Asencia really began with our own story.

Nearly 30 years ago, we were both at a point in our lives when we knew we wanted to live differently. We had started on separate paths, each trying to work through our own struggles and find a way to feel more connected to ourselves, to other people, and to life.

When we met, we were ready to step into a more spiritual way of living. We did not know exactly what that would look like, but we knew there was no going back.

Over the years, as we built a marriage and raised our family, this became the journey of our lives. We practiced meditation, prayer, yoga, breathwork, and many other spiritual and wellness practices.

We read books, attended seminars, joined groups, spent countless hours talking with friends, tried new things, and continued learning.

All of it helped us. But over time, we began to understand that connection and transformation do not happen only through the mind.

They happen through the body.

Through nature, movement, touch, music, laughter, vulnerability, adventure, and being with other people.

We love meditation and stillness, but we also believe we are meant to fully participate in life.

Sometimes we need quiet and solitude. Other times, we need to laugh, move, challenge ourselves, step outside of our comfort zones, and share meaningful experiences with others.

We wanted to create a place where all of that could exist together.

For many years, we traveled whenever we could. We visited beautiful beaches and stayed at luxury resorts, but we often returned home feeling as though we needed another vacation.

We had rested, but we had not necessarily grown, opened, or felt changed by the experience.

Maren had also spent more than 25 years working in the luxury spa and wellness industry. She knew firsthand how much thought and care could go into creating a beautiful guest experience.

But she also knew that traditional luxury could sometimes feel overly polished, formal, or disconnected from real life.

We were looking for something different.

We wanted comfort and beauty, but we also wanted truth, nature, freedom, and genuine human connection.

We wanted what we came to think of as luxury for the human spirit.

That search eventually led us to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

When we arrived in Punta Uva, we felt something almost immediately.

The jungle came right up to the sea. The water was warm and gentle. Monkeys, sloths, birds, butterflies, lizards, and countless other forms of life surrounded us everywhere we looked.

It felt raw, vibrant, peaceful, and completely alive.

We had spent years searching for the right place, but after only three days in Punta Uva, everything came together.

We found the property that would become Asencia, and it felt as though we were in the right place at exactly the right time.

On the day we left, we were invited to take part in a blessing of the land.

During that ceremony, we set an intention for the property: that everyone who came here, including our family, our friends, and one day our guests, would feel peaceful and happy, deepen their connections, and remember what life is truly about.

That intention has stayed with us through every part of creating Asencia.

We worked with local architects and builders to place the casitas carefully within the land, preserving the surrounding nature and creating an experience connected to the jungle, the breeze, the sunrise, and the sunset.

We also realized very quickly that everything we needed was already here.

The massage therapists, chefs, breathwork facilitators, yoga teachers, artists, guides, and wellness practitioners are all part of this community.

Their talent, warmth, culture, and knowledge are an essential part of Asencia.

The plants and natural resources of Costa Rica have also become part of the experience.

The herbs growing near the casitas, healing teas, cacao, native plants, body treatments, food, and local traditions all connect us more deeply to the place we are in.

Asencia is not designed to isolate people from the real world or create a false version of reality.

It is meant to bring people more fully into the world.

That is why breathwork, massage, sauna, and cold plunge belong alongside ATV rides, waterfalls, wildlife, shared meals, music, movement, and laughter.

To us, the human experience is not one or the other.

It is all of it together.

When we are at Asencia, we feel closer to the people we were always meant to be.

We feel more present, more alive, and more connected to what matters.

That is what we hope to share with every person who comes here.

Not the pressure to become someone new, but the space to remember who you already are.