Yoga And Beyond - A Path To Weight Loss With Yoga, Diet, Exercise And Daily Massage   

While writing and researching the many ways to weight loss, I have discovered 3 Yoga based retreats in Southern California, which have all the main ingredients of what I am looking for in a wellness makeover for myself:

Here is what my ideal Yoga and Weight Loss Retreat looks like:

• Fitness - to support my cardiovascular health and tone my muscles
• Yoga - to inspire my spiritual wellbeing. Yoga also helps me to be totally in the moment and to stretch my muscles
• Organic wholesome food - supplies me with the nutrients my body and mind need on all levels
• Massage - to help tone and stretch my tired muscles and to unwind and relax deeply

1.         ‘Blue Pearl Laguna' in Laguna Beach

Nestled in the hills of Laguna Canyon is a beautiful retreat center with a caring personal touch and plenty of charisma.  The main attraction is Geo, the teacher for the Yoga Retreat, offered every week for 7 days, complete with daily hikes, organic food, fitness, meditation and daily massages.

The house with a very inviting and homey feeling is thoughtfully decorated and well organized for its purpose as a wellness retreat center.

Every guest has a private room and bathroom with organic linens. During my visit I found a very warm and personal atmosphere. There is a fitness room, a Yoga Studio with Meditation area and Massage rooms. Services include daily personal laundry.

The food is the healthy delicious kind, which you wish you could eat every day. In my dreams of being independently wealthy, I would hire a chef to cook that kind of food for me every day. The program includes daily Yoga and Hiking in the nearby canyons. Those, combined with fitness, calorie friendly meals  and meditation in order to gain a peace of mind, ensure that there is a considerable weigh loss by the end of the week. The cost: $ 3800 for the week, $ 850 from Friday afternoon - Sunday.

2.         ‘The Ashram' in Los Angeles

The Ashram, located in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles prides itself to be a combination of spirituality, Yoga, exercise including hiking, exercise in the pool, weights, core work, Qi-Gong and Massage, very similar to the programs at ‘The Blue Pearl Laguna'. Both places have a very intimate personal atmosphere.
The weeklong program in an inviting home setting provides you with nutritious vegetarian food. You workout, meditate, eat and live together with 11 other fellow enthusiasts, away from your daily routine for 7 days. $ 4500 includes the programs, accommodation and food. Weight Loss is a goal of the programs, yet it is about much more...
A typical day includes Yoga in the early morning, hiking, weight training, water aerobics, Yoga, Massage, sleep, healthy eating. Then start all over again for the next 6 days.

3.         ‘The Golden Door'  in Escondido
‘The Golden Door' offers a Zen like atmosphere amid rolling hills and Citrus groves near San Diego. The retreat center offers a blend of personal health and fitness during weeklong stays with access and focus on exercise, beauty, inner focus and healthy cuisine to achieve the perfect balance of mind, body and spirit. Here you can choose the focus of your week to be

• The Culinary - how to create healthy and delicious meals
• The Spirited Walker - which is a combination of walking, blending athletic performance and meditation
• Yoga Week - practice the ancient art of Yoga in the serne surroundings of nature
• The Water Week - learn how to swim, improvement  of stroke techniques and  water fitness
• Healthy Nutrition/Healthy Sleep - how to eat well und unwind naturally, how to create a calming environment at home or while on the road,
• Eat Well, Move Daily, Be Healthy - how to make changes to live a long, healthy life. How to achieve longevity and overcome illnesses.
  You can also choose between a women's week, a men's week, or a co-ed week. Here a weeklong retreat costs you $7400 - $7900 with food and accommodation. Spa and Beauty treatments are offered but not included in the price of the stay.         

We can go to these retreats, live and learn, then take those learnings back to our daily lives and apply as much as possible.

My verdict: each of those 3 places are very unique retreats which provide you with results. If money was not an issue, I'd stay at the ‘Golden Door'.

The other 2 places in Laguna Beach and Santa Monica are more intimate and less pricey. They are both very similar, with ‘The Blue Pearl Laguna' being the most affordable of the 3. Here daily massages are included.

Any of the 3 wellness retreats will offer life changing insights and be worth the expense.