Why just go on vacation when you can take a soulful journey on a yoga retreat and have the adventure of a lifetime?

Enter the La Paz SUP Social Good Retreat. Curated by retreat leaders extraordinaire Michelle Gierst and Juli Schulz, their annual ocean adventure yoga retreat is designed to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Gierst and Schulz invite yogis to “to play in the ocean, unwind, think big, share ideas, stretch, grow and be creative”. Held in La Paz, Mexico on the magical Sea of Cortez, this yoga retreat leads you through a magical five-day journey of heart-centered yoga, SUP, an epic boat trip, and social good.

Here are 5 ways to get your mojo back at the La Paz SUP Social Good Retreat.

1. Take Your Yoga Practice to the Next Level

Imagine a sunrise meditation followed by oceanfront yoga in a traditional Mexican palapa where you can de-stress, let go, and reconnect to your body. Or join the afternoon SUP yoga session and let those negative ions have their way with you as you float upon the calm azure blue waters of the Sea of Cortez. Led by Gierst, a certified yoga, pilates, and SUP instructor, she’s a proponent of “FloYo” – floating yoga. This meditative practice allows you to set your intention and tone for the day and return to a balanced mind-body connection.

2. Be Inspired by the Magical Sea of Cortez

The Sea of Cortez is a marine wonderland. Jacques Cousteau described it as “The natural aquarium of the world”. It’s a protected sanctuary where you can see (but not touch) incredible marine biodiversity. You’ll travel aboard a private boat with Fun Baja Eco-Adventures, watch whales breach, dolphins ride the bow, and mobula rays leap out of the water by the hundreds. Not to mention a visit to Isola Espiritu where playful sea lions swim next to you and might even tug at your fin. And if you’re up for the adventure, snorkel with whale sharks. These gentle giants, up to 40-feet long, feed only on plankton, and to catch even a glimpse of one is a memory of a lifetime. Schulz, the yoga retreat’s eco-guide, ensures everyone is safe and having fun. Especially, those snorkeling for the first time or who aren’t used to being in the water. No matter your aquatic ability, you’ll be mesmerized by the beautiful coral, abundant sea life, and surreal coastline.

3. Indulge in Conscious Luxury at Costa Baja Resort & Spa

Five-stars, baby. And yes, you are worth it. Part of the retreat is to surround yourself with conscious luxury and beauty that reflects the stunning Sea of Cortez. In La Paz, there is no better hotel than the boutique luxury Costa Baja Resort & Spa. Situated on an island about twenty minutes outside of La Paz, it’s surrounded by tranquil azure blue water. Where the desert meets the sea, the multi-level waterfront resort has jaw-dropping views around every corner. Stretched along a stunning white sand beach, the most difficult decision of the day is deciding where to relax? At the Beach Club, in a hammock overlooking the ocean? The infinity pool? On the white sand beach? Or under the shade of a palapa? Decisions, decisions. All the while Costa Baja Resort is known for its integrity and commitment to its staff and sourcing sustainably to protect the wild and wonderful Sea of Cortez.

4. Energetic & Spiritual Healing at Espíritu Spa

The Espíritu Spa at Costa Baja Resort is no ordinary spa. Its Holistic-Reiki concept focuses on balancing energies through aromatherapy, local healing herbs, ancestral techniques, and custom elixirs. Therapists use a biosensor to select the right blend of oil to use with your treatment to open energy centers and stimulate not just relaxation but also energetic healing. Treatments are ritual-based from traditional healing techniques, including prayer. Try the Espiritu Ritual, an “ancestral experience” with energetic cleansing, that incorporates a massage with lemons and chakra balancing. The Damiana Ritual is a rejuvenating full body massage and herbal wrap with oils to restore energy. While the Liberation Ritual helps you release negative emotions from the past via Reiki, Ho’oponopono, and healing stones. So, which Espíritu Ritual is right for you? Ask one of the spa’s healers and they’ll guide you to just the right experience to rebalance and harmonize your subtle energies.

5. Give Back to the Local Community

A treasured experience of the yoga retreat is giving back to the community. Retreat leaders Schulz and Gierst connected with Care for Kids La Paz, where donations ranged from solar lights and school supplies to cash donations. A heart-centered highlight was an outing to the Care for Kids center where Diane Bleck of The Doodle Institute hosted a doodling session that broke the language barrier as guests and local children connected through the universal language of creativity and color.

If you’re looking for a heart-centered yoga retreat to reconnect with your soul and re-affirm your deepest intentions while having an aquatic adventure, the La Paz SUP Social Good Retreat is it. Sometimes you have to get away to reset your focus and adjust your perspective. But, it’s always worth it. Every time.

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From tree house villages in Costa Rica to yoga communes in Hawaii, these 10 intentional communities are havens of peace, creativity and sustainability.

Imagine waking up to the sound of bells from a temple to share in a morning yoga ritual overlooking the mountains of Peru, or the glittering Pacific Ocean in Hawaii. Picking fresh vegetables from your neighborhood garden to cook in a community-wide meal in a spacious, shared kitchen. Building your own non-toxic, mortgage-free cob house in a low-impact neighborhood of like-minded nature lovers. Stepping out of your very own treehouse to gaze at a network of aerial walkways that look like something out of a sci-fi movie. These 10 intentional communities, from utopian eco-villages to cute historic houses in urban Los Angeles, bring people together with common goals of harmonic living, artistic exploration and sustainability.

Polestar Yoga Community, Big Island, Hawaii

What could be more relaxing than a yoga community in Hawaii? Polestar offers “an energizing lifestyle of daily yoga and meditation, karmic yoga or service projects, and outdoor adventure opportunities.” Though it bills itself as a spiritual community, people of all faiths are welcome at this cooperative living retreat which is home to full-time residents and also open to visitors and apprentices. Awakened each morning by the sound of music from the temple, a shrine dedicated to the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, guests enjoy daily routines involving organic food grown on site, volunteer service, art and lots of community involvement.

Eco Truly Park, Peru

It looks like something out of a fairy tale: adorable little cone-shaped buildings topped with colorfully painted spires, dotting the hillside on the Pacific coast of Peru. This ecological and artistic community, an hour north of Lima, was founded on principles of non-violence, simple living and harmony with nature. Both the architecture and the values of the community are inspired by traditional Indian teachings and lifestyles. Eco Truly Park has a goal of being fully self-sustainable, and currently boasts a large organic garden. Open to volunteers, the community offers workshops in yoga, art and Vedic philosophy.

Synchronicity Artist Commune, Los Angeles, California

Embodying the laid-back lifestyle of sunny Southern California, Synchronicity is a relaxed and welcoming intentional living community in the historic West Adams District of  Los Angeles. Though it’s small – nowhere near the size of the rest of the communities on this list – Synchronicity is a great example of the thousands of similar shared households around the United States. Synchronicity has eleven residents and focuses mostly on artistic actions and holding monthly artistic salons that are open to the public.

Earthhaven Ecovillage, Asheville, North Carolina

Located in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Earthaven is just one of many similar intentional communities focusing on sustainable living. You’ll find virtually every type of natural building here, including earthships, cob houses and rustic cabins, with construction methods that eliminate toxic materials, logged timber and mortgages. Set on 320 lush acres 40 minutes southwest of Asheville, Earthaven frequently holds natural building workshops and welcomes the public to learn about permaculture, organic gardening and other sustainable topics. They offer camping and visitor accommodations as well as live-work arrangements.

Milagro Cohousing, Tucson, Arizona

Twelve minutes from downtown Tucson, Arizona, Milagro is a co-housing community with 28 passive-solar, energy-efficient adobe homes on 43 acres. Set against the Tucson mountains, Milagro is simply a community of people who want to live a green lifestyle, surrounded by like-minded neighbors. Each resident has access to 35 acres of undeveloped open space, as well as the 3,600-square-foot Common House, which has meeting and dining space, a library, a playroom and storage space. Gardens, workshops and a solar-heated swimming pool make it even more enticing.

Finca Bellavista Treehouse Community, Costa Rica

If you’ve ever watched Star Wars and wished that you could live with the Ewoks in their magical tree house community, take heed: such a thing actually exists. And it’s in Costa Rica. Finca Bellavista is a network of rustic, hand-built tree houses in the mountainous South Pacific coastal region of this Central American nation, surrounded by a jungle that is brimming with life. The off-grid, carbon-neutral tree houses are connected by aerial walkways and include a central community center with a dining area, barbecue and lounge. Gardens, ziplines and hiking trails make it even more of a tropical paradise. Prospective community members can design and build their own tree houses. Additionally, some of the tree house owners rent out their homes, and there are visitor accommodations available.

Tamera Peace Research Village, Portugal

Aiming to be a totally self-sufficient community, the Tamera Peace Research Village is in the Alentejo region of southwestern Portugal and is home to 250 coworkers and students who study how humans can live peacefully in sustainable communities, in harmony with nature. It includes a non-profit peace foundation, a “SolarVillage” test site, a permaculture project with an edible landscape, and a sanctuary for horses.

Dancing Rabbit Eco Village, Missouri

Another showcase of the beauty of natural building techniques, the Dancing Rabbit Eco Village is a sustainable community located near Rutledge, Missouri advocating low-impact living and dedication to social change. Everything from members’ diets to the way they use water is dictated by a commitment to living lightly on the earth. The village is on 280 acres including six ponds, a small creek and 40 acres of woodland, plus 30 acres where they have planted over 12,000 trees as part of a restoration program.

EcoVillage at Ithaca, New York

What would the ideal sustainable community look like? The EcoVillage at Ithaca is one example that is already thriving in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. It includes three co-housing neighborhoods called Frog, Song and Tree as well as an organic CSA vegetable farm, community gardens and over 100 acres of protected green space. The houses are all energy-efficient and share facilities like a common house, wood shop, metal shop, bike shed, playgrounds and centralized compost bins.

Conceptual Community of Tiny Houses

It’s not yet a reality, but tiny house enthusiasts have a dream: idyllic neighborhoods where people who have committed to living in very small spaces can get together and share resources and camaraderie. Tiny house communities are hard to come by because of various city and county ordinances, which favor large houses and conventional utilities. At TinyHouseCommunity.com, people who live in tiny houses – or want to build their own some day – get together to talk about making these villages happen. There are two tiny house communities currently in planning phases, in Washington D.C. and Texas.

Top photo: Dancing Rabbit Eco Village

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The Bay of Fires is a Tasmanian getaway with miles of breathtaking views.

Located high on a hilltop overlooking the sea in Northeast Tasmania, Australia, lies the Bay of Fires, a small, intimate lodge that accommodates just 20 guests. Surrounded by Mount William National Park, the area is home to a wide range of flora and a large population of eastern grey kangaroos, echidnas, brush-tail possums, wombats, wallabies and Tasmanian devils. Because Bay of Fires is the only building on 12 miles of land, guests can enjoy views of the pristine, white beaches for as far as they can see.

The Bay of Fires was built on delicate land, so the lodge has no choice but to be as eco-conscious as possible. All building materials (which consist of Tasmanian hardwood and plantation pine), were lifted in by helicopter and then hand-carried to the site while other eco-aspects include roof water collection, grey water treatment systems, composting toilets and energy-efficient solar power. The accommodations are simple, yet comfortable, with delicious meals prepared with fresh produce accompanied by Tasmanian wines. We love the two long timber and glass pavilions that allow for guests to be connected with the landscape while maximizing views.

Also make sure to check out the yoga retreats and the many walks offered by Bay of Fires. Prices starting at about $2,100 USD.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

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