For those of you who have been on a SWA retreat, you know they are unforgettable, often life changing experiences. We recently got to chat with two amigas, Kat Brown and Brooke Wright, who shared some of their favorite aspects of the retreat experience and what it means to them. Here are their top three takeaways.
1. THE Format
“I especially love the format,” Kat says. “I have so many logistics in my day to day life that having someone else take care of that is a dream.” Kat’s experiences with SWA have become especially unique over the years; “I love retreats, so much so that I’ve started leading my own (in collaboration with SWA)! I first started going on retreats when I needed to process some heavy personal stuff, and have always appreciated the time away from the usual grind.”
2. retreats open up space and time to work on specific goals and intentions
While enjoying the land of peeling lefts in Southern Costa Rica, Kat has been able to hone in on her yoga practice. She even had the opportunity to teach yoga during her retreat in the jungle, which had been a longtime dream of hers.
Brooke explains that her retreat experiences have always been about “self-care, slowing down, being inspired, and taking time to focus on one aspect of surfing at a time in a supportive community.”
Brooke emphasizes the impact of the retreats on her surfing life:
“What has struck me about retreats with Surf With Amigas is that I always feel like I belong, whereas when I surf at home sometimes I don’t feel that way. Going on an advanced retreat really showed me that as long as I’m bringing my best self and trying my best, I belong in the water, with amigas, no matter what. That’s what these retreats mean to me.”
3. forming friendships and connections
“It is amazing how quickly you can form community and strong friendships [in the retreat space],” Kat says. “As a single cis-female, sometimes it can be intimidating to travel to a new far-flung destination on my own. Having a group to meet up with has opened the door to new locations, places I’ve loved and will return to again and again.”