Q&A with Tymeka Zimmerman on Healing, Nature, and Transformation at her Jungle Retreat in Mexico

When people ask what makes a jungle retreat in Mexico so transformative, the answer often lives in lived experience — not theory. Few retreat leaders articulate that truth as beautifully as Tymeka Zimmerman.

We invited Tymeka to share, in her own words, why retreats matter now more than ever, how the jungle itself becomes a co-facilitator, and what kind of transformation stays with guests long after they leave the land.

What first drew you to retreats, and why did you begin leading them?

My path to retreats began as a seeker long before it became a calling. Years ago, I was searching for spaces of healing for myself — places that felt deep, intentional, and honest. What I found instead were experiences that touched the surface but didn’t quite meet the soul. I knew there had to be another way.

My own healing journey taught me that true transformation doesn’t happen in isolation or through one modality alone. It happens when the mind, body, and soul are invited into the same conversation, held within safety, community, and nature.

After years of navigating chronic illness, trauma, and emotional pain that Western approaches couldn’t fully resolve, I found healing through holistic practices, plant medicine, somatic work, nervous system regulation, and deep inner listening.

I realized something that changed everything for me:We are never taught how to truly care for ourselves. We’re not taught how to regulate our nervous systems, how to process emotions, how to listen to the body’s wisdom, or how to trust our intuition — and yet, these are the skills that allow us to live with peace, clarity, and self-trust.

Retreats became my way of sharing what I had learned — not as a teacher above, but as a woman who has walked through the fire and come back with medicine in her hands. I began leading retreats because I believe that when women remember how to care for themselves deeply, the ripple effect touches families, communities, and the world itself.

What do people most need right now, and how does a jungle retreat in Mexico help meet that need?

What people need most right now is permission — permission to slow down, to feel, to soften, and to be human.

We live in a world that rewards productivity over presence and strength over sensitivity. So many people are exhausted, disconnected, and quietly overwhelmed, searching for answers outside of themselves while their inner voice grows quieter.

My jungle retreat in Mexico offers a sacred pause. These retreats are spaces where women can exhale for the first time in a long time. Where nothing is expected of them except honesty. Where it is safe to feel joy, grief, anger, tenderness — whatever has been waiting to be witnessed.

Through ceremony, somatic practices, nature immersion, and conscious community, I guide women back to themselves. Back to their bodies. Back to the truth they’ve always carried. At the heart of my work is reconnection:To self.To others.To the earth. Because healing doesn’t happen alone — and we were never meant to walk this life disconnected from one another.

How does the environment at Tailwind shape your jungle retreat in Mexico experience?

The land at Tailwind is a co-facilitator in every retreat. The jungle has a way of softening even the most guarded hearts. It reminds us of our own wild nature — untamed, intuitive, alive. Surrounded by life, sound, and breath, the nervous system begins to settle, and something ancient wakes up inside us.

The ocean becomes a teacher of surrender. It cleanses, holds, and mirrors our emotions, reminding us that we too are cyclical, powerful, and worthy of rest.

The simplicity of this jungle retreat in Mexico invites us out of distraction and back into presence — where healing naturally unfolds. Here, women remember that they are not separate from nature.They are nature.

And when that remembering happens, the body listens, the heart opens, and the work deepens effortlessly.

What is one transformation you’ve witnessed that has stayed with you?

I have witnessed women put down burdens they’ve been carrying for decades. I’ve seen them release old identities rooted in fear, self-doubt, people-pleasing, and self-abandonment. I’ve watched tears fall — not from pain alone, but from relief — the relief of finally being seen, held, and understood.

Women arrive heavy with stories they’ve inherited or learned to survive. I watch them leave lighter, clearer, more rooted in their truth. Not “fixed,” but empowered. Not perfect, but whole.

What stays with me most is the moment a woman realizes she is no longer at war with herself.

That moment changes everything.

What do you hope someone carries home after a jungle retreat in Mexico?

I hope they leave knowing — deep in their bones — that they are enough exactly as they are.

I hope they carry the understanding that rest is sacred, boundaries are not selfish, and caring for themselves is not optional — it is essential. That loving themselves more deeply allows them to love others and this planet more fully.

Most of all, I hope they leave with a felt sense of safety within themselves. Tools they can return to. A relationship with their inner world that continues long after the jungle fades into memory.

What’s a common misconception about retreats?

Many people believe retreats are a temporary escape — a beautiful week that fades once you return home.

My retreats are designed to be initiations, not vacations. The work continues long after the retreat ends. I provide integration support, group calls, and one-on-one sessions because embodiment and integration are where real transformation happens. This isn’t about a moment. It’s about a shift.

Why is community so important in retreat work?

Community is everything. There is profound medicine in being witnessed by other women — especially in a world that often asks us to shrink or perform. Shared experience reminds us that we are not broken or alone; we are human. The bonds formed during a jungle retreat in Mexico often become lifelong friendships, mirrors, and support systems. Healing deepens when we walk alongside others who understand the language of the heart.

Is there a ritual or practice that consistently creates insight?

Our mushroom ceremonies hold a special place in my heart. They are sacred, intentional, and deeply held. These ceremonies are not about escape — they are about remembrance, humility, and coming home to oneself. I’ve watched women remember their truth, soften into their bodies, and open their hearts in ways that words cannot capture.

What brings you the most joy in leading retreats?

Watching women reflect healing back to one another. Seeing friendships form, walls fall, and self-compassion grow reminds me why this work matters. Every retreat teaches me something new about presence, humility, and love. It is an honor to walk beside women as they remember who they are.

Considering a Jungle Retreat in Mexico?

A jungle retreat is not about fixing yourself. It’s about remembering yourself — in nature, in community, and in truth.

If Tymeka’s words resonate, we invite you to explore her upcoming retreat and experience this work for yourself.

Sometimes, the path forward begins by stepping away.

Rewild & Recharge Women's Retreat