FITNESS BEYOND THE GYM
WITH THE ULTIMATE
FITNESS VACATION THE JOURNEY BEGINS HERE.. .
BY OCEAN BLOOM
I
have been a passionate fitness enthusiast for as long as I can remember. I have always enjoyed setting goals, making physical gains and getting in amazing shape. With 14 years of my life dedicated to competing in Fitness Competitions, I truly understand the kind of discipline, dedication, structure, and commitment it takes to make it happen. I would frequent the gym 2 or more times a day on a regular basis. I found myself spending more time at the gym than at home or doing anything else. Being committed to a structured routine did give me great satisfaction in the beginning, always knowing when I would eat my next meal and when I would train. When my alarm would go off at 6am I wouldn’t think twice before getting out of bed to go do cardio. Unfortunately as time went on the routine began to feel monotonous; I felt like a hamster running on a wheel. The passion and motivation I once had began to fade away. My structured routine was
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feeling more like a chore, or work rather than something I truly enjoyed. Doing the same things day in and day out was losing its appeal. Whether you’re an athlete or not, you can often get stuck in a rut following mindless routines day in and day out, feeling disconnected from yourself and from the world. When we are seriously committed to making gains and progress with our fitness goals then too often we can feel that we have to sacrifice in other areas of our lives to make it happen. This can mean not going out to social events, spending time with family, doing stuff that you enjoy and that makes you feel happy. You can become so focused on your goals that other people and things can feel like a distraction from your personal success. You may even end up developing a dysfunctional relationship with food because you are timing every meal and cautious of being too far away from your next one. The thought of going anywhere that doesn’t have the food you need can cause some
serious mental stress. Being healthy and fit doesn’t have to be so tough! I went through sacrifice and neurotic behavior like this for years and one day had to ask myself why I was doing what I was doing if I wasn’t really enjoying it. I began to think about what it would take to rekindle some motivation, passion and joy into my routine and my life. The reality is that I do like structure, I love to train everyday, I like eating clean and I like to have fun too. So I set out on a journey to find the Ultimate Fitness getaway for the MIND, BODY & SPIRIT. A place where I could be as structured as I wanted to, all the while having an amazing time, getting in shape, enjoying another culture, connecting to myself and to other people. I felt I needed a good change of scenery out of the gym but where the focus was still on training, hiking, swimming, the beach and yoga everyday – enjoying daily sports massages, as well as the ability to have my egg whites and chicken breast available at anytime.
Here is my idea of the perfect day: wake up in a beautiful exotic location and start the day with a gentle yoga session to ease you into your body, and follow this with a kick butt workout to get the endorphins going. Complete the morning with a clean, energy boosting breakfast to replenish the body while socializing with new like-minded friends. Now it’s time for a dip in the pool. Once well rested it’s time to go for a hike that does nothing less than impress as we discover the abundant vibrancy of the jungle, wild life, spectacular views and fresh air. Talk about getting a full dose of the elements! After a tranquil siesta it’s time to enjoy a massage to relax our minds and melt our muscles after an amazing day of training. Finish the evening with a sumptuous meal that is created with only the best fuel accompanied with the rewarding companionship of friends. Have an amazing sleep to be ready to do it again tomorrow. Last year I traveled for 7 months attending one retreat after another in search of my fantasy-training playground; a place that really had it all with balanced fitness and health as the intention. I went to 5 different countries to learn about martial arts, meditation, yoga, relaxation, Ayurveda, and the art of the human connection. I met hundreds of people and I learned some very valuable lessons along the way. My greatest discovery was the reality that we are all so much alike no matter what country we are from, what language we speak, what job we have or what we look like. Our human
desires are pretty much the same across the board. We all want to feel better about ourselves in every way. We want to look better; we want to feel a connection to our lives, to each other, and we want to feel that our life is a valued contribution to the greater good. The reality for many people though is that they may have never experienced a sense of empowerment, encouragement, or achievement. Growing up they may not have had a loving family or friends to support or believe in them. It’s easy to take on the opinion that much of life is a struggle and therefore getting into great physical SHAPE will be also. Our state of mind, or how we perceive life as a whole, dictates how we move and create. Our inner limitations can easily become our outward obstacles. I had spent so many years being hyper focused on one thing that I was missing out on the joys of so many others. When I went on my journey to train my body, mind and spirit I found that what made my experience so powerful and transformational was the connection to the exhilarating environment, the extraordinary community and the powerful energy that was created by this combination. We all seek a sense of BALANCE in our lives. The ancient YIN YANG symbol resonates with this primordial message. It means experiencing the full spectrum of life. When it comes to the balanced nurturing of mind, body and spirit, it means creating a plan to place attention on all of our needs, physical, mental, nutritional, emotional, energetic and spiritual.
I couldn’t believe how much more I began to enjoy everything I did when I shared it with other people in a non-competitive environment. Climbing a mountain, training beyond my personal limitations, sitting down to eat at meal time with a family, slowing down to enjoy stillness, sharing stories and experiences. We do need each other, we need support, encouragement and motivation from others when we don’t feel it from within. We can truly flourish when we create the opportunity to feel the support of collective community energy. You can call it a Tribe, a Kula
Fitness Retreats accommodate diversity in fitness levels. Some of the guests I met had been engaged in fitness activities, both cardio and weight training, several times per week and were on a regular fitness routine program. These guests typically went to spice up their fitness program at home and/or to learn new things or to train for a specific fitness event such as a race. Some were professional athletes looking to take their training to a whole new level. Other guests had not been as active, or were at one time and these guests are looking to restart a health and fitness program.
(A group coming together of its own free will; an intentional community), a family, whatever you like, we all need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. A Fitness Retreat was just what I needed to get re motivated and excited about life. I explored exhilarating exotic outdoor locations, intensive diverse workouts, weight loss and a revitalized spirit! Building a beautiful healthy body, while you enjoy an amazing fitness experience with other like-minded people to encourage and motivate you is so satisfying.
HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM A FITNESS VACATION RETREAT:
Beautiful Guest House Accommodations
Healthy Nourishing Meals (3 Per Day)
Low Glycemic Shakes and Snacks
Nutritional Guidance
Five Hours of Intensive Fitness Per Day to Include some of the following activities:
Beach Boot Camps
Core Conditioning
Biking, Spin Classes Yoga Classes
Strength Training Hiking
Cross Fit
DAILY SCHEDULE: 7:00 am
Morning yoga - a gentle hatha flow with breath work to wake up the senses
8:00 am
Bootcamp - intense core and strength training all done outside
9:00 am
Breakfast
10:15 am
Swimming
11:30 am
Snack - smoothie protein shakes
12:00-1:30pm
Hike to temple
2:00pm
Lunch
3:00-5:00pm
Free time - enjoy a massage, sauna or a nap, journaling
5:00-6:30pm
Cardio Yoga - boot-camp drills combined with power yoga
7:00pm
Dinner
Often people take vacations to get away from tiring routines and stresses of life only to end up eating and drinking too much on their holiday. You come home feeling like you need another vacation to clean up all the damage and havoc you
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wrecked on yourself. You left with good intentions, you had a plan of eating well, running on the beach everyday, taking up yoga and reading a good book, but somehow that plan fell apart. Rather than going away to escape your life, your stresses and
mental chaos, why not go away to a warm majestic destination where you can gain clarity, strength and focus to move into your future life refreshed, recharged, completely revitalized and transformed, feeling crystal clear and ready to embrace the world again.