Categories: Mindset, Movement

New Year, New Adventures!

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Cape Town is a stunningly beautiful destination, the powerful Atlantic Ocean has carved out a striking coastline of crystal blue waters that perfectly compliments the surrounding terrain such as the majestic Table Mountain.

The Whole Experience started off 2019 in the Motherland! What an unforgettable experience it was. We hosted 9 incredible women from different backgrounds and walks of life. As this was our first retreat outside of Southeast Asia, we were so excited to grow the scope of our business to include some of our favorite regions in the world. We couldn’t have picked a better country to start off our 2019 retreat roster that includes 8 retreats in 4 different continents!

Our villa was located in Constantia, the oldest wine county in the Cape Town area, and was the perfect location to focus on our wellness journeys, which included morning meditation and yoga while watching the sunrise over Table Mountain. We focused on internal wellness components by journaling daily, participating in sustainable healthy lifestyle workshops, and giving ourselves time to truly rest and restore. Of course, while we worked internally, we also worked out with some good old-fashioned boot camps!

Strong is BEAUTIFUL

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

One of our favorite things about each retreat is that we are able to hire local chefs who each bring something unique to the table. This retreat was no exception! We were so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with local South African Chef Tracey Younghusband (Instagram: @traceyyounghusband). Her gift and commitment to serving a healthy, whole-foods-based menu throughout the week had our Tribe Members feeling satiated, healthy, and most importantly, inspired to go home and incorporate more fresh, live vegetarian foods into their diets. Each meal time, we were delighted to see what Tracey came up with. Her wide use of exotic flavors like roasted strawberries with Za’atar and Cape Malay Curry was a delight to the senses.

We are also excited to announce that as part of the “W.E. Gives Back” non-profit initiative that the Whole Experience runs, in which we donate a portion of each retreat’s proceeds to initiatives taking place regionally, we are allocating South Africa’s non-profit retreat funds to Tracey’s initiatives. We were so touched by her non-profit’s efforts to help the disadvantaged youth in the townships of Cape Town gain access to life skills and practical knowledge about the service industry. This will help them secure jobs and help their families. We are excited to hear about what the non-profit is able to do with the donation and look forward to updating the Tribe about what their funds supported.

Robben Island

In addition to working on our wellness journeys and fulfilling the needs of our minds, bodies, and souls, we got out to explore what South Africa has to offer. The week included a day at Robben Island, where actual freedom fighters gave us a tour of the island’s prison and explained some of the political history behind South Africa’s apartheid, giving us insight into the continuing struggle—both past and present—to gain freedom for all citizens of the country. It was incredibly moving and special to be able to hear firsthand accounts of this important part of history.

Stellenbosch Wineries in South Africa

The week also included going on a cable car ride up Table Mountain and exploring the beautiful coastlines of the Cape of Good Hope, where we went to the most southwest point of Africa. We even got to see local penguins and the successful conservation efforts that have taken the colony from only 2 breeding pairs in 1982 up to the current population of over 3,000 penguins. They are still on the endangered-species list but are on the road to recovery.

Last but certainly not least, we did a tour of Stellenbosch, one of the world’s most famous wine regions. It was an incredible day of enjoying some much-needed girl time with spectacular wine tastings and a beautiful farewell dinner overlooking the vineyards. The area was absolutely breathtaking, and we got to learn about how some of the region’s most famous wines are produced.

The Whole Tribe South Africa

This week was certainly a very special experience all around, and we cannot thank our beautiful Tribe Members enough for joining us in Cape Town. We are so humbled to see how our Tribe has grown already! We have officially finished our fourth retreat and now have almost 50 Tribe Members around the world. We are beyond proud to call them our sisters and can’t wait to see where we all connect next.