- What: A week-long fitness and spa retreat. You tell the Golden Door your goals, and they custom design the week for you. Everyone is in on it, from the chef who builds a menu just for you to the yoga teachers and the hiking guides. The spa believes in alternating exertion and relaxation, so throughout your day you'll work your butt off, then bliss out with a hot stone massage or mud wrap, then work your butt off again, then more massaging. You can bring a group or come alone. You get the same personalized pampering either way.
- When: Any week of your choosing.
- Where: The spa is located in the Dakota Mountain Lodge in Park City, Utah
- Why: We've written about the Golden Door Spa in California. But for my money, Park City is where it's at. I was there over New Year's. The spa is located in the hotel (Full disclosure: My brother works in the hotel). It's a deluxe Waldorf Astoria property with a twist of leather and wood so it feels a little like Teddy Roosevelt's library with chandeliers. Roaring fires, snowy peaks, killer fitness instructors — the spa cherry-picked the best teachers from other fancy schmancy resorts and spas in Park City — amazing spa showers with 10 shower heads, more roaring fires, bright, fresh, delicious food...
- How Much: $8,000 for the full, customized week, everything included. Yeah, so you probably can't afford that. For those of us without a cool eight thou lying around, there's always the DIY visit — book a room in the hotel, book some treatments, order from the spa menu, and sign up for some fitness classes. Not the "full experience" but pretty deluxe anyway. And a lot cheaper.
- Link: Golden Door Spa at the Dakota Mountain Lodge
- Who: Aarona Pichinson of Yoga Nourishment and Jordanna Dworkin of In Touch NYC Pilates.
- What: Seven days of yoga and Pilates in Tulum, punctuated by meditation, Qi Gong, and freshly caught seafood/organic, vegetarian meals. Also: Snorkeling, hammocking, and general Caribbean bliss.
- When: March 13 - 20, 2010
- Where: The Maya Tulum resort and spa in Tulum, Mexico.
- Why: Both Aarona and Jordanna are players in the New York wellness scene, and get raves from reliable sources. Aarona combines serious nutrition and yoga expertise (Kula Yoga Project, Reebok Sports Center), and hosts the Yoga Soundscape series in New York, events which combine live music and yoga. Jordana, a Berkeley grad with degrees in Art-Dance and Traditional Oriental medicine, is certified in acupunture and Pilates. Expect first rate classes and food, and a crowd of deeply healthy urban yogis and dancers and general body buffs, primarily from New York. Maya Tulum receives consistently high marks, and seven days is long enough to smooth out even your deepest stress wrinkles.
- How Much: $1555
- Link: CorePrana Yoga & Pilates Fusion Retreat
- Who: Chiva-Som Resort, Spa, and Retreat Center
- What: The Chiva-Som Fitness Retreat. Includes all meals (light spa food), daily massages, private training sessions, a health and wellness consultation, and up to 8 fitness classes a day.
- Where: Hua-Hin, Thailand
- When: Ongoing, book any five day block of your choosing. Longer retreats also available.
- Why: Chiva-Som regularly wins destination spa awards (beautiful beach in Thailand, fab food and accommodations, etc.), but what's really amazing about the retreat are all the daily fitness offerings. How many retreats offer yoga, aqua aerobics, boxing, and even aqua boxing?
- How Much: Prices for a 5 night retreat start at $2,575.
- Link: Chiva-Som Fitness Retreat
More...
- Who: Michelle Klink of YogaWorks
- What: Seven days of yoga, meditation, and healing in Bali
- When: Balinese New Year! March 13 - 20, 2010
- Where: Ubud, Bali
- Why: Michelle Klink, the retreat leader, is a yoga therapy specialist, and the retreat offers side trips to local healers, so if alt. therapies are your thing, this is your retreat. The trip also lands you in Bali for Balinese New Year, which the Balinese celebrate with a day of silence. Perfect for meditation. Plus every room at the spa has its own private pool filled with natural spring water. That's just cool.
- How Much: $2,195, local healers not included.
- Link: Balinese New Year Retreat
More...
- Who: Susan Rubin and Jennifer Pettit of Chandrakala Yoga
- What: Seven days of yoga, meditation, and snorkeling in Baja.
- Where: Prana del Mar retreat center on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.
- When: February 27th - March 6, 2010
- Why: Our friend Stephanie, (also the director of "Nordic Ed," Social Workout's first film) swears by Jennifer Pettit. Stephanie has also joined Erik Singer, who runs Prana del Mar, on past retreats and calls the experience "amazing!" So this retreat packs a double-whammy of vouched-for goodness. Plus, it's not crazy expensive. Oh, and Baja in late-February. Duh.
- How Much: $1,750 double occupancy, $2,150 single. Yoga, food, lodging, and local transport included.
- Link: Sublime Baja Yoga Retreat
More...
- Who: The Ski & Snowboard Club of NY, a bunch of friendly volunteers who plan reasonably-priced weekend ski-trips in New England, the Catskills, and the Adirondacks.
- What: A three-day ski trip with all the pesky details taken care of.
- When: January 15 - 18, 2010
- Where: Killington, VT, with lodging at the Mountain Inn. Bus departs 103rd and Amsterdam at 6:15 on Friday and returns late Monday night.
- Why: Ease and flexibility. The Ski & Snowboard Club of NY sweats the small stuff — getting you to the slopes, hooking you up with a room — but once you're there, you're not obligated to a set program. You can head to the slopes with your new friends, go snow-shoe on your own, or just sit by the fire. Whatever you want.
- How Much: $450, including transport, hotel, and breakfast, but not lift tickets.
- Link: Ski & Snowboard Club of NY Killington Trip
More...
- Who: The three co-directors of Mala Yoga, Stephanie Creaturo, Christina Hatgis, and Angela Clark
- What: Five hours of yoga a day, plus surfing, beach lounging, and general Costa Rican bliss.
- When: March 20 - 27, 2010
- Where: The Blue Spirit Retreat Center on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
- Why: April is the cruelest month, but March is a close second. Unless you're in Costa Rica. The Blue Spirit Retreat Center overlooks a three mile white sand beach, which also happens to be a turtle reserve. The retreat leaders oversee a thriving Brooklyn yoga studio with a devoted following of serious yogis, but they make everyone feel welcome. In fact, kids are welcome on this retreat! (Childcare for children of all ages is available). But that doesn't mean this is a lightweight retreat. It's three hours of yoga in the morning, two in the evening — you'll come back buff.
- How Much: Pricing varies with type of room selected, from $1,350 to 2,500. Some meals included.
- Link: Mala Yoga in Costa Rica
- Who: Om Factory's founder, designer, and architect Faramarz, and Bessy Trigka, founder of All-In-One Yoga in Athens, Greece.
- What: Two week yoga and meditation retreat in northern India with visits to tea plantations, Buddhist monasteries, and nature reserves.
- When: February 1 - 13, 2010
- Where: Retreat starts in Kolkata and ends in Darjeeling, with travel through the Himalayas via the picturesque Heritage Himalayan Railway.
- Why: There's something about doing yoga in India. But going solo to a sight-unseen ashram isn't for everyone, nor is it uncomplicated. Om Factory takes care of all the pesky logistics for you, plus you know you'll actually get to do yoga with great teachers rather than spend a week sitting on the curb outside some guru's compound. And two weeks is long enough to change your life. Who knows what you revelations you'll have amidst the high tea estates of the Himalayas.
- How Much: $ 2,540 double occupancy, $2,740 single, all meals, lodging, and travel within India included.
- Link: High Tea and Yoga in Darjeeling, India
.jpg "Darjeeling (via <a href=\"http://www.omfactorynyc.com/retreats/yoga-in-darjeeling-india.htm\">omfactorynyc</a>)")
- Who: Still-going-strong fitness television and DVD star Gilad.
- What: Think "Bodies in Motion," Gilad's cardio and resistance training show (fyi, the longest running fitness TV show ever) but with real life Gilad. The retreat is limited to 90 people, which isn't exactly intimate, but which still puts you within swooning range. In addition to daily sessions with Gilad, the retreat includes hikes, yoga, Pilates, pool exercise classes, and lectures on fitness and well-being.
- When: June 13 - 19, 2010
- Where: The Big Island of Hawaii at the Kalani Oceanside Resort.
- Why: Gilad. He's a huge star for a reason. His workouts work, plus his accent is hot. And with his classes and all the other daily activities, this will be a very fit week. The resort is eco-friendly, and the meals are prepared with mostly local and organic produce. Oh, and reminder, it's on the beach in Hawaii.
- How Much: $2,399 to $2,999, including everything but airfare.
- Link: Gilad's Fitness Adventure
More...
- Who: YogaWorks instructors Geo Moskios and Katresha Moskios
- What: A Valentine's weekend retreat for sincere yogi couples who want to rejuvenate their love.
- Where: Blue Pearl Laguna, a spa in Laguna Beach, CA.
- When: February 12 - 14, 2010
- Why: If you think couples' yoga is sick, this is not your retreat. But if you're up for "harnessing the transformative powers of yoga and nature to bring a deeper level of connection between you and your partner," and want to do so far away from doubters who mock things like that, you've hit pay dirt. In addition to yoga, the itinerary includes hiking, meditation, and cleansing (again, couples' cleansing has to be your thing). The spa venue is, per usual, lovely. And the retreat leaders have more than 30 years of teaching experience each.
- How Much: $795 per person.
- Link: YogaWorks Valentine's Weekend Getaway Retreat
More...
.jpg "Prana del Mar (via <a href=\"http://www.pranadelmar.com\">pranadelmar</a>)")
.jpg "Gilad (via <a href=\"http://www.socialworkout.com/workout/2009/06/11/fit-tv-gilad\">USA Today</a>)")
