SHIFT MIND BODY SOUL - ARE YOU READY FOR A BREAKTHROUGH?

January 28, 2020 janet gunn

Shifting Out of My Comfort Zone: Lessons for the Mind, Body, and Soul

At the Four Seasons Wailea, on the healing island of Maui, I discovered a utopia. A luxury travel experience with a portal to self-growth. It is the Shift Mind Body Soul Retreat. A week-long program combining mindfulness, fitness, and health-conscious eating to shift your perspective and individually elevate and align your mind, body, and soul. I’m so grateful to be able to share highlights from my experience with you. Read on to see how I experienced a substantial and profound Shift and breakthrough.
“Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up.” – Isabelle Lafleche

Shift was founded by Nicole Fogel after challenges with her personal health and well-being led her looking for answers. Bringing together a small group of women along with professionals who are at the top of their game in the health and wellness fields, she knew first hand the level of healing, the releasing of old habits and thought patterns would be a welcome for us all. Nicole created a program so each participant was offered an exclusive and individual experience with lessons designed to be assimilated into daily life once back home. Through Nicole’s own challenges with lupus, she found a way to heal and shift her health and share her journey with us. See the video testimonials below.

Day 1 - Rise and shine and away we went to Haleakala. Rising over 10,000 feet above sea level and known as the earth’s “Heart Chakra” this was the opener…literally, the heart opener we all shared together on our first day.

Every day was a chance to learn more about ourselves through a combination of activities, workshops, exercise, and healthy food. During the week It was an expansion of spiritual connections, a lot of laughter with the other participants and a wealth of information. As women sometimes we forget how powerful we are and sometimes we just need to be reminded.

The workshops alone are a reason to attend a Shift retreat. The industry experts are the rockstars from their chosen fields. Here we are with Elissa Goodman diving into nutrition along with Q & A where she shares her personal experience on beating cancer.

Getting ready to roll out all that “old-stuff” locked deep in your tissues that creates blocks and causes pain (definitely worth learning about) Lauren Roxburgh’s sessions work deep down. FYI - this works!

The line-up consisted of Peter Crone, Elissa Goodman, Erin Lotz, and Lauren Roxburgh, known as the “Body Whisperer.” Peter Crone, known as “The Mind Architect” -Peter’s mind-blowing insight (literally) and intuitive approach to spiritual healing are so profound and spot-on. Meeting Erin Lotz for the first time fills the mind and heart with love…literally. For the first time, in a long time, I found myself more mindful and present and I’m so grateful to bring her guidance back home.

On a personal note I had several experiences during my time at the retreat, but walking the labyrinth was by far my most profound. Have you ever experienced walking a labyrinth? This was my first time and I will honestly say I experienced a “shift” that’s personal and hard to put into words. I’ve attended a few retreats in the past and I’ve always had tremendous take-aways. This one snuck up on me, it felt as if it came out of nowhere but obviously it was living somewhere very deep and very real. It’s a fear, one that I’ve had since the age of 15 when I lost my father to a plane crash. While walking the labyrinth It all surfaced… with a vengeance, I might add. Without diving into the details I’ll share this; to expose your fears to a group of people you don’t know is a little scary, but it’s one of the most healing moments you’ll have - then to be hugged by those same people is a gift from the universe that keeps on giving. This was my SHIFT…my gift. There were moments, or let’s call them signs that continued to unfold that were related to my father throughout the week. These are moments that we get to have every day all day when we allow ourselves to listen and remain open. One of my favorite quotes of the week was from Peter Crone, he said “you have two ears, one mouth… just saying” Stop talking so much and start listening!! I loved this!

Each of the Hawaiian islands is known to hold a special gift. Maui’s particular gift is HEALING. Creating these bonds with the other women felt really kind. Hiking in the bamboo forest and connecting with mother nature was powerful. When the wind blows, the sounds of the bamboo stalks bumping into one another is almost musical.

I was able to explore this week-long transformation first hand along with my blogging partner and dear friend, the Glow Girl, Melissa Meyers. We were roomies during the retreat, and while we were both sharing the same day to day activities, workshops, laughing and crying together, our two experiences were very different. That’s the beauty of a Shift retreat…every person’s takeaway is unique. You get exactly what YOU need out of it and you have the opportunity to deepen what you already have.

*Reset, restore and connect with mother earth.

*Experience just the right amount of scheduling

*Yoga, Meditation, Paddle-Boarding, Sound Bath, Massage, Reiki-Healing, Hiking.

The growth I experienced from this week-long transformation was profound. I feel as though my deepest fear was brought to light and from that, I grew to a new level of learning to trust in what I can’t see or touch. A program like Shift Mind Body Soul provides incredible insight, healers, and professionals that allow you to walk away with tools so you can take the leap, let go and really feel alive. So in those moments when you’re feeling a little “upside-down” No worries, Shift Happens & LET IT GO…

Balance + Presence + Personal Growth = Shift Happens

To learn more about upcoming retreats with Shift visit the website watch this video testimonial and read other articles below. Photos are courtesy of Kelly Fogel - Video by Andrew Gallery.

Thank you to everyone behind the scenes and for showing up so fearlessly while sharing your Aloha Spirit. Aloha for reading and for making Shift happen!

xo Janet

Chalkbaord Magazine: "I Went on a Holistic Wellness Retreat + Here’s What Happened” by Ruthie Ackerman.

Forbes Women: "This Entrepreneur Turned Her Fight With Lupus Into A Wellness Movement” by Yola Robert

The Glow Girl Life: Make SHIFT Happen: “A Transformative Experience of the Mind, Body and Soul” by Melissa Meyers

P.S. - Don’t ever forget how truly amazing you are…

ICELAND - LAND OF FIRE AND ICE

January 22, 2020 janet gunn

FIVE DAYS IN ICELAND

I’ve been fortunate to have been able to do my fair share of traveling during my 58 years on this planet and have many wonderful memories from time spent in distant lands, exploring other cultures and terrain. But nothing could have quite prepared me for the surprises that Iceland offered. We covered a lot of land in the short time we were there and I hope you have a feeling of this incredible land and the locals after reading my post.

Shortly before the holiday, at the request of a friend who’s from Iceland, we took her advice and decided to book a ticket for an adventure in Reykjavik and ring in the new year. Pack your virtual bags (with warm coats and boots!) and start humming the theme song to Game of Thrones, because I’m about to bring you on a virtual holiday as I recap my five-day adventure visiting this Nordic island nation known as Iceland.

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland has some of the largest glaciers and most active volcanoes in Europe. Because of the country’s high latitude, going in the winter meant that we were afforded very few hours of daylight, but we didn’t let that stop us! We packed in everything we could during sun-up and, really, more hours of darkness made it easier to sleep in so it actually made dealing with the jet-lag easier!

Night 1

Taking an Easy Jet flight from the UK, we landed in Reykjavik, Iceland during the evening.

After checking into the 101 Hotel, where we spent two nights, we met our friends for a fun dinner at a home that was walking distance from our hotel. FYI - People from Iceland are so gracious!!

Day 2

We woke at 10 am and headed off to spend the day at the famed Blue Lagoon a luxury spa and one of Iceland’s most visited destinations. We had a 1 pm booking - reservations are a MUST - that would kick off our time at what National Geographic has named one of the top 25 Wonders of the World. And, being that it is listed as a top 10 must-visit spa on Conde Nast’s list, I couldn’t wait for a day of pampering and relaxation. So don’t forget your swimsuit!

Bathing in the warm 102-degree water is unlike anything else on earth. I was happy we were able to enjoy it during the daylight so we could easily see the beautiful blue water of the lagoon set against the black lava field that surrounds it. The mineral water is known to have a natural healing effect…fabulous! I’ll take it.

Shop the Blue Lagoon Beauty Products here

After an afternoon spent taking full advantage of this spa experience, masks and all…you know those that mask together stay together… we showered and headed to an Italian restaurant called Primo. While we enjoyed a great meal, we found another Italian restaurant later in the week that would win over our hearts.

After dinner, we walked to the Hallgrímskirkja Luthern Church. This iconic architectural beauty, with its stepped concrete facade, is designed as an ode to modernism and symbolic of the Icelandic landscape.

Day 3

Cliffs, geysers, and waterfalls - oh my! Today we drove the Golden Circle, a popular sight-seeing route with three unique and epic stops.

Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. With its unique terrain and vegetation, this park lies on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with an enormous fissure stretching between the Eurasian and the North American continental plates that are almost 10,000 miles long! While there hasn’t been any modern-day volcanic activity, the park does contain several shield volcanoes.

After checking that off our list, we headed on to the geysers next! With boiling mud pits, and the bursting Strokkur geyser entertaining with a show shooting water 100 feet into the air every 10 to 15 minutes.

There was no shortage of delicious food and directly across from the entertaining geyser was Supa, which, you guessed it, serves soup! This soup cafe was just what we needed to warm up before heading to see the next stop on our list… the Gullfoss waterfall.

Gullfoss gets its name from the golden color that can be seen shining in its water. This beautiful glacial waterfall is unique to view because you are doing so from the top down instead of from the bottom up. Because of this perspective, it makes it look like it is actually going underground. Honestly, the photos don’t do it justice.

There is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is stopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks, glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted.

Jules Verne

As an animal lover, we had to stop and say hello to some Icelandic horses before heading to check into our next hotel. Muscular and shorter than a regular horse (more like a pony), but don’t call them ponies! Icelandics are proud of their horses with their long fluffy fur and easy-going nature. Hey Buster… want a playmate! I could just see myself walking both of them down my street each morning, and they’ve got great hair!!

Fun Fact; The Icelandic 🐴 is as local to this volcanic land and like its people, It arrived here on the very first ships of the settlers and has remained a loyal friend and helper. The very first members of the breed arrived aboard the Viking ships of Norse settlers sometime between 860 and 935 AD.
it is one of the purest horse breeds in the world.
The average animal might live for up to 40 years, with the oldest reportedly reaching the ripe old age of 59.

The hotel Grimsborgir was our home for the night and we absolutely loved this place! This 5-star hotel opened the summer of 2009 and is surrounded by the most stunning landscape, mountain views and all the rooms come with a balcony or terrace and access to one of 29 geothermal hot tubs on-site, private or shared. Only a 45-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik. The hotel staff was generous and lovely, I highly recommend you check it out.

Our fourth day had us driving to the city of Vik to explore. The Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach was our first stop. It’s ranked as one of the top 21 black sand beaches in the world, but don’t worry if you forgot your bikini, the rustic terrain is beautiful to behold but not one you’d want to sunbathe on…or dip your toe in even in the summer. Known as one of the most dangerous beaches due to “sneaker waves” the temperature and the undercurrent along with the 30 ft. dropoff (you can’t see) the minute you walk in….just don’t walk in!

At our next stop, I felt like I was on the set of a Hollywood movie. The black sand terrain was the perfect backdrop to film a classic plane crash scene. But it seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie with a plane crashed on the surface of the moon. The cause of this Navy plane crashing is unclear but many theories are surrounding the disaster. I love a good mystery! It had my imagination turning! The good news, everyone survived and as you can see it’s become a popular tourist attraction. Located 2 miles from the main road, just hop on the bus or enjoy the walk (just bundle up)

For the most part, the weather wasn’t as cold as I had thought it would be. Each day it rained a bit, but we also had sunshine too. Today, however, it began to pour the minute we left the plane wreck so attempting to make our way back to Reykjavik we had to pull over and find a local hotel to stay the night. It was so dark, rainy and windy we luckily found rooms at the Stracta hotel. Simple, clean and modern, it was the perfect place to crash for the night.

Because we only had 4 hours of sunlight a day, we would hop in the car at sunrise to make all of our stops. Another day, another waterfall! The perfect way to start our New Year's Eve day was with a trip to one of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, Skogafoss. We stopped there on our way back to Reykjavik. Unlike Gullfoss earlier in our week, this one is best viewed from the base of the falls. Bottoms up! In fact, you can walk right up to the wall of water, although it’s solid ice so go slow. My favorite fact: because of the huge amount of rain-like spray, every time the sun shines at least one rainbow is visible.

We stopped for lunch at the unforgettable award-winning Ion hotel. Less than an hour’s drive from downtown Reykjavík and feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of nowhere. It’s where the tectonic plates are drifting apart, and you’re surrounded by power. It’s also known as one of the best locations to see the northern lights. I loved the modern architecture of this sustainable hotel. Set in such a remote location, it felt like an oasis. It incorporates many natural features of Iceland into its design and sustainability practices. All the restaurant's food is also organic and fair-trade and the tables and chairs are made from recycled materials.

There is actually a green thermal generating plant next to the hotel. Fun fact- did you know Iceland is the only country in the world that obtains 100% of its electricity and heat from renewable sources? And, 87% of its electricity comes from hydro-power, and the remaining 13% from geothermal power! Are you taking notes, USA?

Last stop in 2019 / Port9 Located in the top left of this photo.

Our New Year's Eve was about to begin so we headed back to Reykjavik to check in to our final hotel- The Residence. After cleaning up, the three of us stopped for dinner at one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Iceland, Italia before meeting our friends. This cozy spot run by Italians had us enjoying great pasta, pizza and vino - the perfect way to begin ushering in the new decade. After dinner, we made a quick stop to check out The Thingholt hotel designed by our friend Gulla Jonsdottir, if you live here in L.A. you’re probably familiar with her locations here. La Peer - The Mayfair

The grand finale of our trip was incredible fireworks show back a the Hallgrímskirkja Luthern Church followed by a night-cap with friends at the Port9 wine bar.

I took away so much from this trip - the beauty of the landscape, the history, the country’s commitment to the land and sustainability; but the people and their wonderful hospitality also stand out in my mind. No matter what the difficulties have been living in such a harsh but beautiful terrain and climate, the Icelandic people love their country and they’re so present…. There is an Icelandic phrase or motto which is, Þetta reddast. “Þetta reddast” is translated to “it will all work out okay”. I have taken that one home with me, and I affirm it daily.

As we ride off into the sunset, we’d like to thank you for your hospitality Iceland; to Gulla, and our new friends at Port 9! What a great place to ring in the new decade!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you’re planning a trip to Iceland!

xo, Janet

Currency - The currency in Iceland is the Icelandic króna, but many places will also accept the Euro and the US Dollar. 1 USD is equivalent to about 124.34 Icelandic Króna

Safety - It’s incredibly safe for my female travelers

Plugs - I recommend buying a universal adapter

Credit Cards - Most people use credit cards not cash / No need to tip, you’ll find gratuity is included.

Expensive - Yes, things can be costly, mostly the cabs, make sure to do your math!

Rent a car - FYI - ACE rent a car was a great company and very helpful.

Packing - If you are there for the winter it’s fairly casual, you want to stay warm and comfortable for touring around. Warm coat / gloves / water-resistant shoes / warm socks / turtle neck / cashmere sweater / beanie / tote / jeans / leggings /warm scarf / rain hat / carry-on luggage /

Thank you Olie and Franne Golde for the warmth and the glow! — *Thank you* *Olie* *and* *Franne Golde* *for the warmth and the glow!*

ISRAEL - Jaffa Hotel - Beresheet Hotel In Mitzpe Ramon

August 13, 2019 janet gunn

This was my first visit to Israel and I could have never dreamt of how wonderful our journey turned out to be as we made our way from Tel Aviv, Jaffa to Masada, Jerusalem The Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jericho, Eilat, Wadi Rum, Jordan, Petra, Mizpe Ramon, then off to Mykonos, Santorini and last stop Athens. Yep…that’s a lot of locations in 21 days and it was action packed! First stop was the Jaffa hotel and what a perfect spot to recover from jet lag and kick off our travels. Welcome to the Jaffa Hotel. This blog post is the first of five and I’ve combined the Jaffa in old Jaffa and the Beresheet Hotel in Mizpe Ramon, two 5 star luxury properties surrounded by incredible history.

The Jaffa Hotel is part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. The property is the passion project of Aby Rosen, founder of the New York RFR Holding, the hotel and real estate company. His other hotels are 11 Howard, the Seagram Building, The Lever House and The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York and Miami. The Jaffa is his first hotel in Israel and it took a decade to restore this landmark 19th-century former French hospital and monastery. There are 127 rooms and 38 luxury apartments in a separate residential wing. Back in the day the Jaffa provided medical care free of charge, it closed in 1969 and was sold in 2006.

Located on the second floor is the chapel which is now the lounge- bar. It was a stunner to say the least.

The ancient port of Jaffa on the Mediterranean Sea

Take a walk to the port, just five minutes from the Jaffa’s front door. You’ll find cute shops, mostly art galleries with works from local artist.

There are two restaurants; the Golda Delicatessen, an old school deli and the Don Camillo, delicious Italian. Jaffa is the hottest area in Tel Aviv, you have the very old mixed with today’s culture and it’s buzzing, let’s just say elegant and cool with lot’s of creativity, oh and the food… amazing.

Welcome to The Bersheet Hotel - In Mitzpe Ramon

This Bersheet Hotel was our last stop before leaving Israel. We drove from Eilat after returning from Petra to Mitze Ramon. It was around a two hour drive through a winding huge crater. Located in the Negev desert of southern Israel, it’s on the northern ridge at an elevation of 2,800 feet and overlooks the world largest erosion known as the Maktesh Ramon. It’s pretty magnificent when you enter the property located in the middle of nowhere. The view is out of this world. This luxury property is built directly into a cliff overlooking Israel’s Negev Desert. Built by Yehuda Feigin and his sons, they used natural rocks and stones from the local town of Mitzpe Ramon. When you’re walking the property it feels like you’re connected to the earths rhythm.

Beresheet Hotel opened in 2011 and covers approximately 12.5 acres with 111 private villas of one - or two stories. Thirty-nine of the ground floor rooms open to personal pools, the top floor rooms open to balconies with desert views , we had a view of the crater and a sky lite with stars above and beyond. Even though the days can be hot we were in light jackets after the sun set.

Soon as you drive up you’ll see wild Nubian ibex, and they’re harmless and happy to eat right out of your hand. Unfortunately they are increasingly considered extinct. Our stay was short, only one night before heading to Greece.

A view that dates back to over 200 million years and is the largest nature reserve in Israel. As you watch the sun set and the sky turns the most vibrant colors, we literally said to each other…where are we?? I would recommend another night or two to take it all in. *Not to be missed, the sunrise and sunset.