Surf retreats tailored for healing
We curate transformative, embodied experiences in compassionate service to healing humanity
Remote Luxury is where Surf Meets Self-Care™
Home to a radically new concept of surf retreats
“I’m curating a series of surf retreats that integrate self-care with surfing. Surfing rewired my nervous system in a way nothing else had. It teaches presence, trust, and resilience—especially for women learning to soften control and meet life’s waves with grace.”
Surf Meets Self-Care Trail
Our Surf Meets Self-Care Trail isn’t just a path - it’s a journey into presence. It winds through ocean vistas, secret surf spots, and hidden moments of stillness. Here, waves become teachers, and every session is a return to yourself.
Luxury Accommodations
Welcome to your sanctuary by the sea. Each room is designed for quiet luxury and soulful rest. Natural textures, soft ocean breezes, and coastal-inspired decor create spaces where you can exhale completely.
The Flow
A curated retreat journey where surf meets self-care, crafted for the modern explorer seeking beauty, balance, and depth in Mexico.
Soul Work & Sacred Surf™ retreat series
An immersive retreat led by world-class facilitators with a premium surf add-on. It’s a marriage of deep inner work and nature’s playful medicine.
Waves of Resilience: Healing Through Art, Psychology, and Surfing | August 14-17, 2025
Board-certified Art Therapist, Pamela Hayes Malkoff’s work at the intersection of art and psychology is so compelling. She creates space for people to reconnect with their creative voice as a portal for healing and self-discovery. Her approach is embodied, intelligent, and so needed.
She helps others access their inner worlds through creativity, paired with the power of the ocean, feels like a profound combination. Her teachings will guide the inner shift and surfing supports the embodied integration.
Hosted at MUSA (Modern Utopian Society of Adventurers)
Zihuatanejo, Mexico
In this workshop, participants embark on their own healing journey, using art as a means to explore and address their inner fears, anxieties, and the emotional blocks that may hinder their personal growth.
The combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Art Therapy within CCTM allows participants to engage with their emotions in a structured yet creative way, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their unique healing process.
By integrating activities like drawing, painting, collage, and writing, the workshop provides a space for participants to express and process their emotions, which is at the heart of the "Healing Arts: A Personal Journey" theme. The workshop's focus on personal reflection, creative expression, and emotional healing offers participants a transformative experience that aligns with the overarching goal of the content thread: to use the arts as a vehicle for personal and emotional healing.
Under the guidance of Pamela Hayes Malkoff, who developed this method and has 35 years of experience as a licensed psychotherapist, participants will not only explore their own emotional landscapes but also gain practical tools to continue their healing journey long after the workshop ends, making this experience a vital part of their personal growth narrative.
And because healing happens beyond the studio walls, guests will have the option to be taken to an off-site secret surf spot for a private surf experience. Surfing naturally complements therapeutic work by engaging the body, connecting with nature, and unlocking deeper layers of emotional processing.
Together, this retreat offers more than self-expression—it’s an immersive process designed to empower you with tools for continued self-discovery and healing, long after the last wave or brushstroke.
Pamela Hayes Malkoff is an Esalen faculty member, board-certified Art Therapist, author of The Creative Cognitive Therapy Method, and expert featured on SoulPancake’s The Science of Happiness. With 30+ years of experience, she’s taught at Rhode Island School of Design, California State University, Northridge, The Chicago School and lectured worldwide, blending Art Therapy and CBT to empower meaningful change.
Book Spotlight: The Creative Cognitive Therapy Method by Pamela Hayes
The Creative Cognitive Therapy Method blends CBT with art therapy in a 10-session program designed to heal anxiety, depression, addiction, and anger. Ideal for both clinicians and individuals, this book offers clear, actionable steps including interventions, inspiring quotes, and engaging assignments. With practical tools and creative approaches, Pamela Hayes empowers readers to personalize their healing journey and create lasting change.
The Lineup
A curated retreat journey across the Philippines’ turquoise waters and sunlit shores for the explorer seeking a more immersive surfing experience with laidback backpacker vibes.
Private Guided Surf Lessons
Team Leads
Chimi (Mexico)
Chimi has been a quiet legend in Zihuatanejo’s underground surf scene for decades. A longtime guardian of one of the area’s most secret surf spots, he brings a rare blend of humility, wisdom, and heart to everything he does. His approach to sharing the waves is deeply rooted in acceptance and compassion—meeting each student exactly where they are and guiding them with patience, presence, and respect for the ocean. “I really like seeing my clients enjoy those moments when they ride a good wave. I get excited.”
Don (Philippines)
Don is a longtime friend I met nearly a decade ago on a small, beautiful island in the Philippines. One of the first things he ever asked me was, “Want to surf?”—and from that simple invitation, a deep friendship blossomed. We’ve been surfing together ever since. He is the kind of person who lets his presence speak. He’s humble, kind, and endlessly patient—not just in the water, but in life. He often reminds me, “You have to be patient. You have to love your work.” And he lives that wisdom every day, both on land and in the sea.