Lately, it seems as though you can’t go five minutes without hearing about “self-care”. It’s one trend that we hope never goes away. Thanks to all these self-care reminders, we have been called to look more closely at our mental health, our relationships, our physical health, and so much more. The self-care trend reminds us to put ourselves first and say, “no” to anything holding us back from living our very best lives.
So as you get ready to look ahead at the new year, we want to help you find ways to keep self-care at the top of your to-do list. We have scoured the internets to find wellness retreats around the globe that can help you focus on your physical, mental, and spiritual health, and – bonus – these are all created and led by black women! So get into this list and pack your bags for your wellness getaway!
1. GirlTrek & Africa With Us Diaspora Treks: A Global Travel Adventure Series For Black Women
This year is a big deal for anyone with African roots. Only 400 years ago, the first slave was brought to America from Africa, and, that slave was a woman. To honor the first African and first black woman to make this horrific journey to the Americas, GirlTrek is kicking off a series of trips to trace the major points of the slave trade from the Motherland to South and North America.
If you’re not yet familiar with GirlTrek, it is the largest public health nonprofit for African-American women and girls in the country. It has grown into a movement of over 100,000 walkers who the organization encourages to lead healthier lives and getting out to walk on a regular basis.
GirlTrek has been featured in publications, and on channels like PBS and CNN. In addition, their founders have even led an awe-inspiring Ted Talk in 2018.
Now, this breakthrough organization is inviting women to join them in the Motherland and various locations along the former slave trade route to culminate The Year of the Return with its Diaspora Treks from 2019 – 2020.
The trips will be led by Coach Cassandra Cass and her mother Kukuwa Kyereboah with their tour company, Africa With Us. This trip is a mix of healing and history and will treat guests to daily workouts and of course, a GirlTrek walk.
If you want to trace the steps of your ancestors as you celebrate The Year of the Return, visit the website. Available destinations include Ghana, Brazil, Jamaica, Georgia, and New Orleans with dates ranging from November 2019 through November 2020.
2. Breathe: An Adventure and Wellness Retreat – Guatapé, Colombia
You can start 2020 in the best way with the Breath Adventure & Wellness Retreat, curated with love by Registered Dietician and Exercise Physiologist, Leisan Echols. After leaving the U.S. and traveling the world, founder Leisan Echols brought her vision to share her passions of world travel and wellness with the masses.
In 2018, she launched her first Breathe retreat in Guatapé, Colombia where an intimate group of travelers enjoyed the unmatched views of Gautapé, and tried their hands at activities like water skiing, salsa dancing, and more, while of course being served up nutritious meals by a private chef.
To top it all off, Echols offers every guest personalized nutritional counseling after they leave the retreat so they can keep the good vibes and healthy habits going strong. Check out the beautiful accommodations and views on the Leisano Living website and join the next retreat in January 2020.
The first My Taught You (MTY) Retreat, led by podcaster Myleik Teele, was kind of a big deal last year. The 2018 retreat was an epic experience, full of female CEOs and well-known personalities who shared their personal stories of success and overcoming struggles, all with the theme of self-investment.
The multiple mastermind classes were led by Travel Noire creator, Zim Ugochuku, Vanity Fair CEO Karleen Roy, and Luvvie, just to name a few. MTY guests were treated to a life of luxury from the start, complete with star-studded parties, and poolside gatherings to make for one unforgettable experience.
If you’re willing to save up and prove your worth through this retreat’s application process, get signed up to the MTY Retreat’s mailing list for first dibs at the 2020 retreat, which has yet to be announced.
When a personal trainer and a yogi put their heads together to create a getaway, you can be certain that you will get your mind and body right! That’s just the mission behind The Whole Experience, founded by trainer TameikaG and Yogi Whitney Gee.
The Whole Experience holds multiple retreats all over the world each year, with an aim to help you build sisterhood with like-minded women, and teach you how to incorporate yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, and exercise into your daily routine. On top of workouts, yoga, and meditation, the retreats include cultural experiences to explore your destination of choice and immerse yourself in a new location.
There’s still time to join the retreat in December 2019 or pick a location for the new year. Visit The Whole Experience online to get access to the 2020 retreat locations later in the fall.
Althea Lawton-Thompson is an international fitness and wellness sensation and author who launched her career in the industry after a layoff from the financial industry. That layoff led Lawton-Thompson to kick off her own business and become certified in personal training, yoga, and aquatic fitness.
She has used her multiple certifications to help hospitals and companies establish wellness programs for patients and employees, respectively, and she teaches other trainers how to lead effective fitness classes for their clients.
Switching gears just slightly, over the last ten years, Lawton-Thompson has helped women to find healing through her yoga retreats in various destinations around the globe.
Although her retreats are aimed at healing, they are more than just yoga and meditation. Retreat goers can enjoy plenty of adventure from repelling waterfalls, to touring ancient temples and so much more. Previous retreat destinations have included Bali, Costa Rica, Montreal, and Thailand, to name just a few. Check out Althea’s site to learn about the 2020 retreats to be announced later this year.
6. The BDO Luxury Caribbean Cruise
BlackDoctor.org (BDO) will take over Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam for seven days and nights of concerts, parties, Wellness & Waves healthy living sessions, and much more. With non-stop entertainment and activities throughout the day and night, there’s more than you can possibly do on a single cruise!
Whether you’re traveling solo, with a friend, family member, or significant other, the BDO Luxury Caribbean Cruise has fun activities for everyone. Hosted by the leading top experts and celebrity coaches, the Wellness & Waves Sessions will be filling up quickly. Some of the amazing and impactful sessions that we’ll be having aboard the ship include The Black Superwoman, The Caregiver Mini Bootcamp, Own Your Confidence, and Living With Diabetes: Mind, Body, and Food. Learn more about this amazing getaway and book your cabin here!
So, which one of these black-owned wellness retreats will make your travel bucket list next year?
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.