Summoned by Spirit:
The Story Behind Kūaloli
Every place has a story. This is the one behind Kūaloli—a journey of one woman willing to listen, take the leap, and learn how to live in deep relationship with the land.
If you’re seeking change, healing, courage, passion or something your mind can’t quite name yet, may this story offer a spark.
In the summer of 2020, while in her meditation in her San Francisco apartment, Robin received a clear and urgent call: Come to the East Side of Hawaii's Big Island. Now.
Her first response was resistance. For a month, she sat with the message. It persisted: Come now.
Robin had built a life rooted in ancient healing practices. Raised in the Bay Area, she had long been a devoted student and teacher of yoga, meditation and Kirtan, leading daily classes, workshops, and transformational retreats. Her life in San Francisco was rich with art, music, community, and deep connection. Still, something larger was asking to unfold.
Finally, she surrendered.
Figuring her spirit was calling for rest, she booked a one-way flight. But almost immediately, the guidance began to unfold—subtle at first, then unmistakable. Over the course of that first month, what began as simple prompts evolved into a clear directive that led her to the land that would become Kūaloli.
Doubt arose, as it often does before a leap —but Robin knew that doubt isn’t a stop sign. It’s part of the path.
So she leapt.
Selling nearly everything, she said goodbye to the familiar and stepped fully into the unknown. Acquiring a remote, three-acre jungle property tested her in every way. For a year she lived from a suitcase, learning to trust nature’s timing, manage limited resources, and live in solitude. Slowly, she began to root. Her lifelong spiritual practice reminded her that nature answers the questions we don’t know how to ask. Doubts like Am I enough? Do I have enough? gave way to clarity, abundance, and trust.
This was not a pivot. It was a calling.
Today, as the steward of Kūaloli, Robin shares the magic of this land—perched between volcano and sea, alive with jungle wisdom. Whether you come for a group retreat, a private mentorship, a ceremony, or a simple stay, Kūaloli invites you to return to your body, your spirit, and the deep well of vitality within you.
The land and the vision continue to evolve, held by one unwavering intention: to honor the harmony between what this land offers and what we ask of it.
Robin’s journey — like all real journeys — is layered and long.
May this small glimpse remind you that every true calling is worth listening to. Life moves fast. When your soul speaks, may you be brave enough to follow.
Robin Duryea is a lifelong student of yoga, meditation, and the inner work of spiritual practice and self-discovery. Guided by some of today’s most respected contemporary teachers, she has spent decades immersed in study and more than a decade teaching in San Francisco and abroad. Her retreats in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Kauai, Mexico, and California have invited many into practices that build clarity, courage, spiritual strength, and natural healing.
Since moving to the Big Island of Hawai‘i in 2021, Robin has rooted her life at Kūaloli, where she lives and stewards the land. She has been breathing new life into the retreat space, offering private and small-group experiences that develops resilience, alignment, and holistic well-being.
She continues to share her path and practices both in Hawai‘i and online.
👉 Discover more about Robin’s teaching and guidance on the Practice with Robin page.
