Gear manufacturers have realised that lots of women like the outdoors and they're different shapes from men. Here's what's out there, and where you can buy it.
SwellWomen
Follow Your Bliss...Wherever you are at the moment - at work, at school, at home - imagine this. You’re in a Hawaiian paradise, staying in a beautiful resort, eating wonderful food, participating in yoga sessions and learning how to surf. Sound blissful? Well, this is how Me-Shell Mijangos lives her life all the time! Me-Shell is the founder of SwellWomen and her signature experience is a seven day women’s wellness adventure retreat promoting both surfing and yoga on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
If you’re like me you’ll now be fantasising about dropping everything and going to Hawaii to participate in one of these retreats - they sound revitalising, relaxing, luxurious and a lot of fun. Since the organisation was set up in 2003, Me-Shell has catered to hundreds of women from all over the world, from career women to stay at home mums to grandmothers. Me-Shell says that the women who attend the SwellWomen retreats have one thing in common - they are ready to embark on something new and spend much needed time on themselves. A Hawaiian surfing/yoga retreat sounds to me like a pretty good way to do this!
“Follow Your Bliss” is the phrase that inspired Me-Shell to quit her corporate job in New York City and travel the world looking for waves to surf and other adventures. She went to Maui for a two month visit, but ended up unpacking her bags and planting her surfboard for good on the island. She founded SwellWomen because she realised that other women would be interested in a wellness program on a Hawaiian island, and she chose surfing and yoga because they are two of her own passions.SwellWomen has flourished thanks to word of mouth from very satisfied (and relaxed) guests. The retreats have also had exposure from the national and international media, and Me-Shell has now added a SwellCo-ed retreat that is open to men, women and couples. During the seven days guests are provided with a balance of activity, adventure, rejuvenation and good food. Me-Shell says that SwellWomen’s best accomplishment in the field of outdoor recreation for women is having every single guest, in 5 years, standing up on a surfboard by the end of the week!
If you’re thinking about following your own bliss, Me-Shell has a few words of wisdom. She says that it’s important to enjoy the ride of life and by taking care of yourself, you can then spread the bliss to other people. For those interested in starting up their own wellness retreat, Me-Shell advises to have a solid idea of your vision and what sort of experiences you want to provide for your guests. She also says that adaptability and flexibility are important, because there are always times throughout the life of your business when these skills are needed.
If you are interested in a blissful Surf and Yoga Wellness Adventure Retreat on a beautiful Hawaiian island, please visit the SwellWomen website for more details. You can also follow Me-Shell on Twitter (@swellwomen), read the SwellWomen blog or call on 1800.399.MAUI.Photos are from the SwellWomen website.