Yoga. Travel. Recovery. Adventure!

We create transformational yoga and adventure experiences to inspire individual healing and cultivate connection to self, others, and the world.

"Yoga is not just a workout; it's a work-in." -Rolf Gates

Yoga is far more than just the poses, it is a spiritual path that can guide us in recovery and in every aspect of our lives!

Baja Yoga, Surf, & Culture Retreat

October 28-November 1, 2022
Daily yoga and meditation, surf lessons, hiking, local food, relaxation, and community!

Upcoming Adventures

Transformational yoga and adventure experiences to inspire individual healing

Catalina Island Hiking & Yoga Retreat

Costa Rica Jungle Yoga Immersion Retreat

Majestic Mountains Colorado Yoga & Adventure Retreat

Baja Mexico Yoga, Surf, and Culture Retreat

Thailand Yoga & Adventure Retreat

Yoga retreats for deep healing

Everyone is recovering from something

Our retreats are designed with recovery in mind. We are both in long term recovery from addiction, and proud of it. It doesn’t stop there though.
Everyone is recovering from something, whether it’s trauma, substance use, heartbreak, stress, or just the disconnection of life in our high-tech world.

So how do we heal?

Our retreats combine the following healing elements

  • New adventures

    When you get the opportunity to go somewhere new, get outside your comfort zone, and create community with people you’ve never met before, that brings deep healing.

  • Nature

    When you learn to live with more connection to nature, that brings deep healing.

  • Community

    When you get to leave your labels and baggage at home and meet a whole new group of people who have embarked on a similar journey, that brings deep healing.

  • Yoga

    Yoga reminds us to stay present, with each breath, movement, and moment.

Who benefits the most from our retreats?

  • People already on the path of recovery or healing who know a retreat like this can help unlock more joy and fulfillment on their journey. You don’t have to be sober; you can be in recovery from anything.

  • People in pursuit of authentic, adventurous, like-minded community.

  • People who are sober-curious, yoga-curious, or just ready to explore a more connected way of living!

  • Yoga retreats provide vital opportunities for digital detox and intention setting. We want our yoga retreats to be accessible to everyone so we offer recovery scholarships.

Testimonials

Carrie and Zach are a wonderful team. I loved everything about the retreat! The yoga and meditation program were perfect for all levels and provided many useful tools for my home practice. The food was delicious and always an exciting part of our days. They provide a comfortable, open space to be vulnerable and grow! I have already booked another adventure with Carrie and Zach! I wish I had found them sooner!

Misti, Joshua Tree 2020

What a fabulous experience – beautiful space, lovely people, and I did something I was so afraid to do and it was quite amazing – thanks Carrie and Zach for making such a magical place!

Marci, Breathwork & Cold Immersion Workshop

The best view comes after the hardest climb 🧗‍♀️ what an amazing weekend filled with some beautiful, unique personalities. I had so much fun meeting all of you. From all the stories, the amazing vegan food, laughs to happy tears, forever travel buddies. Grateful for everyone this weekend. Huge shoutout @biggerlifeadventures for testing our fears, and creating healthy fears and habits, learning new mantras and meditations. Carrie, you are one of the best hosts. I’ll see you in the future again. Love you all ✨💕⛰

Sammy, Arizona 2021 and Colorado 2022

Carrie and Zach are perfectly in sync with their purpose and it shows. They both create the ultimate safe space for healing, creation and connection. Whether you come for Zach’s food (THE BEST) Carries awesome asana, mindful meditations, art projects, ancient lectures, hiking, meeting new friends & sangha, discovering new places around the world or within yourself, amongst many other fun things, you will without a doubt leave a different person even if you hadn’t intended to. These retreats are worth so much more than what you pay for them. Their retreats have something for everyone and I am very excited to make these retreats with my soul fam a yearly if not twice yearly must do. Thank you Carrie and Zach for all that you make possible for all of us. So much love!!

Jess, Joshua Tree 2022

The retreat in Costa Rica has the highest of recommendations I could ever give!! The entire week offered so much challenge, connection, adventure, restoration, rejuvenation, joy, laughs, insight, knowledge, awareness, jungle sounds, delicious meals, consistent practice, relaxation, and (insert at least 101 more wonderful adjectives here)! On every level, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, I grew and became a better version of myself! A group that started as friendly strangers completely transformed into an intimate and comfortable family by the end of the week! There was true magic, power and energy flow like I’ve never been apart of, and, if I may be so bold to say, EVERYONE was completely filled and changed in their own beautiful way! No one was even close to being ready to leave and didn’t want the jungle retreat to end! Of course, for anyone who knows Mr Zach (the baddest chef east of the Mississippi) and Sensei Carrie (the baddest yoga instructor I’ve ever known), they are such a beautiful and inspiring duo who offer their whole selves to the retreat and to everyone’s experience! They truly care about everyone and it shows in their personalized approach in how they communicate, educate, serve and enlighten their audience! They make the yoga practice (beyond just the physical movements) a beautiful journey that is so worth becoming intimate with! In a non-pressure, come-as-you-are way, you are treated with all the love and respect! I continue to reflect back on that week and know it will be one of my life’s highlights! Lifelong connection to the Sanctuary and to the people who I met, made a super great experience into a mesmerizing and awestruck one! Why you haven’t booked this retreat is beyond me! Do your heart, mind, body and spirit a solid by signing up for this impossible-to-regret experience!

Jamo, Costa Rica 2022

biggerlifeadventures

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biggerlifeadventures

The path of recovery is far from linear. Somehow this year, in my sixth year of sobriety from alcohol, I got to contend with depression in a way I never have had to before. Not gonna lie, this is the hardest year I’ve had since I got sober, maybe even harder. The hits kept coming, one after the other, with family drama, Zach’s accident, multiple surgeries, uncertain outcomes, getting covid, plus being responsible for an insane amount of manual and emotional labor on my own. I write this with gratitude in my heart for all my blessings but I also reject toxic positivity and am going to tell you the truth about how hard it’s been.
I feel like I’m starting to crawl out of my dark hole now, but I’m scared because I’ve felt this way before and gotten knocked down again. It’s hard to find the silver linings in this but there are some. I remember Naga at @thesanctuarycostarica telling us last year, “If you’re going to be walking people through the cave, it helps if you’ve been in the cave yourself.” I’ve been in a few caves in my life but this one has been especially dark and unknown.
There’s also the freedom that comes with losing familiar habits and coping mechanisms. At times through this year I’ve lost running, I’ve lost touch with my practice, I’ve lost my own health, and I’ve lost the confidence of knowing myself. @anipemachodron says “This is where renunciation enters the picture— renunciation of the hope that our experience could be different, renunciation of the hope that we could be better. The Buddhist monastic rules that advise renouncing liquor, renouncing sex, and so on are not pointing out that those things are inherently bad or immoral, but that we use them as babysitters. We use them as a way to escape; we use them to try to get comfort and to distract ourselves. The real thing that we renounce is the tenacious hope that we could be saved from being who we are. Renunciation is a teaching to inspire us to investigate what’s happening every time we grab something because we can’t stand to face what’s coming.”
✌🏻🍄💃✨🕉
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#bla31daychallenge #depressionrecocery #ptsdrecovery #sober #recovery #soberyogaretreat #recoveryyogaretreat

Open
The path of recovery is far from linear. Somehow this year, in my sixth year of sobriety from alcohol, I got to contend with depression in a way I never have had to before. Not gonna lie, this is the hardest year I’ve had since I got sober, maybe even harder. The hits kept coming, one after the other, with family drama, Zach’s accident, multiple surgeries, uncertain outcomes, getting covid, plus being responsible for an insane amount of manual and emotional labor on my own. I write this with gratitude in my heart for all my blessings but I also reject toxic positivity and am going to tell you the truth about how hard it’s been. I feel like I’m starting to crawl out of my dark hole now, but I’m scared because I’ve felt this way before and gotten knocked down again. It’s hard to find the silver linings in this but there are some. I remember Naga at @thesanctuarycostarica telling us last year, “If you’re going to be walking people through the cave, it helps if you’ve been in the cave yourself.” I’ve been in a few caves in my life but this one has been especially dark and unknown. There’s also the freedom that comes with losing familiar habits and coping mechanisms. At times through this year I’ve lost running, I’ve lost touch with my practice, I’ve lost my own health, and I’ve lost the confidence of knowing myself. @anipemachodron says “This is where renunciation enters the picture— renunciation of the hope that our experience could be different, renunciation of the hope that we could be better. The Buddhist monastic rules that advise renouncing liquor, renouncing sex, and so on are not pointing out that those things are inherently bad or immoral, but that we use them as babysitters. We use them as a way to escape; we use them to try to get comfort and to distract ourselves. The real thing that we renounce is the tenacious hope that we could be saved from being who we are. Renunciation is a teaching to inspire us to investigate what’s happening every time we grab something because we can’t stand to face what’s coming.” ✌🏻🍄💃✨🕉 . . . #bla31daychallenge #depressionrecocery #ptsdrecovery #sober #recovery #soberyogaretreat #recoveryyogaretreat

Got cut off but you get the point….
How do you balance between fast, exciting bucket list goals and stillness, meditation, etc?
Excited for our upcoming Yoga Season Challenge as motivation to get back into my daily practice. You can join for free too and maybe win a free retreat! The sign up link is in my bio! 🕉🙏✨🌅
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#yogaseason #yogachallenge #recovery #ptsd #sobriety #accidentrecovery #soberoctober #soberyogaretreat #freeyogaretreat #outdoorlifestyle #adventurelifestyle

Open
Got cut off but you get the point…. How do you balance between fast, exciting bucket list goals and stillness, meditation, etc? Excited for our upcoming Yoga Season Challenge as motivation to get back into my daily practice. You can join for free too and maybe win a free retreat! The sign up link is in my bio! 🕉🙏✨🌅 . . . #yogaseason #yogachallenge #recovery #ptsd #sobriety #accidentrecovery #soberoctober #soberyogaretreat #freeyogaretreat #outdoorlifestyle #adventurelifestyle

Our 2nd Annual Yoga Season Challenge starts October 1! We’re excited to give away a free retreat and get back to our daily practice as well!
✨✨✨✨✨✨

31-Day Yoga Challenge to win a free retreat in 2023!
 
As active, nature-loving folks we love experiencing the different activities and ways to enjoy the outdoors that different seasons bring. However sometimes with all our adventures and our busy lives we neglect the thing that keeps us grounded, sane, and connected - our yoga practice.
This October, take a month to bring yourself back to your mat. Give yourself a reason to practice every day, for at least 20 minutes a day.
 
Extra incentive - the winner of the contest will win a free spot in our August 2023 Arizona Exploration Retreat!
 
Rules and logistics:
 
Do a 20+ minute yoga asana (movement) practice, meditation, breathwork session, OR combination of the three each day for every day in October. Attending classes counts! Practicing on your own counts! Basically, practicing mindfulness in any way (movement, meditation, breath, without distraction) counts!
 
The contest will take place on social media. To share your progress and be eligible to win, each day you should share an Instagram or Tiktok post, reel, or story about your daily practice and tag @biggerlifeadventures plus hashtag #BLA31daychallenge .

Read the rest of the rules and more about what you win at the sign up form : https://forms.gle/aRiWosijpEpVvAWg8

Link in bio right now as well!

Open
Our 2nd Annual Yoga Season Challenge starts October 1! We’re excited to give away a free retreat and get back to our daily practice as well! ✨✨✨✨✨✨ 31-Day Yoga Challenge to win a free retreat in 2023!   As active, nature-loving folks we love experiencing the different activities and ways to enjoy the outdoors that different seasons bring. However sometimes with all our adventures and our busy lives we neglect the thing that keeps us grounded, sane, and connected - our yoga practice. This October, take a month to bring yourself back to your mat. Give yourself a reason to practice every day, for at least 20 minutes a day.   Extra incentive - the winner of the contest will win a free spot in our August 2023 Arizona Exploration Retreat!   Rules and logistics:   Do a 20+ minute yoga asana (movement) practice, meditation, breathwork session, OR combination of the three each day for every day in October. Attending classes counts! Practicing on your own counts! Basically, practicing mindfulness in any way (movement, meditation, breath, without distraction) counts!   The contest will take place on social media. To share your progress and be eligible to win, each day you should share an Instagram or Tiktok post, reel, or story about your daily practice and tag @biggerlifeadventures plus hashtag #BLA31daychallenge . Read the rest of the rules and more about what you win at the sign up form : https://forms.gle/aRiWosijpEpVvAWg8 Link in bio right now as well!

tw: depression, mental health, medical trauma

In the past several months I have:

Carried the weight of our two businesses plus supporting Zach’s healing journey.

Been traumatized and re-traumatized by the accident and rescue, witnessing multiple gruesome medical procedures, and going through multiple setbacks in the healing journey.

Tried to take care of myself through it all and largely failed because it’s too much and I’ve been too depressed.

Occasionally contemplated not being here anymore.

Mmmhmm. It’s true and I said it. And I’m saying it for the same reason I say many things, to break the stigma. And to release myself from this lingering feeling that I’m not doing a good enough job at life.

Being sober and being a yogi doesn’t guarantee you shit. It definitely doesn’t guarantee you a life free from suffering.

I don’t have any easy answers as I’m very much still in the daily battle. One thing I’ve realized is that depression doesn’t care if you have all the support in the world. Depression and gratitude are not mutually exclusive. I’m deeply grateful for all the help we’ve received. I’m super grateful his injury wasn’t worse. And I’m also going to stop apologizing for how hard I’ve been struggling and how sad I’ve been. Because gaslighting myself with “I should be doing better than this” and other such statements doesn’t help anything.

It’s been hard at times to not throw in the towel. The businesses have suffered in many ways. I struggle with motivation on the daily. At times it’s tempting to just let it all collapse so I can take a break. My sense of purpose fades when I’m in PTSD brain and just trying to hang on.

I’m not going to do that though. I can’t look back on how far we’ve come and let it all slip away. This might be a huge test we have to pass. It might be karma. I believe I can claw my way back to joy, to peace, to fulfillment. I’ll be forever more jaded and more aged by this. But I’ve been working on crawling out of this hole. I just don’t need any more setbacks. 🤞🏻🙏🏻

One small thing that helped was a Youtube video diary of someone going through cancer treatment. She said…continued in comments

Open
tw: depression, mental health, medical trauma In the past several months I have: Carried the weight of our two businesses plus supporting Zach’s healing journey. Been traumatized and re-traumatized by the accident and rescue, witnessing multiple gruesome medical procedures, and going through multiple setbacks in the healing journey. Tried to take care of myself through it all and largely failed because it’s too much and I’ve been too depressed. Occasionally contemplated not being here anymore. Mmmhmm. It’s true and I said it. And I’m saying it for the same reason I say many things, to break the stigma. And to release myself from this lingering feeling that I’m not doing a good enough job at life. Being sober and being a yogi doesn’t guarantee you shit. It definitely doesn’t guarantee you a life free from suffering. I don’t have any easy answers as I’m very much still in the daily battle. One thing I’ve realized is that depression doesn’t care if you have all the support in the world. Depression and gratitude are not mutually exclusive. I’m deeply grateful for all the help we’ve received. I’m super grateful his injury wasn’t worse. And I’m also going to stop apologizing for how hard I’ve been struggling and how sad I’ve been. Because gaslighting myself with “I should be doing better than this” and other such statements doesn’t help anything. It’s been hard at times to not throw in the towel. The businesses have suffered in many ways. I struggle with motivation on the daily. At times it’s tempting to just let it all collapse so I can take a break. My sense of purpose fades when I’m in PTSD brain and just trying to hang on. I’m not going to do that though. I can’t look back on how far we’ve come and let it all slip away. This might be a huge test we have to pass. It might be karma. I believe I can claw my way back to joy, to peace, to fulfillment. I’ll be forever more jaded and more aged by this. But I’ve been working on crawling out of this hole. I just don’t need any more setbacks. 🤞🏻🙏🏻 One small thing that helped was a Youtube video diary of someone going through cancer treatment. She said…continued in comments