Engage Your Soul An Expressive Arts Retreat
- Flō Retreat Center
- May 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 10
Retreat Dates: February 6th-12th, 2026
Hosted By: Dennis Gaumond + Gary Diggins
retreat Overview
Engage Your Soul offers a sensual, playful, and purposeful context in which to be
replenished by the medicine of music, the beauty of nature, the soul of sound, and
the gifts of heartfelt conversations. As an expressive arts retreat, everything
becomes a canvas for spontaneity, authenticity, and connectivity.
We will be surrounded by nature’s beauty, a lush jungle with 6 waterfalls right on
the premises. And yet we will be only 10 minutes away from the town of Uvita
and from some amazing beaches. Costa Rica is an incredible country and this
region is known for being less ‘touristy’ and more ‘alternative’. There are many
fun activities to explore and also, lots of opportunity to just relax.
This retreat is an invitation to come as you are, be who you are, and unleash
more of what you are in imaginative and collaborative ways. You don’t need any
training in therapeutic disciplines to participate as we will follow this premise by
John O’Donohue:
“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own
unfolding.”
retreat Description
Clearly, we are living in challenging and transformational times. How we
individually and collectively navigate these troubled waters requires a guidance
deeper than ideas and concepts. As odd as it may sound, the art of play and
improvisation can help us (as our theme suggests) to “engage our souls.” Our soul
life holds resilience, wisdom, innovation, and bountiful resources to bring our
unique gifts into the world. We will follow a path that honours four main components:
Singing and Sounding: Making sound in community has always inspired the
heart and ignited the imagination. In this gathering we will explore both ancient
and contemporary practices that bring nourishment to our beings. Different than
performing, we will concentrate on sounding as a blessing. We’ll incorporate user-
friendly instruments to design sonic rituals. We’ll use our voices, chanting and
toning, in ways that inspire and heal.
Music and Movement: Something ancient awakens in us when a drum sounds or
a rattle shakes. Our bodies instinctively want to move, or our souls want to dance
into the inner realms. Sometimes, a soulful soundscape moves us into deep
reflection and conversation. Each day will begin with the option of morning yoga.
We will also move into the lush energies of the surrounding jungle landscape
where we can listen and sound in nature.
Play: The context of the Flo retreat facility invites us to play at the intersection
where culture and nature interact. As we enter a state of beginner’s mind, we see
anew through the eyes of wonder. We’ll play with poetry, ceremony, and
creativity that invites a love-based perspective. These interactions can take place
around the pool, at a waterfall or in air-conditioned comfort.
Meaningful Conversation: Things are changing in the world at an accelerated
rate. On this retreat we will have the opportunity to learn and to express
ourselves. We will try to look at things from a more metaphysical, divine energy
perspective, rather than viewpoints based on politics, economics and fear-based
narratives. Discussions could include a variety of hot topics: AI and the
Architect, the Mandela Effect, dimensionality, etc.
meet your hosts
Gary Diggins
Gary Diggins began his musical career in the Detroit area working as an opening act for performers ranging from Alice Cooper to Sly and the Family Stone. In his early twenties, Gary met a Columbian shaman. That encounter shifted his orientation from the performing arts to the healing arts. His interdisciplinarystudies led him into the fields of psychology, spiritual directorship, and a soul-based approach to counselling.
For the past four decades, he has maintained an expressive arts practice that blends the therapeutic use of sound with counselling. His service is called Soundwork as Soulwork. As an educator, Gary has taught internationally at various learning institutes and universities. He continues to mentor practitioners in person as well as online. Gary’s has written five books related to music as medicine. His current publication is entitled Liminality - Traversing the In-Between - A Guidebook for Therapists and Expressive Arts Practitioners.
Gary plays a range of acoustic instruments collected from around the world. His musical collaborations have taken him to India, Africa, Europe, South Korea, Israel, and throughout North America, including a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. He happily performs in various bands at concerts and festivals. Currently, Gary and his family live on a rural property near Meaford, Ontario
with three cats, five chickens, and a dog named Sita.
Dennis Gaumond
Dennis Gaumond is a long-time musician who has toured and performed in many contexts and released several CD’s. He has opened for some notable acts, (Eric Burden and the Animals, Humble Pie, the Ozark Mtn Daredevils, etc.) and shared the stage with many notable blues dudes, (James Cotton, A.C. Reed, Phil Guy, Wild Child Butler, Mel Brown, etc.) Dennis was always quietly seeking esoteric knowledge and guidance. While in Australiain the year 2000 he was exposed to chanting, overtoning, crystal bowls and a spiritual community. His life took a new turn. He spent the next 4 years writing a book, ‘Why Is Life?’, which was released in 2004. Over the next 15 years Dennis led hundreds of chant circles, and has released the book/CD ‘Chant Magic’, and the CD, ‘Attracting Abundance – Mantras for Prosperity'. Dennis is a speaker who has presented workshops across Canada, teaching seminars and leading discussion groups on the topics in his book. He is a teacher of the science of mantra and the ancient art of overtone singing. He has led sound healing circles, using chants from a variety of world traditions, shamanic drumming, crystal bowls, etc.
In 2008 he founded the ‘Bhadra Collective’, a group of musicians who presented chant-based world-beat dance music celebrating the ‘Return of the Goddess’. The Bhadra Collective released a CD entitled “Soon Come Shekina”. It can be accessed on Spotify on the Bhadra Collective page. Other albums can be accessed on Spotify on the Dennis Gaumond page. Dennis is also a painter, a member of the Guelph Studio Tour. His paintings can be viewed here: www.dennisgaumondart.com Dennis has been coming to Costa Rica for about 3 months per year for the past 16 years. He has also recently become the happy grandfather of 2 beautiful souls.
Why Is Life is now available for free at www.whyislife.com
everything included
• 7 nights eco-lux accommodations at Flō Retreat Center
• All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) made with fresh local ingredients, by
two exceptional Tico cooks. Vegan or vegetarian diets will be
accommodated.
• Daily sessions from the ‘Engage Your Soul’ program
• Morning yoga
• Excursions to waterfalls, beaches, and local markets
• Follow up Zoom conversation and debrief
• Airport shuttle to and from San José International Airport (SJO)
• Full access to Flō’s pool, gym, and hiking trails
PRICING
Deposit: $500USD to reserve your spot | Payment Plans: Available by request
Shared Room: Starting at $2,100USD per person
Private Room (Double Occupancy): Starting at $2,100USD per person
Private Room(Single Occupancy): Starting at $2,300USD per person
Explore more details of our accommodations here!