November 4, 2015

Golden Door.

After having some very busy weeks including FW which drew all my energy, my body was in need for some rest. Even though relaxing at home is what helps, I simply couldn’t de-stress myself and just felt anxiety by working from home (specially because I live next to a highway and hear the traffic from my bedroom window). So when I was invited to the Golden Door  I knew this would be the best break for me to find some balance.

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I went with some lovely ladies: Damsel in Dior, Always Judging and Trop Rouge. When we got there we were told we would forget our worries when passing through their golden doors, and man they were so right. Words can’t even cover how relaxing the atmosphere was. I felt so connected because it reminded me of my mother and how she respects the Zen lifestyle, she always taught me the about meditation, the chakras and how important it is to find peace of mind and inner focus. And to be honest I’ve always wanted to experience a place like this, a retreat where you go to renew yourself. All of this while helping others. Its amazing how they donate 100% of their net profits to charities. The weekend I visited was a women’s week only, so I got to be surrounded by amazing women from all over the world.

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One of my favorite things to do was walking around the woods, their bamboo gardens or walking the labyrinth. I was for once connected to nature and breathing in my surroundings. Although I don’t usually talk about this, I feel it is one of the things I miss most when living in New York…feeling closer to nature, listening to it and feeling the fresh smell of leaves and wood.

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The retreat was filled with so many activities that literally blew me away. I did more things than I have done in my entire life. And man, how much I needed it. We practiced fencing and archery during the mornings, then lounged on their hot pool. Also, we hiked a mountain on the second day and did some yoga after. I had never done any of this before!

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I swear I was one of those people that thought yoga wasn’t for me, and I was so wrong haha. I faced some new challenges and that was literally the best feeling ever.
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I wish I could hike every day now, its so rewarding when you get to the top and realize you’re stronger than you thought. The best part, we got to pick a stone from a bag and had to walk through a labyrinth with the stone in our hands without knowing what was written in the stone. This is the stone that I got:
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I still have this stone with me. It’s a keepsake I’ll always have in my night stand.

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Another highlight of the trip was the amazing food. The Golden Door basically harvests its own food through bio intensive farming and everything is picked from their own gardens. Chef Greg basically mastered the art of healthy eating and I have to say it was better than any food I’ve tried. Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 6.59.05 PMPhoto Oct 17, 12 03 19 PMLe Happy visits Golden Door

We were taught the whole process and how they raise their food (we even had the chance to play with the chickens and flower gardens!)

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By the end of each day we got some spa treatments that we could pick from, I personally got a massage (the lady was shocked with how stiff I was!). I ended up wanting more. Plus, they offered so many things such as herbal wraps, detoxifying cleanses, hydrating facials, etc.

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I also loved lounging in my room, which was so spacious. A total gift if we compare it to my New York apartment if you ask me.
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Le Happy visits Golden Door
Some of the things I took with me among the products offered at the resort. I didn’t have to bring my army of skin care products because they literally had the best natural stuff.

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I personally fell in love with the traditional Japanese architecture of the hotel.  We were spoiled with the loveliest setting for dinner and it all felt like a movie.

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Le Happy visits Golden Door
Never thought how amazing it would feel going for vacations and coming back more energized and in better health. Thank you Golden Door for the amazing journey.
Le Happy visits Golden Door

Pictures by me and James Nord

Elizabeth and James sweater

3X1 Jeans

Privacy Please dress

ALALA mesh bra

ALALA mesh insert leggings

OUTDOOR VOICES grey crop top

TUK creepers

~
Después de algunas semanas súper ocupadas mi energía estaba por los suelos y mi cuerpo pedía descanso. Así que cuando me invitaron a Golden Door con algunas amigas (Damsel in Dior, Always Judging y Trop Rouge), sabía que esta sería la manera perfecta de encontrar el equilibrio de nuevo.
Cuando llegamos allí, y antes de pasar por las puertas, nos dijeron que nos olvidaríamos nuestras preocupaciones y tenían tanta razón. No se imaginan lo relajante que era la atmósfera. Me sentí conectada porque me recordó a mi madre y cómo respeta el estilo de vida Zen, ella siempre me enseñó lo importante que es encontrar la paz mental. Y para ser sincera, siempre había querido experimentar un lugar como este donde uno va a renovarse. Lo mas increíble es que donan 100% de sus ganancias a organizaciones de caridad benéficas.
El fin de semana que visité fue sólo la semana de mujeres, por lo que estaba rodeada de mujeres increíbles de todo el mundo. Una de mis cosas favoritas para hacer fue caminar por sus bosques, su laberinto y los jardines de bambú. Aunque no suelo hablar de esto, una de las cosas que mas extraño al vivir en Nueva York es sentirme conectada con la naturaleza y sentirme cerca a la tierra.
El lugar estaba lleno actividades para hacer. Les juro que hice más cosas que he hecho en toda mi vida y que realmente necesitaba. Practicamos la esgrima, tiro con arco durante las mañanas, para luego acabar en la piscina de agua caliente. Además, hicimos una excursión una montaña y un poco de yoga después. Fue tan increíble porque nunca había hecho nada de esto antes! Les juro que yo era una de esas personas que pensaba que el yoga no era para mí jaja, (mi madre puede corroborar esto) y creo que estaba un poco cegada. Me enfrenté a algunos retos y fue la mejor sensación. La mejor parte fue cuando llegamos a cima de la montaña y nos dieron a sacar una piedra de una bolsa. Tuvimos que caminar a través de un laberinto con la piedra en la mano sin saber lo que tenia escrito (cada piedra era distinta). Me dio mucha ternura que la mia dijera “paz”. Todavía la tengo conmigo, y ahora es un recuerdo que siempre tendré en mi mesita de noche.
Otra cosa increíble fue la comida. El lugar básicamente cosecha su propio alimento a través de la agricultura intensiva y todo es recogido de sus propios jardines. El Chef Greg básicamente nos cocino la comida mas rica y saludable. Les juro que solo quería repetir cada plato todo el rato. Nos enseñaron todo el proceso y incluso tuvimos la oportunidad de jugar con los pollos y los jardines de flores. Al final de cada día nos dieron algunos tratamientos de spa que podíamos elegir, como envolturas de hierbas, tratamientos faciales, limpiezas profundas, etc.
Una de las experiencias más increíbles que he pasado para ser completamente sincera. Ir de vacaciones y volver con mas energía y con mejor salud realmente es algo que existe.

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