CARLOS, MINNESOTA | GROUPS OF UP TO 12
Step Away From the Chaos.
Return better together.
A private, immersive retreat experience for groups and teams that are ready to connect, reconnect, restore, and build healthier ways of navigating life and work together.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING | EQUINE ASSISTED-EXPERIENCES | NATURE IMMERSION | PRACTICAL TOOLS
WHY THE PEACE RETREAT?
Sometimes getting away is how you finally make room for what matters.
Teams and communities can continue functioning long after they've stopped functioning well. The demands, the pace, the responsibility - over time, it takes a toll.
The Peace Retreat creates intentional space away from those demands - allowing people to slow down, reconnect, gain perspective, and develop practical tools for navigating life and relationships differently when they return.
DISCONNECT
FROM THE NOISE
Create space away from everyday demands.
RECONNECT
WITH WHAT MATTERS
Strengthen awareness, relationships and connection.
RETURN
EQUIPPED
Leave with practical tools that expand beyond the retreat.
BEST FIT FOR
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Corporate leadership workshops
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Executive and organizational teams
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Healthcare teams
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Groups needing resilience and burnout prevention
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School faculty
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Church staff
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Nonprofit boards and leadership teams
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Families
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Couples Focused Groups
This might be for your group or team if...
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You’ve been carrying a lot for a long time and rarely have space to step away together.
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Your people are functioning, but you know functioning isn’t the same as flourishing.
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You want to strengthen trust, communication, connection, and self-awareness.
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Your group is navigating change, transition, stress, conflict, or sustained pressure.
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You sense there are conversations your team needs to have but everyday demands keep getting in the way.
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You want something deeper than traditional team building or another classroom-style workshop.
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You value reflection, honest conversation, experiential learning, and practical tools.
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You want to invest in the people behind the roles, titles, and responsibilities.
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You’re willing to step outside your normal environment—and perhaps your comfort zone—to gain a different perspective.
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You want what happens at the retreat to continue influencing your group after you leave.
This is probably not for your group if...
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You’re primarily looking for a vacation, recreational getaway, or entertainment experience.
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You want someone to come in and “fix” a difficult employee or team member.
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Your group is being required to attend but leadership has no intention of participating in the work.
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You’re looking for a traditional conference, keynote, or classroom training experience.
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You want a tightly packed agenda with constant activity and little room for reflection.
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Your group isn’t willing to engage in honest conversation, self-reflection, or experiential activities.
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You’re looking for a clinical treatment program or substitute for professional mental-health care.
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You expect three days away to magically resolve long-standing organizational or relational problems.
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You’re primarily interested in horseback riding or recreational horse activities.
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You want an experience that ends when everyone drives away. The real value comes from what your group carries back with them.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
WHY HORSES?
Some things can't be learned in the classroom.
Horses respond to what's happening in the moment. Their sensitivity, presence, and immediate feedback create opportunities for awareness and connection that conversation alone cannot reproduce.
Facilitated equine-assisted experiences invite participants to slow down, become present, recognize patterns, and experience insights rather than simply talking about them.
Equine-assisted work engages the whole nervous system. It's embodied, not conceptual.
Horses are natural mirrors. They respond to what's actually happening in the room, not what people project. That's where the insight lives.
Because feedback comes from a horse rather than a person, it lands without judgment, comparison, or ego defense.
No previous horse experience is required. There is no horseback riding at The Peace Retreat.
PRICING & WHAT'S INCLUDED
The base rate for 6 participants is $7,800.
The per-person investment decreases as the group size increases.
Included
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Opening event geared towards aligning retreat intentions and connecting with Guides and fellow participants
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Empowering workshops, equine-assisted experiences, and nature immersion allowing for a deep dive into matters of internal peace
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Pre-Retreat Preparation Call to answer your questions and ensure your needs and goals are clearly understood
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One meal per day, snacks and beverages
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Standard concierge services, such as recommendations for local adventures, dining and entertainment etc.
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Closing Celebration Brunch to honor your journey towards personal growth, self-reflection and inner peace
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Post-Retreat Call designed to check on your continued journey
Not Included
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Transportation to and from the retreat destination
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Lodging
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Adventures, excursions and entertainment on personal time
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Horseback riding
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Personal, medical, or trip cancellation insurance
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"I am better equipped to fight chaos in my life and in the lives of those I
am given an opportunity to lead, coach, and teach. I would give my highest
endorsement and recommendation to the Peace Retreat. You owe it to yourself and
those in your life to attend and participate in this transformational experience."
Jim Bates
President and CEO of Business Improvement Group (BIG)
"In a world that has 'busyness' and activity all around, The Peace Retreat is a unique experiential program to allow you to step away from your regular schedule and breathe. Myra and Jimmy teach a practical framework to reset and enjoy the life you want."
Tracy Rader
Director of Community at GiANT Worldwide
"As a helper that works so hard every day to inspire others, it was so healing to have other 'helpers/leaders' share that they still struggle with the chaos of life, and the horses facilitated unapologetic connection and love for ourselves and others sharing such a transformational experience."
Stephanie M.,
Mental Health Provider
Sioux Falls, SD.
THE EXPERIENCE
A Private Three-Day Immersive Experience
Three days of programming across four calendar days
Carlos, Minnesota | Up to 12 participants
This isn't a conference, seminar, or traditional team-building event. Your group steps away from its normal environment and enters an intentionally designed experience combining facilitated conversations, practical frameworks, nature, reflection, and equine-assisted experiences.
DAY ONE
Arrive - Disconnect
Settle In - Begin
DAY TWO & THREE
Immerse - Experience
Reflect - Connect - Grow
DAY FOUR
Integrate
Prepare to Return
Depart
A TYPICAL DAY
Every retreat is different, but here's the basic shape of an immersive day.
9:00
Check-in
9:30- 10:45
The core work of the day with the horses and/or nature. We'll take breaks between exercises. We'll leverage an indoor arena as well as enjoy the outdoors, weather permitting.
11:00 - 12:00
Workshop - Part 1
12:00 - 12:30
Lunch. Enjoy a provided lunch, taking into account any dietary restrictions.
12:30 - 1:30
Workshop - Part II
2:00 -4:00
Reflect on the core work from the morning sessions.
4:15
Close-Out
5:00
Release
YOUR GROUP. YOUR DATES. YOUR RETREAT.
01.
START A CONVERSATION
Tell us about your group, what you're experiencing, and what you hope to accomplish.
02.
BUILD YOUR RETREAT
We'll determine fit, participant count, and available dates together.
03.
STEP AWAY
Bring your people. We'll guide the experience.
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Myra Heckenlaible-Gotto, EdD
Myra currently practices as an Experiential Facilitator and Coach, drawing on four decades of
professional experience and continued learning. Her background as a former licensed psychologist and educator, together with her continued training in human development, leadership, and equine-assisted experiential learning, brings a unique depth and perspective to her work. Blending her heart for teaching, love for horses and nature, and passion for helping others, she
creates transformational retreats and interactive experiences that help teams strengthen communication, build trust, navigate challenges, and cultivate healthy support and challenge. Her approach encourages individuals and teams to reconnect, recharge, recognize their individual
and collective strengths, and move forward with greater clarity, resilience, and purpose—both personally and professionally.
Jimmy Bates
Jimmy Bates is a passionate transformational guide with over 26 years of military experience, including leading in combat zones as well as responding to civil and natural disasters. What sets Jimmy apart is his personal journey towards peace after experiencing trauma, which fuels his empathetic approach and deep understanding of the healing process.
With his unique blend of authentic empathy, proven leadership experience, and personal journey towards peace, he empowers individuals to find their own path towards healing, unlock their inner strength, and cultivate lasting fulfillment.
