One week in Costa Rica with the Sweat Reset team and I am feeling like a whole new person. Honestly, I don’t know if I even have the words to describe how truly incredible of an experience it was. I’ve gained so much self awareness and self confidence. I’ve learned that many of the habits I had were detrimental to my overall success in achieving my goals. This retreat was much more than a fitness and wellness retreat. It has honestly changed my life. This might sound so cheesy to you but I believe it to be true. I’ve set goals for myself with the mindset that I can and will achieve them rather than hoping to achieve them. I pushed myself further than I thought I could both physically and mentally. Being in a place like Costa Rica it’s hard not to have an amazing time, to wake up early, and seize the day. The real testament to this retreat will be six months down the road when I am still practicing and putting into motion all that I have taken away from the retreat.
Whenever you enter into a new environment where you don’t know anyone it can leave you feeling nervous. I had no expectations going into the retreat. I wanted to embrace every aspect of it and keep myself open to new possibilities. Having never taken a Burn Bootcamp before, I didn’t know what to expect. I went in with an open mind and a willingness to be pushed to my limits. I immediately felt not only welcomed by a group of strangers but also uplifted by them. I could see right off the bat, during our first workout that first night in Costa Rica that this was more than a fitness program. That Burn Bootcamp was a community of women uplifting other women, cheering each other on and praising each other for their accomplishments. I didn’t feel like I was being judged or looked down on, when I couldn’t complete everything.
After just one week in Costa Rica, I feel like I’ve gained so much strength (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual). I’ve been reset and put back on track and with an even greater sense of purpose. I feel like I will conquer anything and my goals are no longer out of reach. Just because you haven’t been able to do something before doesn’t mean that you will never do it, it just means you haven’t done it yet. Devan Klein, the co-founder and CEO of Burn Bootcamp, told us this. You can see his passion and mission for why he created Burn Bootcamp daily. Not only he but all the trainers embody the same positive outlook and mission. It was very inspiring and empowering. And then all the ladies that were with me at the retreat. They too, embodied what Burn is all about and each and every one of them has a different story of what lead then to go to Burn but they all said they’ve found their place where they look forward to going everyday. The workouts are hard but the community is strong and welcoming. You want to do and be your best when you’re around such positive energy.
This retreat taught me that health and wellness isn’t just about being physically active and eating healthy, it’s about your mental state, your why. It’s also emotional and spiritual too. You need all four to be humming in order to reach your full potential. If you have a why and an emotional drive for continuing on the path you will reach your health and fitness goals. If you don’t you will find yourself falling short because the drive isn’t strong enough to keep you pushing through when the workouts are tough and you feel the pull to quit. I needed to find a real pain point for why I wanted to reach the goals I’ve created for myself outside of just looking the way I think I should look. Yes, my goal has been to get my body looking the way it did before being pregnant. But was that enough to fuel me to crush those last pounds that I have been struggling to shed or to really have the desire to tone my abs to a point they’ve never been before. Yes, I saw others able to do it so quickly postpartum, so why not me?! Was their drive really that much stronger than mine? Looking back, and being brutally honest with myself, I’d have to say yes. I’ve made so many adjustments in my life that I thought would lead me to my goals but when the going gets tough I found excuses for why it hadn’t happened yet.
I had a focus meeting with Devan in the morning of our first full day in Costa Rica and what he told me struck the right chord. I anticipate and plan for my blog. I look at the calendar and plan out my editorial calendar taking into account major holidays, trips, and sales to make sure I am prepared to post the right content at the right time. So why then, did I not anticipate the exact same things when planning out my health and fitness routine? Why did I expect to be able to stick to a plan that works most of the time but not all the time? Why didn’t I shift my schedule around to make time for my goals? Switching your mindset can make all the difference. Now I am equipped with the right mindset to prepare for the changes in my routine so I can stay on track.
Major takeaways from the trip:
1. Anticipating changes in your routine like holidays, vacations, work trips, birthdays, or other celebrations so that you are prepared and able to stay on track to achieving your goals.
2. Have a strong why for your goals. Keep going back to your why when you feel like giving up.
3. Finding out what pains you will drive you to succeed. It will break down any barriers to success because failing will be so much worse and so much harder than the work you need to put in to succeed.
4. Physically moving and proper nutrition are the only things you need to reach your fitness goals. It’s that simple. So why do we rationalize to ourselves that it’s so much more complex????
5. Finding people who uplift you is so important and who share the same drive and goals.
6. Going on a Sweat Reset retreat is so worth it and I think everyone should experience what I did in that week.
Having major FOMO about my trip and all that I took away from it? Don’t worry, Sweat Reset will be going back to Costa Rica as well as launching retreats in other areas! The next retreat is scheduled for August 9-12 in Asheville, NC at the Biltmore Village Inn and it’s going to be AMAZING! So if you can’t spare an entire week a retreat in the US might just be the perfect option. Definitely check out their site to see where they’re headed next!
As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! And a MAJOR thank you to Sweat Reset for taking me on their inaugural retreat and for the unforgettable experience!!!
