7 things I learned from my first wellness retreat

This February I went on my very first wellness retreat at Amansala in Tulum Mexico. Here is my experience and 7 things I learned from my first wellness retreat!

I’ve heard so much about different types of wellness retreats or fitness retreats around the world, but never really knew what to expect before actually attending one.

There was definitely a part of me that always wondered if a wellness retreat meant sitting around a circle singing kumbaya or having your phone taken away from you for a week straight. (*gasp* scary thought right?)

Well, I’m pleased to confirm that my experience at Amansala’s bikini bootcamp wellness retreat was nothing like that.

The property itself at Amansala was nothing short of the perfect setting for a retreat. Located right on the beach in Tulum, with big relaxing beach beds, a restaurant on the beach, and a cozy bohemian environment. The rooms were perfectly relaxing too with a minimalistic boho vibe.

The property of course also had a beautiful beachfront yoga studio and a big workout studio where fitness classes were held. While I love practicing yoga wherever I am, there’s nothing quite like a morning yoga practice while watching the sunrise over the ocean and listening to the sound of the waves!

The retreat started with an opening ceremony where the program was introduced and I got to meet my fellow bikini bootcampers, all of whom were amazing women all on their own wellness journey. Next, we kicked off the week with an opening yoga class before a healthy group dinner.

The days were pretty packed with workouts, but everything was optional which was really nice. No pressure to do too much if you’re not feeling it!

Each day started out with a morning meditation on the beach, followed by a beach walk where we watched the sunrise, followed by a morning yoga class, and then breakfast. The rest of the day would be filled with a morning workout class or excursion and then three-afternoon workouts starting around 4pm-6pm. (the last one being a gentle evening yoga class-the perfect way to end the day!)

Meals were all provided as well on the retreat, which were all healthy, gluten-free and had different options to suit everyone’s diets.

I went on the retreat feeling I had a pretty good base for living a healthy lifestyle, and already enjoyed doing certain things like meditation and morning workouts, (Which you can read more about here) but Amansala’s bikini bootcamp retreat really helped reinforce some of these rituals and allowed me to find a deeper sense of connection to them.

Not to mention how damn good it feels it wake up on the sunny beach, exercise, eat healthy food and enjoy the sunshine!

Besides coming back home feeling totally refreshed and ready to tackle my life with a more positive outlook, I definitely can say I learned so much from the experience, which I’ve summed up here into 7 lessons.

Here are  7 things I learned from my first wellness retreat

1.Waking up early leads to a more productive day

I already like to think that I wake up pretty early at home to start my day, but at Amansala’s bikini bootcamp I was up at 6:30 am every morning, and kicking off the morning activities by 7 am. Everyday by noon I found myself saying “wow! I’ve already accomplished so much today and it’s only noon!” For most people, we are generally more productive if we are awake during the day than we are at night. Waking up early gives us the opportunity to have more time to accomplish our daily goals.

2. A morning meditation sets the tone for the entire day

I try and maintain a morning meditation practice at home, but recently haven’t been keeping up with this every single morning. Having been in an environment where each day starts off with a guided meditation practice reminded me how important meditation is to help us set up our day on a positive note. A morning meditation practice gives us the opportunity to visualize and shape our day to be positive and productive.

3. Life is all about mind over matter

We’ve all heard the cliche, but hey, it’s a cliche for a reason….because it’s true. Some days it feels tough to wake up early or to do several workouts in a row. Being in the environment of a wellness retreat gives us space and the opportunity to really shift our thinking and accomplish things that we may think we’re unable to do.

4. We are all on our own journey, together

Everyone you meet at a wellness retreat is there for their own reason. Each person is on their own individual journey. But we come together on our individual journeys as one and can learn from each other and be there to support each other.

5. Fueling your body with proper nutrients is key

This will probably be the lesson I felt most comfortable with before the wellness retreat. As a health food blogger, I always like to be conscious of what I’m putting in my body. But my time on the wellness retreat really reinforced this. Eating well every day and giving our bodies the nutrients we need really helps us feel our best.

6. There is no such thing as perfect, and that’s ok

We can all get caught up in thriving for perfection. Whether it’s perfection in our work, our bodies, or anywhere else in our lives, the idea of it can take over sometimes and we find ourselves in a state of self-judgment. Being on a wellness retreat gives us the opportunity to shed this idea of perfection and know that we are all different and that each day will be different. Maybe today you’ll be able to do a headstand in yoga, and tomorrow you’ll be really tired or sore and need to do a slower practice…that’s okay! Perfection is overrated. What’s more important is being mindful and accepting.

7. Disconnecting is the key to connecting

What? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Well…not exactly. We can get so caught up in being connected to our phones and social media and what other people are doing and thinking that we forget to connect inwards with ourselves. Going on a wellness retreat helps us connect with our deeper selves by disconnecting with the outer world and being more present.

You can discover more about the bikini bootcamp retreat here!

Have you ever been on or are interested in going on a wellness retreat? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments below!