A young copywriter who has lived in Todos Santos since last year came to Topia and introduced herself. She was amazed she hadn’t yet visited our beautiful space and began to ask Kris and I about our backgrounds. “So wellness must be your passion, that is so cool,” she said.
After more than a decade of teaching yoga and leading wellness and yoga retreats, what came out of my mouth was a small surprise, to her and to me. “Actually,” I said with a smile and a pause, “wellness is not my passion–– serving and nurturing others is.”
I look back on the first retreat I led in Baja nearly 10 years ago, and I see how Kris and I both share this passion which evolved naturally and complementarily. While I taught class and sorted through logistical aspects like scheduling and course plans, Kris was in the background making sure each individual guest was feeling safe and cared for. (Food connection here?)
This yin and yang team effort evolved into the blueprint for our nurturing, and service-based approach at Topia when we opened in 2021. Onboarding an entire team that embodies this value and seeing it in action is actually one of the few things I’ll admit has brought a tear to my eye.
Kris, the self-proclaimed “people pleaser”
The second retreat at Topia in 2021, was a yoga retreat. One woman on the retreat had just received news of a devastating loss. Her experience was a challenging one, but Kris’s nature is to attune to guests’ needs, and try to make their stay a meaningful one. He sensed she needed some time away from the group, so took her on an outing to town so that she could decompress.
This special care and attention felt supportive in the way she was needing. This is one example of a long list of the ways that our team provides special attention to those who need it the most, which can be difficult for leaders to manage alone with large groups.
Spectacular nature, a leader’s thoughtfully planned curriculum, and time within caring community all serve to nurture during retreat time. Behind the scenes, our staff makes certain that nothing gets in the way of a guest’s ability to rest, restore, and enjoy all of these vital aspects.
But when we get to peek out from behind the green curtain and actively serve you all is the best part of what we do.
- Chelle Swierz, Owner + Operations
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