We explore who you’re becoming.
This agenda outlines the planned flow for the 2026 Circle of Eight gathering at El Durancho, Costa Rica. Final dates for 2026 will be announced soon.
We arrive late afternoon on Day 0, open as the sun sets, and end after closing circle on Day 2. Between those bookends: origin stories, inflection points, shared experiences, experiments and commitments — with purposeful breaks and unscripted conversations woven through. A professional guide holds the arc of the 2.5 days so the group can relax into the work itself.
The first evening is about landing in the space, in our bodies, and with each other. We begin gently, with the question that underpins everything: Who are you really, beneath the résumé?
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15:00 – 17:30Arrival & settling inCheck-in, rooms, a walk around the property, optional movement or quiet time to shake off travel.
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17:30 – 18:15Orientation, agreements & meeting the guideWhy the Circle exists, how the 2.5 days will work, and the agreements that make depth possible: confidentiality, presence, no spectators. You also meet the professional guide who will hold the container from start to finish.
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18:15 – 19:45Shared mealA simple shared dinner together. Light stories, no pressure to perform — just easing into the group.
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20:00 – 21:30Opening circle: who are you beneath the résumé?Each person shares why they said yes, what inflection points have shaped them so far, and what they hope might shift in these 2.5 days. Core prompts include: Who are you really, beneath the achievement and résumé? What inflection points brought you here?
The first night ends early. The goal is to arrive, not to “get through content.”
Across all 2.5 days, we move from who you’ve been to who you’re becoming — individually and collectively.
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ArcStory → Pattern → Experiment → CommitmentDay 0 opens the field, Day 1 dives into personal arcs and inflection points, and Day 2 turns shared insight into concrete experiments and commitments.
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RhythmDeep work, then restSessions are intense but finite. Breaks, movement and food are treated as essential parts of the agenda, not extras.
Day 1 is about understanding who is in the room — not as roles or résumés, but as humans shaped by specific moments. The core questions: What has brought you to this moment? What have you built, and what has it cost? What are you carrying that you’re ready to set down?
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07:30 – 09:00Quiet morning & breakfastOptional movement, coffee, journaling or a slow walk. No formal content yet — just arriving into the day.
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09:00 – 10:30Framing: maps of a lifeShared framework for origin stories and inflection points. Participants map their arc using prompts like: What has brought you to this moment? What have you built, and what has it cost?
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10:45 – 12:30Origin stories · Round 1Half the circle shares their arcs in structured time. The emphasis is on shifts, crises and inflection points — not highlight reels. Each share closes with: What are you carrying that you’re ready to set down?
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12:30 – 14:30Lunch & landUnhurried meal followed by solo or paired walks, time with the land, or quiet reflection to let the stories settle.
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14:30 – 16:30Origin stories · Round 2The remaining seats share their arcs. The circle listens for the deeper story under the story: the themes that have been playing out across decades.
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16:45 – 17:30Reflections: what’s ending, what’s beginningGroup reflection on patterns and turning points. Prompts include: Where are you now in your arc? What feels like it’s ending? What feels like it’s trying to begin?
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18:30 – 20:00DinnerShared meal with a single question in the center of the table, held lightly.
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20:00 – 22:00Evening salon: fear and longingBy firelight or under the stars, the conversation turns to: What do you fear losing? What do you fear never finding? A gentle but honest exploration of what’s at stake for each person.
By the end of Day 1, every person has been seen in their full arc — not as a title, but as a life in motion.
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OutcomeFrom individuals to councilThe group shifts from “impressive individuals” to a temporary council with deep shared context, trust and an emerging shared language.
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TextureDepth without burnoutBreaks, movement and time outdoors keep the nervous system regulated so the depth feels nourishing rather than draining.
Day 2 turns from biography to trajectory. The questions shift to: What do you know now that you didn’t know ten years ago? What version of you is trying to emerge? What does meaning look like now? What contribution are you uniquely positioned to make from here?
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07:30 – 09:00Quiet morning, optional practice & breakfastOptional sunrise walk, light movement or breath practice, then breakfast. Time to let Day 1 continue working in the background.
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09:00 – 10:30Shared patterns: what we’ve learned so farAs a group, map the recurring themes across all eight lives. Prompts include: What do you know now that you didn’t know ten years ago? What keeps showing up in different costumes?
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10:45 – 12:15Council time: what’s trying to emerge?A few participants bring live dilemmas or turning points to the circle. Core question: What version of you is trying to emerge, and what conversation have you never had that you need to?
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12:15 – 13:45Lunch & unscripted spaceSimple lunch. Time for smaller conversations, rest, or a last walk before we move into experiments and commitments.
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13:45 – 15:00Experiments, meaning and contributionEach person defines a small set of experiments and shifts they want to carry into their life. Prompts include: What does meaning look like for you now? From everything you’ve lived, what contribution are you uniquely positioned to make?
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15:00 – 16:00Closing circle: resonance and carry-forwardFinal check-out from each seat. Core prompts: What resonance did you find in this room? What one thing will you carry forward from these 2.5 days?
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16:00 onwardsDepartures & optional lingerSome will head straight out; others may stay for one last walk, conversation or moment with the land before re-entering their regular life.
The real impact of the Circle happens once everyone leaves: in decisions, relationships, companies and quiet inner shifts.
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IntegrationFrom insight to practiceParticipants leave with a short list of experiments, conversations and shifts to test in the months that follow — not a grand plan, but a handful of deliberately chosen moves.
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ConnectionA circle that can persistWhile the formal container is 2.5 days, the relationships and council may continue in whatever way feels natural — from quiet texts to future circles.