How to plan your own 5-day renewal retreat.

I recently led a private yoga retreat for a couple in Amatlán, Mexico. It's the rainy season, so everything was lush and green. I could feel the crisp, damp air travel from my nostrils to my lungs when I took a breath. The shrill of roosters and bellowing cows often interrupted my (rather unnecessary) thoughts. 

Every morning at 6:00 am I led the couple through 90 minutes of breathwork, movement, and meditation. Every night I led them through a yin class, one of the most transformative yoga practices out there. (If you don’t know about yin, and you want to, watch this embarrassing video I filmed four years ago which is still very relevant or, if you’re like me and have no patience for videos, hit reply to this email. I’ll brief you.) 

Because I knew we wouldn’t be drinking alcohol during the retreat (their choice, not mine) I decided the week prior I would abstain. And so, L&G, I successfully refrained from alcohol for 12 days.

Which I made up for immediately upon my return.

HOWEVER.

When I returned home I realized (rather, admitted to myself) without a shadow of a doubt – I look better without alcohol.

My complexion was brighter, my wrinkles relaxed, the whites of my eyes more brilliant than ever. In just 12 days! And while 12 days feels like a lot to me (I am an avid fan of wine, mezcal, and sake) it’s actually nothing considering the speed in which my body repaired itself.

Now, could this be part of a combination of things? Yes. Because for 5 of the 12 days, I weaved very specific healthy-living variables into my schedule. 

You can do it too. If you want to beat the burnout without investing in a private yoga retreat in Mexico (unless, of course, you want one, with me as your planner and teacher – another reason to reply to this email), why not plan your own? 

HOW TO BUILD YOUR VERY OWN
5-DAY RETREAT

*So you can look and feel refreshed and renewed in less than a week!

First and foremost, commit to doing it. Finding the time is probably the hardest part. Once you do, I suggest incorporating the following:

1. Humidity: It’s like jumping into a crystal-clear lake (without jumping into the crystal-clear lake).

2. Nature: To be clear – when I say humidity, I’m not talking about an NYC summer where beads of moisture are tinged with contamination. Escape to a nature’s paradise with extra agua, it’s everywhere. 
   - the jungles of Chiapas

   - the coffee region in Colombia

   - Hoh Rainforest in Washington State

   - Ecuador’s Cloud Forest

   - the Scottish Highlands

   - Miami Beach 

   It doesn’t have to be exotic, but if you’ve got the time… 

3. Detox: A digital one. Check the phone as little as possible. And NO TV.

4. Eliminate alcohol: The body starts to repair itself through alcohol withdrawal in as little as 5 days, but I recommend at least 7 or, my personal sweet spot, 12.

5. Eliminate refined sugar: This will change everything about your face, your mood, your sleep, your energy. However, it’s not easy, because sugar is everywhere. It’s in nearly every sauce, dressing, nut milk, and sushi roll you eat. Eliminating sugar requires an iron-willed commitment and offers near-immediate changes.

6. Wake up before the sun: There’s a type of magic that occurs before the sun comes up. A unique universal connection that doesn’t exist at any other point in the day. 

7. Meditate: Every day, for 20 minutes.

8. Practice yoga twice a day: Vinyasa or hatha when you wake up, yin before you go to bed.

9. Fresh fruit for breakfast: Fruit after flow. Eat as much of it as you need. Have whatever else you want throughout the day.

10. Read: An actual book. Better if it’s fiction, even better if it’s light. (Leave the serial killer crime novels at home.)

11. Relax: Obvious? Maybe. But if you’re doing all-of-the-above while simultaneously stressing out that you’re not answering emails/checking in with the kids/reading the news/day trading, you won’t get the results you want.

What you do for the rest of the time is up to you. Go to the beach, hike mountains, schedule a temazcal. You can do nothing or you can do a lot of things. As long as you commit to at least 10 of the 11 suggestions above (#11 is non-negotiable) you’re guaranteed to come home feeling (and looking!) refreshed and renewed.

I’ve told you all my secrets!! Now tell me where you’re planning your first retreat.

With love,

Bethany

Buy my books! Wander Lust and 80 Simple yet Powerful Lessons are both available on Amazon.