This year has been one of the most epic, wildest, craziest, busiest years of my life. Coming off hosting FAME Fest, my FIRST fitness festival, I was in desperate need of some R & R. My partnership with the Red Mountain Resort could not have come at a better time. They invited me for the Red Mountain Essential Retreat and I couldn’t get there any faster. If you read till the end, I also have a special promo code for your next stay!
I’ve always been active on my vacations, but this would be my first wellness/fitness retreat. I was very intentional with how I would be spending my 2 days at the Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah. Definitely came back so refreshed. Here are 5 reasons why you should take a wellness retreat.
You can customize your own wellness retreat
If you’re like me, I tend to over-schedule my life. But, on vacations, I do make it a point to leave a lot open for any game time decisions and to alleviate the pressure of commitments. At the Red Mountain Resort, the Essential Retreat had so many options to choose from. From group fitness classes, excursions, daily hikes, culinary experiences, and tours, I had be really choosy with how I wanted to spend my time and what I wanted this retreat to look like for me. You can design it to do ALL the things or do NONE of the things. I was definitely in the mood to relax. I opted for mostly hikes and spent a lot of alone time just relaxing. Plenty of options at the resort and outside of the resort, which is awesome.
The Red Mountain Resort itself has all amenities you’d want. From a fitness center, a spa, indoor pool for laps, and outdoor heated pools for relaxation. I loved that it wasn’t so big that it was difficult to find things and get around. They also do a great job with their programming and offer unique events and experiences. You can see some of their offerings here.
Change of scenery and pace is must for resetting!
Compared to the hustle and bustle of a busy city like Dallas, St. George was the complete opposite. While a small town, it is such a beautiful city with mountains and deserts right in your backyard. I immediately knew I was over stimulated in Dallas when I finally realized how weird it is for things to be so quiet and so still. No anxiety-induced crowds, obscure noises from machinery, or the hectic zoom of cars. It really forces you to slow down, take a breathe, and sit in the stillness. Doing so really help to set the tone for the rest of the trip.
Adventure time
I am an adventure seeker. I made a promise to myself many years ago as a broke college student to travel to one brand new place every year. With every new destination, I want to experience it as much as I can. There aren’t any mountains or red deserts in Dallas, so I took advantage. In addition to stillness, I also wanted to be move my body without the stress of a high intensity class. I opted to hike as much as I could and take in all the scenery. When you’re hiking, you’re focused on each foot step and not just on what’s ahead. It felt meditative and therapeutic.
We took a guided tour to a desert trail called Rim Runner which borders the Mojave Desert and hikes 4.5 miles. We also visited Snow Canyon State Park, which is located conveniently right next to the Red Mountain Resort. During those guides tours, I enjoyed climbing the red rocks and seeing even the white mountains. Felt like we were in so many different places.
While I opted for local tour, what’s also really cool is how close other unique canyons and destinations are to St. George. I highly recommend looking into their excursions to Zion National Park, which is an hour away. A few years ago, I took a girls trip to Zion and wished I had had the option to fly direct to St. George and save myself the travel and driving time. There are also other local hikes to check out.:
- Candy Cliffs
- Pine Valley Mountains in Dixie National Forest
- Camelback Mountain
Definitely something to consider on your next adventure trip. On top of that, their newly renovated airport is probably the least stressful airport I’ve ever been too and that’s a plus.
Unplug. Period.
Even for a press trip like this, I did my best to be intentional with social media and the content creation that comes into play. I was strategic with the time it takes to capture these amazing shots so that I could separate from work a bit, explore the resort and really enjoy myself. We clocked in 8 hours of sleep every night, took walks around the resort, helped ourselves to fruit, snacks, and tea, and just soaked it all in. I loved the many welcoming nooks and spots throughout the resort that invite you to sit for a spell by a fire or in a hammock.
Bring a friend. It can be really healing.
I’m a huge fan of solo trips and do believe they’re good for the soul. This time, I was able to bring one of my really good friends. A lot of the retreat packages are conducive for pairs, groups, and even a girls getaway. I realized during this trip, as entrepreneurs, we have both been on HUSTLE mode for so long. It was interesting to slow down (almost uncomfortable even) and do normal things – like eat at a normal hour, sleep at a normal hour and log in 8 hours, drink water, and exercise. I found it personally healing to catch up and talk about normal life things and not just focus on the next moves or next challenges. We’re so busy on what’s coming up next, we forget to just enjoy the moment.
THANK YOU + special promo code
At the end of the trip, I felt so calm and relaxed in so long. If you’re thinking of planning a retreat for yourself, with a loved one, or even a group of friends, consider Utah. It’s also a great resort to stay at if you want to check out Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and other popular destinations that are so close to St. George.
You can use my code DFA19 at checkout to take 20% off the Essential Retreat on any visit by 1/31/20. Pro tip: American Airlines now has direct flights to St. George. It ends up being a 3 hours or so flight which is awesome. Beats having to fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City and driving in.
Huge thank you to the Red Mountain Resort for this rejuvenating stay and the hospitality.
This blog was written in partnership with the Red Mountain Resort. All opinions are my own. Photography by Maribel Morales.
