they need to thrive as a self-sustaining community. Cuixmala has accomplished this in such a masterful way -- some of its features include clean fresh water straight from the earth, beautiful gardens and countless greenhouses where they grow all biodynamic organic food.

At Cuixmala, there are acres upon acres of different types of fruit trees, direct access to the Cuixmala river, and multiple beaches for swimming and fishing in the Pacific Ocean. There’s a fully equipped spa, massage offerings, yoga classes, and other types of therapies people can experience. There’s a stable with 26 horses that guests can use to get around the massive property and 150 ongoing research projects. They’re also working on sustainable power and they recycle and compost all their waste. From the compost, organic material is fed to rabbits and the rabbit’s manure is then broken down by worms into natural nitrogen-rich fertilizer to create worm castings. Palm fronds are also ground up for horse-stall liners and then used as fertilizer. Among other impressive aspects, Cuixmala features:

• 30,000 acres of nature reserve
• Three restaurants across the resort
• A 5,000-acre biodynamic farm
• Three private beaches
• Three distinct types of accommodation
• Wild zebras, eland, endangered jaguars, 270 species of bird, and other safari animals
• A turtle sanctuary

The owners’ idea was to create a sustainable environment and develop it for community, and in doing so, they're always looking for new ways to simplify and better serve people.

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years, I did my best to cultivate a sustainable home that had solar power, composts, greenhouses, wells that yielded pure water from the earth, sustainable gardens, and a diversity of fruit and berry orchards. That’s why Cuixmala really resonated with me—because they have taken this idea to the next level. It has all the ingredients to create not only a sustainable community, but to run private events where people can really retreat from their busy modern lives, eat organic food, drink water from the earth, and have beautiful interactions with (and contemplations upon) nature. The attention to detail in the rooms and casitas, as well as their accompanying high-quality accoutrements make it a magical place and probably one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever been to.

And so, after spending some time exploring the property and getting to know the owners, I decided to lead a private retreat – taking place in just a few weeks. Aside from being the perfect setting for transformational events and lectures, Cuixmala is also a beautiful place to go for a private vacation and to find inspiration.

To learn more about Cuixmala, visit their website. To be notified of Dr Joe’s future retreats at Cuixmala, add your email address to this contact form.

Images courtesy Cuixmala, photography by Davis Gerber