Bahamas Yoga Retreat with Suzy McCalley

This is not your “average” yoga retreat. We’ll be integrating various modalities like reiki, Emotional Freedom Tapping (aka EFT), group coaching and more to help you connect deeper with your self, your body, mind and an awesome pop-up community created just for the retreat. You will learn and develop new powerful practices and techniques that you can take with you and use all year-long. These are practical tools for daily living!

The yoga retreat will work with your Whole system on a physical, mental and emotional level. You will be challenged – whether that means letting go and relaxing, or going deeper into a stretch, or maybe it’s experiencing a difficult emotion or even building up a detoxifying sweat. Suzy McCalley, the founder of this blissful yoga escape, has a passion for working with folks on all levels of their journey – whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned practitioner.

So, let’s learn more about this Bahamas Yoga Retreat during our exclusive interview with Suzy. (Be sure to read to the bottom for event details and an exclusive coupon code for our readers – expires 7/15/15!)

1. How did yoga come into your life?

Yoga came into my life during the second semester of my freshman college year. I was something of a “wild child” as a teenager, so when I was transported to a relaxing beach during a meditation in my first savasana (aka in yoga as corpse pose) and was able to let my mind slow down, I instantly knew there was power in this practice. Even though my first yoga teacher was actually more of a P.E. instructor and swim coach, the effectiveness of the practice came through. I signed up for class the following semester and have clung to yoga to get me through all kinds of experiences during the last 12 years.

2. Why is yoga important to you?

Yoga is important to me because it is my whole life practice. It certainly can be a great physical workout and many people do use it that way with tremendous benefits, but it is so much more than that. Most of what we think of as yoga in the West is Hatha Yoga – where we do the poses or asana and maybe move through sequences like sun salutation. However, Hatha is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. The others involve meditation, deep concentration, union with the divine and more. There are Karma yogis (whose practice is to serve others) there are Bhakti yogis (who’s practice is love and devotion) – there is such a wide range of styles and philosophies that yoga encompasses. Even the physical practice alone can range from very intense and demanding to very gentle, subtle and relaxing. I love the infinite possibilities that yoga offers and how the practice truly extends to the way we think, love, feel, breathe and live.

3. Why should someone consider attending A yoga retreat?

I decided to lead this yoga retreat in the Bahamas because there is so much I want to share. I love spending time with close friends and guiding experiences for groups. Spending this time together in such a beautiful environment, will allow us to go deeper, relax more fully and recharge. I know everyone that comes will have such a tremendous experience and will leave just a little bit different from when they came. There is something so powerful and wonderful about stepping out of our “ordinary” everyday environments – especially when your intention is to reconnect with yourself. There is something about being in a new or different place that makes shifting our perspectives a little easier and more fun.

4. I will be using vacation time to attend, so will it feel like vacation?

It’s really important to me and to the work we’ll be doing, that you are able to deeply relax and enjoy everything that this incredible place has to offer. The other half of work is rest, so we have built plenty of time into the schedule for you to just unwind and relax in your own way or enjoy other activities on the island. Of course all of the retreat offerings are optional. You will definitely come back recharged!

5. What makes this retreat better than other options people may be considering?

This retreat is especially unique in that I am incorporating really fun and creative tools like singing, music, journaling and movement to help you let go, unwind, and feel great! I utilize an original philosophy and practice that I developed over several years called Holistic System Regeneration – where I work with the whole person physically, mentally and emotionally to help you notice and release anything that keeps you from living your most full, free and joyful life.

This program is based on the chakras or energy centers of the body which relate to everything from financial health, to creativity, personal power, love, expression and intuition.

6. Tell me more about the location and why you chose it?

Eleuthera is incredible! It is so remote yet has all the comforts you would expect from a relaxing retreat experience. It is a long skinny island (90 miles long and only a few miles wide) and you can even see both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean from some points on the island. The people are absolutely amazing. I learned so much and received so many gifts from the simple life many of the locals lead. I even posted some of the sayings I heard while I was there last January on my mirrors at home as a daily inspirational reminder. I feel a genuine connection to this place and that’s why I chose to lead this retreat in Eleuthera, Bahamas.

7. What else should I expect outside of beach yoga and gorgeous sunsets?

My focus for this retreat will be to give you tools, practices and techniques that you can integrate into your daily life back home. You’ll learn some new things like EFT, reiki, and creative recovery practices. You’ll also have a great opportunity to practice some things you may already know (but may not make time for in your daily life) like deep breathing, mindfulness practices, self-care and techniques to detox and de-stress. We’ll identify and release old patterns that hold you back and begin to set powerful intentions for the year ahead.

8. Are there any special deals you can offer our readers?

Use the Promo Code “SAVE50” to save $50 off your yoga retreat when you sign up and pay a $500 deposit to hold your space today (this site exclusive offer expires July 15, 2015)! Also, if you sign up before August 1, 2015 you can receive an additional $100 off (for a total of $150 off of your retreat price)! Don’t let “I can’t afford it” hold you back and keep you from this amazing experience.

How To Get The $150 Discount

1. Visit the website and pay a $500 deposit to hold your spot by July 15, 2015.
2. Send an email with the Promo Code: SAVE50 to activate your exclusive $50 discount towards the rest of your stay (this step is ESSENTIAL to save this extra $50 and expires 7/15/2015; you will automatically save $100 for being an Early Bird too).
3. Pay the rest of the amount owed before you fly to paradise based on the invoice with link for the payment balance minus the $50 discount.
4. Pack, fly to the Bahamas and prepare to escape and relax in paradise!

9. What are the Yoga Retreat Details?

9. Tell us more about Suzy McCalley

I have been passionate about practicing and teaching yoga for more than 10 years. I founded and the co-owner of The Breathing Room – a center for yoga, arts and wellness services located in Winston-Salem, NC. My unique journey has brought me from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Austin, Texas and now to Winston-Salem where I have lived for the past 8 years with my sweet son, Henry. I sing, act, write, dance, play the violin and teach on all of these subjects, too. I incorporates a range of holistic practices into my work including many styles of yoga (influenced by kundalini, to yin, tantra and ashtanga), meditation practices, reiki, tai chi, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) and coaching techniques. I work privately with clients to achieve greater mental, emotional and physical balance. I also do professional speaking engagements in addition to group classes and retreats for businesses, churches, schools and non-profit organizations. Clients that have worked with me experience tremendous results including greater health, happiness, stress reduction and an overall increased sense of wellbeing in their personal and professional lives.

10. Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

This will be more of a gentle yoga retreat. If you like some heat, no problem, we’ll bring it, but this retreat is really ALSO for folks that are new to yoga or just starting out, or maybe you’re drawn to the benefits of meditation and relaxation. Whatever you need, you can create, this is your retreat! Feel free to customize it as you feel fit!