2016 Runaway Retreat in Runaway Bay, Jamaica

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So Jamaica happened. And it was miraculous. We went in expecting to meet some cool people, teach workshops on nutrition, and have a fun time. Nope. This trip was so much more. We couldn’t have asked for a group of more amazing women. Everyone agreed that the experience was transformative. From the beach yoga to the rooftop Jamaican dancehall session, to the rainforest hikes, and the organic farm tours with farm-to-table dinners, this trip literally took our breath away. Not to mention the amazing Runaway Bed & Breakfast, and it’s amazing hosts Jeff and Kalisa (who is a trained chef, cooked ALL of our mouthwatering meals from scratch — that’s right- breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks daily). Here is the photo diary of the trip! 

First stop: the beach! As soon as our ladies arrived, we had them picked up and taken straight to the beach to meet us for lunch and sandy strolls. It literally felt like we all knew each other from way back when.

Next we brought the participants to the Runaway Bed & Breakfast, so they could settle into their home for the next 5 days. Here are a few photos of the space

   

As we mentioned previously, French culinary trained chef, Kalisa, prepared EVERY meal and snack from scratch that we had during our stay. She even did a couple of cooking demos and made dessert every night

One the first night, we had a welcome ceremony and gave all of the participants a goodie bag that was stuffed with goodies from our retreat sponsors (more on our amazing sponsors below!) 

The next morning was beach yoga with our instructor Kayla Hanson 

Then it was time for the first of four nutrition workshops: Wellness and Weight  Management

Later that day we hit up Cranbrook, a gorgeous rainforest garden, for a nature hike

That night, Wendy led a nutrition workshop on The Power of Plant Based Eating

Next up? Morning hike with the crew

Then we were ready for some adventure and cliff jumping…so jumping off of cliffs we go! 

And then there was the private rooftop Jamaican dancehall class (taught by Myers Fitness Center) that probably had us burning 1000 calories in an hour

 

  

That same day we did two more nutrition presentations on the roof with the crew: the first was How to Master Mindful Eating and then Eating for a Healthy Gut

Then there was the organic farm tour and farm-to-table dinner with Lisa and Chris from Stush in the Bush.

  

And we woke up at 5:30 am on the last day for a magical water aerobics class with Champayne and the neighborhood elders in the ocean

      

Overall, 5 days of pure joy, magic, rest, and adventure. Interested in coming to our next annual retreat? Make sure to sign up for the waiting list HERE, and we’ll send you an email as soon as we announce upcoming retreats (the next location is going to be EPIC!!!) 

A special thanks to:

• Jeff and Kalisa, the hostesses with the mosteses from The Runaway Jamaica
• Kat Noel, our BFF/retreat coordinator who made sure everything ran smoothly
• Our retreat photographer, Tiani Wright, who took gorgeous photos of the retreat from start to finish
• Our amazing sponsors, who believed in our mission and donated all sorts of goodies for our participants
  Nubian Heritage 
  Pontie Wax 
  Miss Rizos 
  Taza Chocolate 
  SIGG North America 
  Synergy Organic Clothing 
  Bark Thins 
  Thrive Market
  California Walnuts