4 Women's Empowerment Yoga And Leadership Retreat

There’s something magical about getting away and unwinding. Whether you take a 24-hour flight to an exotic locale or opt for a staycation at your city’s hippest new hotel, nothing beats feeling refreshed and clear-minded after a few days of R&R. These days, retreats that combine that repose with tailored leadership trainings are helping to boost performance and personal growth at top companies like Fortune and Apple. But you don’t need to work for a huge corporation to brush up on your leadership skills in a fabulous setting. These four retreats prove that with a little yoga, mindfulness, and some specialized training—getting away can help you embody the leader within—at home and at work.

- Loren Savini

SOULSPEAK WELLNESS: WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT YOGA AND LEADERSHIP RETREAT

Ubud, Bali

You know that post–yoga class, connected, glowy feeling? And how sometimes we leave class, hop in our cars, get stuck sitting in traffic—and suddenly that warm feeling melts away? It’s a shame, really, because that clear, intuitive mind state could really help us out once we’ve put our mats away.

The good news is, with some practice, we can maintain that yoga high and apply it toward kicking ass in all aspects of our lives. “If you combine yoga with leadership development, you learn more about yourself. And when you do that, you’re better able to lead in whatever role you play,” says Jessica Carry, founder of SoulSpeak Wellness, which combines leadership-development experiences with health practices.

Looking within is the foundation of SoulSpeak’s Women’s Empowerment Yoga and Leadership Retreat. Carry has designed a sequence of yoga practices that correspond with specific leadership traits, such as accessing personal power, compassion, and expressing creativity—and she would know. Carry is the director of speaker curation for TEDxPasadena, helping speakers prepare through a process of self-exploration. Each day of the weeklong retreat, at yoga center Soulshine Bali, features a theme that emerges in practice—focusing on relevant chakras, meditation, and evening leadership coaching. Think takeaways like listening to intuition, connecting to your roots, and tuning into feminine energy.