"We hold retreats in spaces that offer raw nature, stripped down from things like wifi and the normal day to day distractions."
We sat down with Anna Douglas, yoga maven & co-founder of renew+restore yoga and surf retreat
November 14, 2018
Q: What inspired you to create the Renew + Restore yoga and surf retreat?
A: A few years ago my co-founder Linnea Jensen and I were working together at a studio in Seattle in management. We both decided at the same time it was time for us to branch out and create something that represented us better, where we were able to provide a safe, supportive, and beautiful experience that embodied all of the things that we love: high quality yoga, community, and the sea. Every aspect of the retreat is handcrafted with authenticity and love. Participants have described it as "a beautiful heart-opening experience, both physically and spiritually" as well as a "safe environment to achieve new heights on the mat". Linnea and Anna provide a space to "get back to the basics and use only what we need to enhance what we already have."
Q: Why do you think it is important to get outside, rest and slow down?
A: When we started this we had no idea that the majority of people that seek out our retreats are in a place where they are seeking some type of healing. Whether it be from heartbreak, work transitions, health...you name it, we see it. We had no idea when we started down this road that we would be holding space for so many different stories, so many different walks of life. Removing someone from their immediate environment gives one space not only physically but mentally to decompartmentalize and decompress. We hold retreats in spaces that offer raw nature, stripped down from things like wifi and the normal day to day distractions. You are off the grid in a very real way. You have to slow where we go, and that shift is where the work begins.
Q: Tell us about the benefits of community, yoga immersion, and an intentional, authentic mindset.
A: Both Linnea and I come from a background where we were trained abroad. She was in Baja and I was in Bali. We were both fully immersed in the culture and community that yoga provides, creating relationships with not only those around us but a much deeper and more potent connection to ourselves. Taking the leap and deciding to join a retreat or teacher training abroad is scary, no doubt. It takes heart and often a life shift to be able to make it work. I have always been of the mindset that taking those leaps into the deeply uncomfortable will always result in the most growth. Fear is just courage without breath.
“I have always been of the mindset that taking those leaps into the deeply uncomfortable will always result in the most growth. Fear is just courage without breath.”
Q: Share with us your self-care and wellness routine.
A: I am an extreme minimalist when it comes to my self care routine outside of movement. I move everyday at least once, and be sure to eat plenty of whole foods and drink a ton of water. When it comes to my skin regimen my skin responds best to products that are stripped down and as natural as it gets. I spend a lot of time in heated rooms and in extreme sun so the Samudra moisturizer is money. My skin feels like it literally drinks it. I trust it completely so layering it on thick is never an issue. My favorite thing is pulling it out of the fridge after a hot shower and applying it. It is so refreshing. An incredibly thoughtful and intentional product that is created by women and from the earth, I couldn't ask for more.
Photos: Danny Pellissier
Learn more about Anna
As a Seattle native, I have always been connected to wellness and the outdoors. Samudra captures the idea of back-to-basics. I truly believe in their mission and their products, especially their goal of keeping the water I love clean and free of toxic chemicals. I co-own an international yoga and surf retreat company called Renew + Restore and it has always been crucial to work with people who reflect the fundamental principles I stand for: honest ingredients and pure intentions.
Bonus! Anna is hosting a giveaway with our Face Cream. Check her Instagram for all the details!