I got back from the whirlwind Tone It Up Retreat weekend yesterday and needed a day to unwind and really think about everything that happened during the past 4 days. Of COURSE there were many fun memories I will always remember but there were also a lot of life lessons throughout the weekend that I reflected on that I want to share with you all.
1. Find your girl gang and love them hard! – I’ve said this in previous posts but community is everything. There’s not much else that is better than being surrounded by hundreds of other girls who all share the common goal of wanting to be healthy, confident, and happy. This weekend looking out at a sea of yoga mats and girls in leggings was so energizing, inspiring, and motivating!
I got the opportunity to go to the retreat with two friends Rachael (@sweatandrepeatLA) and Joanna (@exercisewithextrafries) and I have to say – our bonds have grown! We got to experience an amazing weekend away together, all while doing what we love most – working out! We shared the same struggles (‘Where are the fries!?’) and also pushed each other to be better (‘Ok we are ALL waking up before sunrise to do the 5K! No flaking!’).
You need relationships with like-minded girls to give you motivation and balance in life. Like Karena said during the welcome dinner:
If you want 100% out of life, you can’t do it alone. – Karena Dawn
2. Small expressions of kindness have a big impact on others – Letting someone know “Hey, I see you” can make the other person feel so special!
During the Saturday morning 5K, maybe I’m uncoordinated, maybe I was sleepy, maybe I’m out of shape, maybe it’s all of the above 😀 but I completely tripped and fell. Ripped my leggings but I was really just bummed my gel nail came off. I had just gotten my nails done a day before the retreat so I was pretty upset about it (I didn’t really care too much about the scrapes and cuts I got from the fall though lol).
When I talked to someone on the TIU staff to see if they had a first aid kit, they were SO quick to respond. They found the medic right away and got me cleaned up. I was just super happy with the promptness but I ended up telling them I was sad about my nail haha – I’m such a girl. They must have told Kat and Karena so later that evening, the girls got me up on stage and acknowledged me and gave me a super cute TIU ice bucket plus a bottle of rosé!
It’s not like they had to do this but they did because, obviously, they’re the sweetest. Sentiments of appreciation go a long way. The next time you see a girl at the gym, give them a high five. If you see a girl wearing something cute, let them know! She will remember it, appreciate it, and it will help brighten up her day. Remember: It doesn’t take much to be kind. Live it. Breathe it. And it will become a natural part of your state of mind and life.
3. Define your intentions – Just going through the ins and outs of your day can make for a somewhat routine life. I think neglecting to define meaning and intention in your day or week means you won’t truly consciously experience it. It was awesome to have this Core intention board on the trip because we all got to define what we wanted to accomplish throughout our stay – it could have been anything from standing up on a surfboard for a second or it could have been to make new friends. Whatever it was, deciding what your intention is from the get-go will help you design your life around that.
4. Find your passion to upgrade your life – It was so inspirational to see how close Karena and Katrina truly are. We all see it in the Tone It Up videos and interviews they do together but to see it in person, you know that it is so, so genuine. They became close through their love of fitness and the shared value of wanting to uplift other women and help others with their self-confidence. Now through their passions they were both able to achieve dreams and build a solid community of women who have the same values as them!
I felt this most on Friday night when we were taken to the beach dinner at Crystal Cove. It was such a beautiful setting (we made it just as the sun set!), and we really got to take in the magical-ness of the whole trip! I’m so grateful that I’ve discovered fitness and a healthy lifestyle as a passion of mine. Otherwise, I would not have had the opportunity to experience such an amazing evening!
If you were able to make it to the retreat or have gone to others or even if it’s just your goal to make it to a future retreat, I would love to hear from you! Until next year #TIURetreat!
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