DR. BEVERLY NELSON

Creating and conducting transformational retreats and creating retreat centers to provide alternative health therapies have long been a passion for Dr. Beverly Nelson. In 1983, she helped to create a community retreat center called “Nexus” outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

Nexus had a health clinic, homes where some people lived, a sweat lodge, horses and an acre of organic gardens that helped to supply the local organic food stores.

There were 125 members who came for events, healing in the clinic, workshops, sessions with practitioners, etc. Beverly and one of her co-founders (Dr. Sharon Scandrett-Hibdon) were eventually taken to court by some local residents who actually claimed they were witches due to the alternative and unconventional (in those days) healing practices they offered! It’s possible they may be the only people actually tried as witches in America in the 20th century. They won, but it was a difficult time and quite a challenge. After that experience, they began to look for a more accepting and evolved place to carry on their mission.

In the late 80’s, Dallas was identified as that better environment and in 1990 Beverly cofounded “The Health Institute” there. It was the first complementary (holistic) health center of its kind in the world. There were 22 practitioners practicing alternative health under one roof and while there were no witch trials there were frequent skirmishes with the government due to restrictions for alternative health practices and herbal remedies. In addition to her private counseling practice and conducting transformational retreats, Beverly also partnered with nutritionist Gary Null and held retreats for people with health issues in a beautiful retreat center in the countryside. She also traveled around the world helping others to set up alternative health centers and speaking internationally on the subject. It was an exciting and wonderful time for this pioneer in creating the beginnings of the alternative health movement.

In the mid-90s, Beverly began to conduct a series of retreats called “Outward Journeys for Inward Development” (her first retreat to use the Hero’s Journey model). This involved taking groups of people through transformational experiences and processes in cultures different from their own. She conducted these “Outward Journey” retreats in locations like Bali, the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu in Peru. It was on one of these retreats in Tepotzlan, Mexico that she met Eduardo and Sylvia Morales, two gifted healers whom eventually became her friends and mentors. Through this relationship she came to feel a compelling desire to move to Mexico.

That desire was manifested when she moved to San Miguel de Allende Mexico and cofounded LifePath Retreat Center which would eventually become the largest and most comprehensive alternative healing center in Mexico. LifePath housed 25 practitioners offering a variety of services and classes as well as 6 guest rooms for people to come for retreats and to participate in LifePath’s healing and transformational programs. People have come from all over the world to utilize LifePath services as well as a large, local population who have come regularly and considered LifePath their “home” for healing. In April of 2020, LifePath was closed indefinitely. Plans are pending for a new reincarnation of this amazing community icon.

In an effort to reach and help even greater numbers of people, Beverly has now partnered with her husband Michael Bartlett to create LifePathMasters.com, a new online platform offering transformational programs and experiences to individuals and couples.