Monica McMahon, founder and owner of Get Fit Retreats, was interviewed for Palm Beach Illustrated’s December 2021 issue. She spoke about her inspiration for creating unique, custom, highly personalized wellness retreats.  The excerpts below are from Palm Beach Illustrated magazine.

Need a momentary escape from your life or an opportunity to hit the “reset” button?

With Get Fit Retreats in Boca Raton, Monica McMahon has combined a passion for travel and adventure with a gift for creating unforgettable experiences to offer custom retreats for anyone who is striving to feel better or be- come more balanced in body, mind, and soul.

McMahon shares with PBI what goes into planning her personalized retreats and some of her most epic memories. (getfitretreats.com)

PBI: How do you create a custom retreat?

McMahon: The location and retreat participants coupled with the intention/theme are all pieces of the puzzle that make each retreat so unique.

We have a standard component with a sliding scale of how much spiritual [or] physical [activity], rituals, ceremonies, journaling we incorporate.

There is a unique theme, an overarching intention, and a knowledge that things will change.

Where can these take place?

Anywhere! We have a few favorite spaces. One is a beautiful penthouse located in Punta Mita, Mexico. Other locations are the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica as well as Santa Fe for a spa and meditation retreat. It’s always nice to go somewhere exotic, but we can create a retreat experi- ence literally almost anywhere. We can even transform someone’s home into a retreat space.

What are a few of your favorite activity options to include?

Each retreat includes an element of yoga, breath work, meditation, most likely a dance party, and an adventure element. The adventure element is the experience that boosts the adrenaline, challenges our “shadow self,” and provides the gateway to making the retreat a bit more soulful.

What are the most unique custom retreats you have created?

Vermont and Iceland. In Vermont we experienced yoga with horses. It included poses (asanas) on horses and running [6 inches] beside a Clydesdale. The experience was about earning a partnership of trust by coexisting in the same space as the majestic beast. Talk about having to be present in the moment.

In Iceland, we weaved the elements and corresponding crystals into our yoga, adventures, and meditations. We soaked in the hot springs, crawled into caves, and practiced yoga on craters where the silence was deafen- ing. We danced under the northern lights and even experienced a hurricane.

What’s the purpose of a retreat?

Our retreats are an investment in self. More than ever, I believe people need to take time to discover who they really are, beyond their roles in society. I believe everyone deserves to retreat… to celebrate and engage in a transformational experience so that they can shine, rise, live authentically, and come together as community so we can all evolve spiritually.

What led you to create Get Fit Retreats?

Simply put, my dharma. Once yoga entered my life, my desire to serve oth- ers strengthened and evolved into the concept of curating custom retreats.

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