Our Team

“The people are the magic.” 

Our team is a wonderfully diverse group of beautiful beings from all walks of life. They lovingly and enthusiastically lend their talents to create an exceptional experience for all who come to this space at Rocas Retreat.

Brenda Markstein

Brenda is an ever-evolving, spiritual being, who is in a constant state of gratitude while letting go of story. She is a proud mother of three wonderful children, a grandmother, and a great grandmother. She is highly regarded in global publications for her extensive knowledge in Design along with being recognized as an Emmy award-winning, Television and Film Producer.  

She loves to pack up her bags and travel! Being an adventurous soul  has led her around the globe, many times with her life changing experiences include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, trekking the rainforests of Mexico, swimming the Dead Sea, bungee jumping in  Thailand, and, as an avid golfer, playing beautiful courses around the world including Pebble Beach and the stunning, emerald green bluffs of Ireland.

Brenda’s spiritual side sought meaningful knowledge from great leaders of the world including Himalaya’s Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan, Ubud’s temples in Bali, to Master Mind headquarters in India, and being with the Aboriginal people of Australia. These life changing moments ignited a passion within her to teach throughout the world in many places that include Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Ecuador and numerous locations around the United States.

She witnessed the impact her teachings had on her students. It planted a seed to create a space for healing and connection. Rocas Retreat is the manifestation of her vision.

Brenda is delighted to welcome you to a place where you can surround yourself in a healing and nurturing environment.

Nikki’s unconventional upbringing was filled with adventure and wonder. She was born in a log cabin along a lake, raised on a fruit tree farm in Florida, and relocated to the island of Barbados with her family.

At age 14, Nikki moved away from home to pursue a career in dance, attending a performing arts school in Los Angeles.

From Nikki’s rural and international beginnings, she catapulted herself to becoming a nationally recognized leader in the wealth management industry, as a CPA and business owner. Nikki earned rankings on Barron’s and the Financial Times top women advisor lists and has been a featured speaker at several conferences. While she loves her work in the financial realm, her high-pressure job began to take a toll on her health, leading her to quickly recognize the necessity of self-care. Maintaining a strong physical body, a consistent meditation practice, and a dedication to self-evolution, became a way of life in her thirties.

Following her passion for knowledge and growth, Nikki has studied with renowned spiritual teachers, such as Laura Day, James Van Praagh, Marianne Williamson, and Dr. Joe Dispenza.  She is also a certified yoga instructor and level II Reiki practitioner.

With life experience as a great teacher, Nikki understands the importance of taking time out to withdraw from the busy-ness of daily routines. Her vision for Rocas is to create a warm and uplifting environment for guests. She is passionate about being a catalyst for inspiring others to prioritize their well-being, recognize how powerful they are, and to live a life they love.

Nikki Michelini

Kathy Flores

Kathy is funny, warm hearted and hard-working, and has the natural ability to make everyone she meets feel right at home. She was raised on a farm in Arizona, caring for horses, cows, chickens, cats and dogs, as well as tending to the chores of farm life.

Those skills have translated to managing the retreat grounds.  The property’s transformation and its pristine upkeep is due to her unstoppable nature.

Although she’s only 5’2”, her extensive training in martial arts, with a black belt in jujitsu, lead Kathy to become a supervisor for security at Angel stadium and many other venues. She now teaches our guests Self Defense courses at Rocas Retreat.

Kathy’s greatest joy in life is to make others happy, which is why she spent 30 years traveling the country, impersonating celebrities, and owning her own highly sought after celebrity impersonation business in Newport Beach, CA.

When she’s not teaching self-defense or tending to the property, she is our laughter specialist and will have you smiling within minutes of meeting her.

Committed, passionate and spirit-led, Inanna Bantu is a Kundalini Student and Teacher, a Mother, and a Stylist.

As a successful Costume Designer and Stylist, Yoga has been Inanna’s way of staying grounded and centered. Her love and joy for Kundalini Yoga led her on an apprenticeship journey from student to teacher, learning from world-renowned mentors throughout Southern California. She is extremely passionate about teaching and sharing the blessings of Kundalini with everyone she meets.

Channeling her energy toward knowledge and expansion, Inanna holds training sessions for children and teens, inviting them to be their most confident selves through experiential workshops that help develop self-esteem and leadership skills. In her workshops, she encourages young ladies to tune out the voices and stories they have been told that are holding them back from their highest potential, and to tune into creating self-love and letting their hearts be their guides. Through experiential activities, Kundalini yoga and group interaction, she teaches them that they are valuable and have their own, unique voice.

While Inanna is all about community and the lives she has touched outside of her family, she is still strongly committed to the growth of her own three children. Being a mother has been the most rewarding experience of her life – showing her what true love really is.

Inanna Bantu

Angela Bryant-Tyler

Angela is a self-taught, gourmet personal chef and caterer based in Los Angeles. She modeled professionally for many years in various countries which afforded Angela the opportunity to experience different cultures around the world and to enjoy their cuisines.

Her adventures in deliciousness stemmed from the love of those cultures.  With that love and curiosity, she began her never-ending delectable quest to create the perfect bite. She has a vast and varied repertoire, but Asian Fusion and her interpretations of world cuisines has become her specialty.

In her cooking, you will find a wonderful mixture of flavors, textures and colors, all dancing together in your mouth. She takes the salty, the sweet, the spicy and the sour and sends you to culinary heaven.

She also transforms well-known dishes and creates healthier versions that still excite your taste buds.  As she puts “deliciousness in your mouth,” she creates a memorable experience that is not only pleasing to the palate, but a feast for the eyes and spirit as well.

María is a Natural Chef and is currently studying to be a health coach. She graduated from Bauman Culinary College in August 2019 and immediately after, enrolled in the health coach program to further her studies.

She is a lover of nature, yoga, meditation and creating delicious, healthy food! She is enthusiastic about helping people heal themselves with clean, nutritious foods, and through spirit.

She was born and raised in Colombia but now calls California her home. Nutritious cooking was never a passion of hers until she personally discovered the healing benefits of good, clean food for herself. After three years of personal healing through food, emotional progress and spirituality, she chose a path of health.

Her goal is to share her knowledge and help others along their journey.

María Alejandra Plazas

ABOUT US

Rocas Retreat is the place your soul has been calling for. Disconnect to reconnect and heal in nature while you soak up the sights, sounds and smells of our 15 pristine acres nestled in the hills of Northern San Diego County, just minutes from Temecula, north of San Diego. Come experience all that Rocas Retreat has to offer while you connect with the most important person in the world... YOU!

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