Imagine waking up to a warm breeze and the sound of waves crashing into the shore instead of an alarm clock and a screen full of notifications. From an open-air jungle shala tucked into the hillside, the day begins slowly: local cuisine, movement, yoga and rest. In a culture obsessed with productivity, optimization and the perfect morning routine, that kind of stillness feels increasingly rare–almost unattainable.
Neda Carnes, owner of Trinity Wellness in Blue Springs, curates this reality every year during her annual yoga retreat to Xinalani in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. For a week, retreat participants step away from everyday routines and settle into a slower pace shaped by nature, movement and rest. “This isn’t about checking out of our life,” she said. “It’s about turning back into it."
Having spent over 25 years guiding others through healing as a massage therapist, yoga instructor and holistic wellness coach, Neda began to see a different kind of healing that went beyond what she offered at her studio. “I saw it in both myself and my clients. There was a common thread of burnout and overwhelm. People were doing all the “right” things but still feeling disconnected. That’s when I realized they didn’t need more wellness–they needed a different environment to fully experience it,” she said.
Accessible only by boat, Xinalani is built into the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico, where guests move through jungle paths between open-air suites, yoga studios and shared meals overlooking the ocean. “You’re not just relaxing and taking time off–you’re reconnecting and with yourself,” shared Neda.
By the middle of the week, the shift in people is noticeable: strangers quickly become friends, healing is a community experience and participants become more present. "People arrive carrying stress and tension. By the end they see a sense of calm, clarity and openness," she said. Her role as retreat host is to create a space where people feel seen, safe and supported while still allowing the experience to be their own.
For those who feel the “pull” but aren't sure a retreat is “for them” Neda offers a simple perspective, “You don’t need to be experienced in yoga at all. You don’t need to have it figured out. You just need to be open and present with yourself.” The retreat experience is designed to be inclusive and accessible–meeting people where they are.
But the experience doesn't end when the plane lands and notifications start pinging, it simply evolves. Participants return with a deeper awareness of themselves along with tools they can integrate into their daily life: breath work, movement or simply slowing down to listen inward. “That is the goal,” Neda explains, “Not to feel good for a week, but to create lasting change.”
Neda’s curated retreats are designed to feel slower, quieter and more intentional than a typical vacation; helping people reconnect with themselves in a way that feels sustainable once they return home. As an official Wellness Retreat Ambassador with Fit4Travel, she plans to continue expanding the experiences she offers through Trinity Wellness and its growing community.
“This is just the beginning,” she says. “There are so many beautiful places to explore—not just in the world, but within ourselves.”
Whether through a class in Blue Springs or a retreat in Puerto Vallarta, her goal remains the same: helping people slow down long enough to hear themselves again.
To learn more about retreats, curated travel experiences, and the Trinity Wellness community visit Trinity Wellness online at www.trinitywellnesskc.com