#FabBodyRetreat2019

Whether you’re passionate about yoga, jump-starting a healthy life or overdosing on some black girl magic, the Fab Body Retreat 2019 was the perfect place to be and it offered something for every woman.

Mindfulness, healthy-living, and emotional strength are all extremely necessary as we navigate the world today. That’s why wellness travel has increasingly become the choice for Black women who want to blend fun, relaxation, connection, and self-discovery into their vacation.

With so many activities and events on the Fab Body Retreats itinerary, once we landed in Montego Bay, Jamaica we hit the ground running with the first event being Sun Salutation Yoga & Meditation on the Beach. This euphoric welcome session was lead by the retreats founder Deanna Robinson and stress transformation therapist Sihnuu Hetep.

As I walked across the sand to get into position to snap a few images, I was mesmerized by the 30+ beautiful black women that were calm but yet excited and ready to tackle the awesome weekend that was planned for them.

Fab Body Retreat founder, Deanna Robinson is a Health & Fitness Expert, Nutritionist and owner of the Fab Body Factory Gym. “Deanna really outdid herself this year!” that was the consensus amongst all of the women that also attended the first retreat. This was the Fab Body Retreat’s second year.

Each program on the itinerary pushed the women to access inner strength, mental focus and gave them a chance to do some soul searching. They really dived deep and accessed internal and external parts of themselves, pulling out the best versions of themselves which would help them dominate every time they stepped out into the world.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the retreat as the official media partner. Being behind the camera all weekend really gave me the opportunity to see the full beauty of the whole retreat, it was everything and more! Each moment was planned out very well, starting with great mind and body transforming workout sessions every morning lead by the beautiful ladies of the Fab Body team.

The Sessions

There were 4 other sessions that really stood out, and I call them sessions because I really feel they strengthened the women’s mental and emotional muscle. The first one was our visit to Robin’s Nest, an amazing children’s home that provides a nurturing, loving and safe atmosphere for children. Thank you to Kevin and Janet Krusmark, the Directors of Robin’s Nest for allowing us to visit and donate not only money and items to the children but also our time. It was the most touching and humbling experience.

Instagram: @robinsnestja

The 2nd was pillow talk with guest speaker Timea Gaines. Timea is a Breast Cancer Survivor, entrepreneur and creator of SheROCKS, an event celebrating women in the arts and business who are culture curators changing the world. That evening all of the women put on their pajamas, gathered in a cozy suite filled with pillows and delicious finger foods. The theme of the pillow talk was: Developing Mental Agility. Timea started off by telling us about her breast cancer journey and how her mental agility helped in her battle. The evening was filled with laughter, hugs and tears. The women shared personal thoughts and experiences with each other which brought upon some amazing breakthroughs. All of the women let their guards down and were really present in the moment. This moment, and as I’m typing these words I’m tearing up because this moment, really brought all of the women even closer together.

The third session was the Royalty Dinner Party that was set up in the most beautiful way. Roundtables outside, poolside under the stars and beautiful string lights. The decor on each table really fit the royalty theme, it was definitely fit for queens. The whole night was like a movie as each queen arrived in their formal royal attire, I was blown away. Each woman was asked to wear what they felt represented a queen and they showed up and showed out. All of them looked stunning! Yaaassssss Queens!

They each walked out with so much confidence, shoulders straight back and heads held high. This was such an amazing sight to see. At the dinner, each queen introduced herself, her occupation and what she was passionate about. This was a great networking moment because hopefully another queen at the dinner might end up being a great resource to help them kick start their passion. To wrap the dinner, Deanna read a scroll that she created and gifted to each queen. Inside was a beautiful prayer with all of the ladies names listed at the bottom.

The fourth session was on the final morning of the retreat where all of the women were reborn at the release ceremony. Each woman was given a piece of paper and asked to write down their insecurities, fears, doubts and/or pains. They were asked to fold that piece of paper up and bring it to the edge of the pier. There they were met by some amazing prayer warriors that attended the retreat. These prayer warriors were asked to pray over each woman as they held their pieces of paper and after the prayer, a member of the Fab Body team set fire to each piece of paper and released them into the ocean. What a life-changing experience!

I know it sounds like the itinerary was jam packed but Deanna definitely left plenty of free time every day for all of the ladies to enjoy the beautiful resort we were staying at, Royalton Blue Waters. Head to Instagram and search both of these hashtags: #fabbodyretreat2019 and #fabbodyretreat to see all of the fun, melanin and black excellence.

Deanna promised that the three days of the retreat would be magical, actioned packed and empowering. It was!

Deanna prayed that all of the women would return home feeling inspired, motivated, and fulfilled. They did!

Deanna’s mission was to curate a retreat that focused on molding a #FabBody from the inside and out, so whether we were sitting still at yoga or climbing Dunn’s River Falls. Mission accomplished Deanna!

A special thanks to all of the contributing sponsors that helped make this retreat perfect!

For more information about the next retreat, please make sure you’re following @deannarobinsonfit, @fabbodyfactory and @theculturedcollective_ on Instagram.

www.fabbodyretreat.com

Naomi V

Naomi is a stylish, adventurous traveler.  She’s a bit of a daredevil that loves excursions. Those that know her, call her a shoe connoisseur. She is also obsessed with music and has a playlist for just about any mood. She’s a foodie that loves a good vegetarian/vegan spot. Want to know where she is headed next… stay tuned to find out!

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