#YFBPxEDITION YFBPblog retreatlife yoga editionhotel yogaforbadpeople magic

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YFBPxEDITION

It is certain that we travel to some beautiful places. It is absolute that we have met some amazing people along the way. There is no question that we have hosted some wonderful groups.

Today, as we are settling back into our respective homes after spending a long weekend in the very capable and caring hands of the The Miami Edition Hotel, we are feeling truly floored by how amazing “retreat life” can really be.

We generally travel much further away from home, tucking ourselves away in special little secret pockets of the world that we have been so blessed to tumble upon.  

Though it’s relatively close to home for each of us and widely available to anyone that cares to go on their own, we had no trouble making the Edition Hotel our special retreat home for the weekend.  

You might think it would be difficult to hold a spirit of a group together in such a large hotel. That the vastness of the space would encourage more separation then we are used to. Though we have a ‘come as you are’, no rules approach, the group dynamic still forms in a unique and significant way every time.  

The Miami Edition Hotel invited YFBP to host their very first “wellness weekend”. To spearhead the relationship and to set the intention for many more Edition Wellness weekends to come, they gave us an opportunity to invite some of our nearest and dearest.

So there we were in this beautiful hotel, surrounded by our friends all eager to practice, with everything set up perfectly to allow this retreat to play out in the most beautiful way. They took us in with open arms and literally made every single thing possible.

As we approached the weekend, we considered what a “wellness” weekend truly entails. What is it to be well? To truly be well, all of the many parts of you would have to be in sync. I suppose that is what we are all after. Healthy functioning bodies, a sound mind and a desire to care for others (when the first two are in sync the third will generally occur naturally). It’s an effort towards true balance. 

So for us, a wellness weekend would offer and work to conduct a true balance of all elements. Not to fall too deeply into extremes. We do agree that extreme action in the sense of wellness may be valuable if you are coming in from a severe deficit. For the sake of equanimity though, we like to approach balance with balance. Our weekend (like all of our retreats) was designed to hit all of the elements that feed a balanced soul.

Time for silence and contemplation. Time for yoga practice. Time for fitness. Time for meals that both nourish and satisfy. Time for one’s self. Time to play and get a little bad. Time to heal. Time for everyone you are there with.

It was a true retreat. We started our mornings with led meditations that flowed straight into focused yoga class. Each of us practicing on custom made YFBP x EDITION yoga mats. Each class co-taught by Heather and Katelin.

Even though we claim “no rules”, we did ask everyone for one thing. We asked that no matter what, each of them show up to every class. It’s not about accomplishing poses or any sort of egotistical approach to the practice.  But more so to hold the space of the retreat for the group as a whole. There is a sincere dynamic that builds over the course of the time we have away. Removing one of the elements can so easily throw the group dynamic. The space builds over time and it’s palpable when the chain is broken.

They all showed up. Every time. It was perfect.

We have said it before and it still holds true, beach is basically a spiritual practice for us. Though we were met with some turbulent weather here and there the retreat Gods came out for us on Saturday and gave us a strong opportunity for worship.  

Beach days were infiltrated with spa treatments and group meals.

Which led into a Saturday night of club bowling and ice skating.  I mean…talk about balance!

All of the restaurants at the Edition Hotel are done by Chef Jean Georges. There are three main restaurants each with their own focus. So even though we didn’t step out of the grounds of the hotel for even a moment (except of course to the beach), we didn’t suffer from repetition by any stretch. Every single meal was more than we could have hoped for.  

With the help of our team we arranged a sound bath for Sunday evening.  By that time we were filled to the brim (in the best way) with time together, strong yoga and beautiful meals. It felt as though we had been leading up to this moment all along. Everyone seemed exactly in the right space. Completely prepared to take it all in and to have their own experience, while holding the space not just for themselves but also for the entire group.  

We sat in a circle surrounding giant singing bowls, a didgeridoo, a pocket size harmonium and various other instruments. Light stretches and pranayama were taught to gently open up the channels of the body and set everyone up to be able to receive. We laid down in the circle, heads facing in to be as close to the bowls as possible. Covered in blankets and scarves. We each laid there perfectly still for over an hour and allowed this continuous sound to wash over us. It is truly a bath in every sense of the word. 

Every retreat is special. Each is very unique to the group and to the environment. We have left this retreat feeling so nourished and excited. The support of our friends and team at the Edition Hotel matched with the magic of our group and the beauty of everyone’s practice.  We could not have imagined what we came to receive. Thank you. xx