You know how some things are just meant to be? Well, that is the case with a little resort that sparkles like a diamond on the shores of the Mexican Riviera. Present Moment Conscious Living Retreat (http://www.presentmomentretreat.com), co-founded by Tom Morisette and C.J. Page, is the manifestation of a dream to share their talents in yoga, massage, qigong, and conscious living with the ultimate dream of eventually initiating social change.
Fascinated with what motivates someone to pack up all their things, including cats, dogs, household goods, and drive all the way from Minneapolis in a caravan of 5 vehicles to Troncones Beach, Mexico, we decided to pick Tom's brain a bit to find out more about this Camelot of spiritual and physical renewal, and his motivation for bringing it to life.
Question: What did you do before PMR? Answer: My formal education revolved around the fine arts; painting, clothing and footwear design, interiors and exteriors, landscape design and more. I owned and operated two businesses; one funky men's fashion boutique called ‘Exile' in downtown Minneapolis, and the other a small health and wellness company called ‘Natural Life', which sold and distributed natural pain management tools and therapies. Question: How did you come up with the idea for PMR? Answer: I sensed a void in the wellness community for mind, body and spirit centers that catered to BOTH personal practice such as yoga and the healing arts, and luxury boutique hotels which cater to clients with discriminating pallets for fine dining and a zest for outdoor adventure. We modeled Present Moment after an intimate family village in Bali, Indonesia, where fresh indigenous ingredients, quality service and attention to detail are the cornerstones of the environment. Question: How long between idea and inception? Answer: Although the original idea has been constantly in a state of change, once I found the property and began sketching the original design was about a month. Question: What is relationship to move to Mexico to your citizenship in America? Answer: The ‘American Dream' was more like a nightmare to me with all it's multi tasking and keeping up with the Joneses, and I longed for a simpler life with more time for being in the moment, being in service to others needing positive energy in their lives and honoring my core values. Question: How long in practice of Buddhism? Answer: Although not devout, I've held the Buddhist traditions and practices in high regard for 30 plus years. I try to live my life from a place of loving kindness, and through the retreat we hope to create a catalyst for personal growth and transformation. Question: How did you get others on board? Answer: I rounded up a group of like minded individuals who were willing to put others before themselves, passionately sharing their individual skills and gifts to lend a positive and uplifting experience for all of our guests. All of the principles of Present Moment Retreat currently work an average of 16 hours per day WITHOUT pay. Our reward is the satisfaction of a meaningful job well done. Question: Any particularly interesting or rivoting points/stories? One story is that Myself, CJ, Taylor and Jessie...along with 2 dogs, 3 cats, 5 vehicles overstuffed with a household's worth of furnishings set off for Troncones from Minneapolis. We didn't get any farther than Des Moines before the 17 foot truck broke down for the first time. That adventure was dotted with more trials and tribulations that could have ever been anticipated, including electrical breakdowns, tire blow outs, wildly swaying trailers, near impossible boarder crossings, getting separated with no money or form of communication, and finally converging in Troncones, filthy, broke and running on nothing more than fumes...only to dust ourselves off and begin again.
Located on a pristine and private beachfront property with the Sierra Madre Mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, Present Moment Counscious Living Retreat offers programs in yoga, massage, qigong and dance classes, alongside adventure activities in kayaking, surfing, mountain hiking, and surfing. The resort's restaurant offers healthy gourmet cuisine that features locally harvested seafood and produce. The relatively small, intimate nature of the resort encourages a family atmosphere where management and staff are involved with, and deeply committed to, the positive experience of each and every guest. For more information, contact Tom Morisette at tom@presentmomentretreat.com
