With the Nourishing Roots Retreat my personal and professional life changed in a very positive way.

As a doctor I had to do a lot of self reflection which is part of the curriculum of becoming a doctor in the Netherlands. Since we know that we can communicate and connect better with people/patients if we understand our own contribution to the interaction or conversation.

During the retreat the exploration of my true self felt so much more complete, since I (re)connected with all the different aspects that make me who I am and what I truly believe. I believe the simple, logic 7 steps approach and by physically experiencing comfort, straining or hurt by the yoga exercises, the brain/the heart/the spirit and the body reconnect and tell you who you truly are and you get to understand this language.

Immediately after this retreat I could tell something had changed. I connected with my patients almost immediately. Where it sometimes took 10 minutes of digging and questioning before people showed me their true worries or fears, now almost within a split second people would open up and showed me their emotions. And I didn't do a thing, it was all effortless. I figured that because I changed inside, my presence had changed, which was more inviting for my patients to show or share their vulnerability.

Nourishing Roots is now my map for navigating my way with clarity and purpose, an anchor to feeling grounded. Living my life with a new found enthusiasm and a new language to express myself is so liberating

‘A room with a view’, is an overused expression on accommodation web-sites, they can’t all have it but WHY retreat does. The view in the pictures is what I see every morning as I wake up, every-day I write in the lounge, every time I do a Yoga class and last thing at night. In fact, whatever part of the retreat you are in, you’re guaranteed at least a mountain face to look at. Speaking of mountain faces, there two within 5 minutes’ walk with well led tracks and steps all the way to the top where stunning scenery awaits (picture below). You’ll get a sweat up but only for an hour or two, depending on which one you choose. This means there’s no need for bringing half the house and you can do them more than once. You can walk a 2.5-mile loop around the mountain if you prefer the flat. If you fancy a swim, you simply have to choose which almost private swimming bay you prefer (there are lots). A little further afield but still only 4 miles or so are smugglers bay (in the picture) and ocean beach. Beautiful white sand and turquoise colour ocean. Back at the ranch Yoga starts every morning at 9am, if you’re an early bird, like me these days, you might even get a ramble around the mountain beforehand. Jo provides a beautiful lunch and dinner every day. I’ve never eaten such nutritiously rich food that was at the same time so tasty. A detox without the pain. Ample snacks and breakfast options are kept well stocked within the fridge each day. There’s WIFI between 7am and 10pm, perfect if you enjoy being the wilderness but not cut off completely. There are some small local cafes and places to eat, but not many – I very much enjoyed this. It is amazing the crap you can do without when it is unavailable or at least unavailable without significant effort. Good food, exercise, nature, reading and writing formed the perfect get-away for me. I could lose the city but not my mind.

I recently stayed at the WHY retreat with my partner and we both had a fantastic time during our 6-night stay and would highly recommend the WHY retreat as a travel destination. Whangarei Heads was the last stop on our 3-week trip to NZ and was the perfect location to relax, unwind and refocus after several busy weeks of travel and activities. The WHY retreat is situated just above McLeod bay and provides an impressive view of the ocean and surrounding area. Whangarei Heads is a peaceful and idyllic community and offers great access to impressive beaches, forests and mountains. Many great excursions, either short or long, can be had from the WHY retreat location, and our hosts (Jo and Rob) provided good information and recommendations on some 'must-see' points of interest in the surrounding area. Whangarei Heads also provides good access to other areas of Northland, including the Bay of Islands which is only a 1.5 hour drive from WHY. Jo and Rob were friendly and accommodating hosts and provided us with fresh and healthy meals, as per our arrangement. We really enjoyed the food and our conversations with Rob and Jo during our stay. From our experience, Jo is an experienced and knowledgeable health and wellness practitioner, and we very much enjoyed the yoga classes that were provided during our stay. The morning yoga classes were a great way to start our day, and we appreciated the diversity in the styles of classes provided, and the helpful cues and adjustment that helped us improve our postures and practice. We would love to stay at WHY retreat again,and are happy to recommend this business based on the accommodation, meals, and yoga classed that we enjoyed.

I recently stayed at the WHY retreat with my partner and we both had a fantastic time during our 6-night stay and would highly recommend the WHY retreat as a travel destination. Whangarei Heads was the last stop on our 3-week trip to NZ and was the perfect location to relax, unwind and refocus after several busy weeks of travel and activities. The WHY retreat is situated just above McLeod bay and provides an impressive view of the ocean and surrounding area. Whangarei Heads is a peaceful and idyllic community and offers great access to impressive beaches, forests and mountains. Many great excursions, either short or long, can be had from the WHY retreat location, and our hosts (Jo and Rob) provided good information and recommendations on some 'must-see' points of interest in the surrounding area. Whangarei Heads also provides good access to other areas of Northland, including the Bay of Islands which is only a 1.5 hour drive from WHY. Jo and Rob were friendly and accommodating hosts and provided us with fresh and healthy meals, as per our arrangement. We really enjoyed the food and our conversations with Rob and Jo during our stay. From our experience, Jo is an experienced and knowledgeable health and wellness practitioner, and we very much enjoyed the yoga classes that were provided during our stay. The morning yoga classes were a great way to start our day, and we appreciated the diversity in the styles of classes provided, and the helpful cues and adjustment that helped us improve our postures and practice. We would love to stay at WHY retreat again,and are happy to recommend this business based on the accommodation, meals, and yoga classed that we enjoyed.