The 2026 Animal-Based Gathering: Community is the Medicine

The 2026 Animal-Based Gathering has come to a close. The friendships, conversations, and memories created in Costa Rica will continue long after the jungle fades from view.

This was our fourth Animal-Based Gathering and our second year in Uvita, Costa Rica. As we planned this year's event, we carefully reviewed attendee feedback from 2025 and challenged ourselves to make the experience even better.

We added an extra day, expanded activities, created more opportunities for interaction, spent more time enjoying the beaches and beauty of Costa Rica, and extended Paul's podcast and Q&A to allow for deeper conversations. Every adjustment was made with one goal in mind: to create an experience that serves and strengthens the people who make this movement possible.

While the schedule evolved, the heart of the Gathering remained the same. For five days, people came together to share meals, explore new adventures, exchange ideas, and build meaningful relationships.

The result was more than an event. It was a reminder of what can happen when people intentionally create space for connection, curiosity, and community.

What Made This Gathering Special

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Animal-Based Gathering is that everyone who attends is an "animal-based fanatic."

The truth is much more interesting.

Our attendees come from different backgrounds, professions, ages, and stages of life. What unites them is not a diet. It is a shared curiosity about health, vitality, and becoming better humans.

Throughout the week, we witnessed people helping one another climb slippery rocks, encouraging each other to jump from waterfalls, sharing meals with strangers who quickly became friends, and exchanging stories about both successes and struggles.

There was a genuine willingness to support one another, learn from one another, and form lasting relationships.

In a world that often feels increasingly disconnected, that energy was impossible to ignore.

The Bigger Lesson

As artificial intelligence continues to transform how we work, communicate, and consume information, one thing became abundantly clear this week:

Technology can connect us digitally, but it cannot replace being together in person.

It cannot replace a shared meal.

It cannot replace a meaningful conversation.

It cannot replace the feeling of standing on a beach with new friends, laughing around a dinner table, or encouraging someone to take a leap they didn't think they were capable of.

These experiences remind us that health is not just about food. It is about purpose, relationships, adventure, belonging, and shared experiences.

The five days in Costa Rica were a powerful reminder that when people come together with curiosity, kindness, and a shared desire to grow, something special happens. Our hope is that the connections made and lessons learned in Costa Rica continue long after the journey home.