Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Four Seasons Tenure

• First since 2011; now since 2022
  
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Room Service Coordinator, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
  

Employment History

• Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island; Hotel Punta Islita; Freelance Wellness Consultant and Massage Therapist, Costa Rica; Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Education

• Harrison’s AntiGravity LAB, Antrigravity Instructor Certificate; Anjali Panchakarma Institute, Ayuverda Specialist and Panchakarma Certificate; Sunshine Massage School, Medical Thai Yoga Massage Certificate; Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Science; Reiki Practitioner; Crystal Healing Therapist; Shiatsu Practitioner; Foot Reflexologist; Breathwork Practitioner, Wim Hof Method; Bach Flower Therapist; Certified Yoga Teacher (Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Ashtanga, Restorative, Nidra and Meditation); Sound Healing Therapist

Birthplace

• Quepos, Costa Rica

Languages Spoken

• English, Spanish

Heriberto Peña, also known as Berto, has been immersed in the world of wellness and Ayurveda since the young age of 12, when his mother would practice Pranayama, an ancient practice of controlling your breath, to aid her asthma. Inspired by the mindfulness this brought his mother, Berto soon discovered a new hobby as he began to accompany her every day.

“When I first joined my mother, I appreciated having an experience to share together but the more I practiced, the more I felt this feeling of serenity cast over me. Pranayama didn’t just relieve my mother’s asthma, it instilled an inner sense of calm and control for the both of us.”

Following this introduction to the world of wellbeing, Berto felt the desire in his heart to live a more holistic life where harmony and health became his central focus. The beginning of his journey would see him receiving his first yogi certification at the age of 20, after which he travelled extensively to India and Thailand to study Eastern medicine and philosophy. In India, Berto trained to become an Ayurveda health consultant while also completing several courses in meditation, sound healing therapy, reiki and more.

Also a nurse by profession, Berto finds joy in helping people but in a more holistic way. “I am inspired by nature and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. My aim is to help others have balance in their mind and ignite that same inspiration because we are all a part of our natural surroundings.”

After receiving his certifications, Berto returned to Costa Rica and moved to the nearby province of Guanacaste where one of the world’s five Blue Zones can be found. “I wanted to study the Blue Zone of Nicoya, a beach community in Guanacaste, and understand how the residents enjoyed an extraordinarily long and healthy lifespan by studying what they ate, how they lived and took care of their mental health because they usually live to see more than 100 years.” This study left Berto developing new relationships and further interest into the world of wellness.

This interest soon lead Berto to Four Seasons where he first started his professional career with Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, not too far away from Nicoya. “The opportunity with Four Seasons was the perfect symbiosis of blessings. I was a room service coordinator but only because I needed a job. I used to spend my spare time offering up yoga classes, which rewarded me with a career driven by passion.” Not too long after, Berto was the Resort’s Health and Wellness Ambassador where he guided the Resort's fitness program, developed wellness initiatives, including breathing and sound healing workshops, yoga and longevity lifestyle retreats, high intensity indoor and outdoor training, and a line of local Ayurveda-inspired spa products with Costa Rican organic resources.

After nearly nine years, Berto joined Hotel Punta Islita to head the spa and wellness offerings. It was not long until Berto began to feel the call of international travel once again and this led to his new adventure at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, where he is now a Health and Wellness Expert. “The moment I landed in Desroches, I felt an energy that sparked the inspiration I craved – it was nature with a sparkle of the island’s magic.” This inspiration soon had Berto implementing new wellness experiences such as sound healing therapy, Afro yoga and stretch and renew classes.

As a result of his successful implementation of wellness, in Desroches, the opportunity to move to the main island of Mahe and join Four Seasons Resort Seychelles as Wellness Practitioner arose. In his current role, Berto now leads the wellness offerings and is looking forward to introduce a personalized program that speaks to the surroundings of his new playground. “I want my guests to understand that there is depth in wellness and it comes in many forms. It can be introduced as a complement to a treatment or be an experience in its own right,” says Berto.

When he is not guiding others, preparing vegetarian dishes in the kitchen or seeking a quiet spot amongst nature for reading, Berto can be found at the beach in the early hours of the morning where he starts his day, followed by a workout in the gym. “There’s no better morning motivation than to look out over the ocean – in Seychelles, we could not ask for a more spectacular setting and I am thankful for each day that I am able to call this island home.”