Find your tribe men's retreat

So the idea of creating a men only retreat all started a few years ago. In May 2023 I decided to sign up to a fitness retreat in Thailand. It was a 4 week retreat with everything I was looking for. Well! That's what I thought.

I arrived in Koh Samui buzzing to finally get my fitness and well-being back on track at this advertised Transformational Package. I turned up at the location to no one greeting me, no induction, no structure, no one in charge,  nowhere to chill and meet people and eat your food. Nothing.

I could not believe it, all this money and effort for this advertised amazing retreat was not what I turned up to.  But every cloud has a silver lining. And this how I met Thijs and we became friends.

Thijs at the time was a freelance Personal Trainer, Cross-fit Instructor and Breathwork Facilitator at the retreat centre. I had some of my classes and PT sessions with him and we quickly hit it off.

My retreat got a whole lot better and over the next few weeks I found myself for the first time in a long time opening up and really talking about my feelings and how I want to change the way I live and feel.

Thijs introduced me to breathwork and ice baths. not just deep journeys but breathing techniques to use while working out. Game changer.

We started talking about retreats and how badly run this one was. One thing that kept being discussed was a men's health and well-being retreat with so much more that just getting fit. And if we got the chance how we would run it.

We talked and talked and over the weeks spent together, one thing we kept going over was the attention to detail, the care each and every man would get, the passion we would give, the  brotherhood we would create.

Making sure that we would leave no stone unturned all 16 guys being treated like family and helped, guided and care for, putting them back on the path to greatness.

Honestly after having these conversations I went away from Thailand absolutely buzzing for the future. I said to Thijs on departure:

"This men's retreat is going to happen. Trust me. And it is going to be a  game changer!"

My passion for fitness started when I moved to Brighton and having completed a marathon, multiple half marathons and many  long distance cycle rides I decided to do my level 2 gym instructor and level 3 personal training.

I have gained so much knowledge from my wife Sarah,  who has worked in the mental health field as a Cognitive Behavioural and Interpersonal Psychotherapist for over 15 years. I quickly took an interest in Life Coaching and being of service to others.

I'm mind-blown and beyond grateful, for how the universe has conspired to make this retreat happen. 

The way we've been brought together, you couldn't make it up... Ty, Greg, and myself - 3 dudes from different places around the world, all coming from different walks of life. All three have been brought in contact through our very own healing journeys, through the medicine of breath & movement.

I've connected with people from all over the world during my time with Fitness Retreat Thailand, until one day, I had the pleasure of working with Ty. 

I thought I was just doing my thing and didn't realise the gravity of the impact it had on a man like Ty. But it became very clear, that our meeting was a turning point he was looking for.

The breath had allowed him to connect with a spark within, connect with himself in a way needed to create lasting change.

Before Tyson went back to Zanzibar, he said "Let's grab a dinner some night, let's sit down and chat about the future!"

We both brought our misuses, had a beautiful dinner, and connected dreaming about things we could do.

In my journey to becoming a trauma-informed breathwork facilitator, I've had the pleasure of meeting Greg (who, as you've read above, met Ty  just randomly 🤯)

Greg is a man like no one else. He's a different breed, and I can't explain how much his energy and teachings have helped me in my journey to healing. I KNOW it'll be similar for you.

The clock is ticking, and there's a plan in place - our first men's health retreat is happening, and YOU can be a part of it!

I'm so fucking stoked to be on this team of 3, to bring this medicine into the world.

A place to breathe, move, and connect. A place where brotherhood is built and connections are made.

I moved from the temperate beaches of San Diego, California to the tropical beaches of Zanzibar in January 2023 after receiving an invitation to facilitate breathwork and other healing modalities at a resort that was in the process of transitioning into a retreat center. However, life had other plans, and shortly after arriving in Zanzibar, the resort was sold to new owners who wanted to go in a different direction.

"Alright," I thought, "life just brought me halfway around the world for a reason, so let's find out what that reason is."  

Sitting in that space of "What do I do now?" I came to the conclusion that I was here in Zanzibar to facilitate breathwork and share the healing modalities that had benefited me so much. With that mindset and determination, I decided that that's what I was going to do, one way or another.

I moved to Paje on the East Coast after living in the Capital for 6 months to be beachside and with a more laid back atmosphere, and a greater opportunity for sharing breathwork, yoga and cacao ceremonies. 

Shortly after making the move, I was invited to a private music event and that just happened to be on a full moon. Underneath the light of that full moon,- I met Ty.

I introduced myself and instantly we began to talk about breathwork. Ty shared his recent experiences in Koh Samui and also mentioned this amazing breathwork facilitator he bonded with. He told me how the work he did was some of the most impactful of his life and how he wanted to share this with other like minded men.

Funny enough I was planning a trip to Koh Samui a few months later to teach at a breathwork facilitator training course. I told Ty of these plans and he said I need to meet up with Thijs, would love to if I get the chance was my reply.

So months later I arrive in Koh Samui and immediately begin to prepare for the two week training that I'll be teaching at. On the opening day,a  the group arrive and we o brief intro's and 

as we begin to get to know each other I notice that for this first week of the training there is only one man present.

I grab some dinner and take a seat and the only man on the training takes a seat next to me, before we introduce ourselves, he says to me. "So I see you follow Zen Boutique Resort on Instagram?" My old eyes lit up and I laughed as I tell him. "I had a feeling it was you, are you Thijs?"  Thijs was here at the training i was facilitating.  And as a result, our friendship was formed.

I

Life has a funny way of bringing people together sometimes, and the synchronicities that brought Ty, Thijs, and myself together are beyond my comprehension. Knowing the uniquely different approaches and perspectives that we all have when it comes to healing work, made it an easy decision when Ty came to me with his vision, passion and determination to create the Men's Transformation Sanctuary.