I did yoga in Italy with my favorite wellness influencer: Inside the world of creator-led retreats
I'm nearing the end of my five-day Yoga & Content Creation Retreat at the 250-year-old eco-friendly farmhouse Masseria Specula in Puglia, Italy, where I made orecchiette from scratch, crafted ceramics with local artisans, tasted farm-fresh olive oil, practiced three kinds of yoga and hiked to see flamingos in their natural habitat — all documented in glossy, Insta-worthy photo shoots. The women I'm with are all influencers (or aspiring influencers), and we're all trying to do the seemingly impossible: unplug while being plugged in. Along the way, we've picked up swag from small, sustainable and women-led brands: mindfulness journals, Satya yoga mats, swimwear from Mimi Flamingo, clean hair care products and organic sunscreen.
According to Statista, the global wellness tourism industry is growing at a rapid pace and is predicted to clock in at $1.35 trillion in 2028. The newest travel agents herding hundreds of excited wellness enthusiasts to exotic sanctuaries? Influencers like Gdanski, who are inviting their social media followers to hop offline and meet up IRL with like-minded devotees for retreats dedicated to sweat, relaxation and community. And while the experience doesn't come cheap, many fans are more than happy to follow their favorite content creators to the ends of the earth.
So what does an influencer retreat entail? It all depends on who's hosting it — and what your budget is. Broadly speaking, participants can expect all the bells and whistles of a spa vacation, plus face time with their favorite content creators, many of whom are leaders in the fitness and wellness space.
Plus-size trainer and adventurer Kanoa Greene has led small groups hiking the Swiss Alps, surfing in Costa Rica, paddleboarding in Mexico and rock climbing in Colorado through Nakoa Adventure. As a creator, these trips offer the chance to bond in person with the community she's built, while helping them feel more welcome on any terrain.
'As we move forward, it's more important than ever for us to provide spaces to connect with community,' Greene tells Yahoo, 'but ultimately, [it's about] having safe spaces to exist and be ourselves without judgment and fear.'
Prefer your relaxation a little less rugged? Taryn Toomey, owner of the celeb-loved workout the Class, has been hosting her Retreatments — billed as a 'transformational, immersive wellness experience' that 'blend[s] mindful practice with deep rest, community and exploration in some of the most spiritually charged destinations in the world' — for 10 years. This October, guests will head to Peru; the $5,800-$8,100 price tag includes luxury accommodations; daily movement and meditation sessions led by Toomey herself; nourishing, locally sourced meals; wellness programming (e.g., longevity panels, hot/cold therapy, hiking and sacred rituals) and a welcome gift; plus a 30-day subscription to the Class Digital Studio. But act fast: There's already a waitlist to sign up.
For those looking for something a little closer to home, celebrity trainer Kira Stokes is the latest wellness influencer to partner with Canyon Ranch. Her upcoming all-inclusive wellness retreat in the Berkshires, Mass., this month includes four workout classes led by Stokes (who will also join guests for an intimate group dinner) and 'curated daily group activities.' The three-day retreat starts at $1,800, which includes $400 worth of spa credit.
Meanwhile, Katie Austin, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and creator of her own eponymous workout app, will soon be offering 10 followers a free ride to her Camp KA retreat in Palm Springs, Calif., this September. The itinerary is still being fleshed out, but guests can expect a mix of high-energy workouts, outdoor activities, healthy cooking classes and nightly events designed to spark real connection, such as campfire confidence circles, themed game nights and sunset sound baths — all at no cost to the attendees.
'There's something magical about bringing people together in person,' Austin says. 'This experience is designed to be more than a getaway — it's a celebration of the work we've all been doing on ourselves and a chance to deepen the connection we've built online.'
It's not only yoga teachers and fitness experts leading these getaways. Influencers across the lifestyle space are also inviting their communities to engage offline. Cookbook author and private chef Gaby Dalkin, better known as What's Gaby Cooking to her more than 1 million followers, took 30 fans on a luxury yacht trip around the Galápagos Islands in 2022; the trip cost $7,300 per person for nine nights and sold out in one day.
The following year, Brittany Allyn, aka ThirtyWaves, held a retreat in Marrakech, Morocco, for 18 fans of her 'MeMoon' movement, which encourages women to take solo trips celebrating themselves. Dubbed 'WeMoon,' the six-day adventure cost $4,000 to $5,000 a person for sunset camel rides, visits to a hammam (Turkish bath), a private riad (traditional Moroccan guesthouse) and more.
And Women Work F#%k*ng Hard — a group for career women founded by former Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus and Kristin Merrick — partnered with the luxury experiential travel company Mira in 2023 to offer their high-performing female community a space to slow down, restore and reconnect with themselves and each other in a deeper way. Enter a Costa Rican retreat that featured a 4 a.m. canopy climb and other programming 'designed to open, ground and expand each guest,' according to Mira founder Katie Giblin.
'Think less yoga and smoothies — more energetic shifts, local immersion and somatic programming,' she tells Yahoo. More all-inclusive trips are in the works, with a price tag starting at $5,500.
So what's compelling people to show up and pay for these retreats? For many attendees, it's about having a vacation with a purpose, in the company of the creators who inspire them most.
Sol Han of San Francisco is a tech operations manager who moonlights as a Pilates and yoga instructor. She was the first to sign up for the Riva Gdanski retreat I attended in Italy, drawn by the opportunity to learn the practitioner's 'creative process' firsthand. 'I had been following Riva for a little over a year and admired her stories and beautiful shapes she created, so I was thrilled she developed this retreat to share her knowledge,' she tells me.
For others, it was a mix of education and cultural engagement that got them to book. Private fitness trainer and travel adviser Natalia Kahn had never been to Italy before, and Gdanski's retreat seemed like a perfect fit. 'I was craving connection with like-minded women, and knowing that this retreat included mindfulness, movement and authentic Italian experiences in charming towns was a great way to take it all in,' she says.
Han says she's noticed more influencer retreats popping up on her feed, which comes as no surprise. Amid the rise of AI, 'real human connection is more valuable than ever,' she notes.
People are getting a lot more out of these retreats than some swag and a suntan. Some people are coming home with friends, business contacts and job opportunities. Giblin says many women who attended the Mira x Women Work F#%k*ng Hard trip have since built 'business collaborations, launched weekly virtual book club meetups and dinner get-togethers and continued supporting one another across personal and professional endeavors.' Shookus, meanwhile, says she 'came home full of possibility and clarity ... and feel like there is sparkle in the air again.'
Yoga teacher and writer Nicci Rothe, who had never posted an Instagram Reel before Gdanski's content creation retreat but is now building her social media following, left a changed woman. 'I grew a new confidence in myself, and I realized that I can achieve higher goals than what I've been setting for myself,' she says.
And there are just the simple mental health benefits associated with getting away. Research shows that taking a vacation as short as four days can boost well-being for 45 days after your trip. If that vacation happens to be a community-building retreat, therapist Rachel Wright points out, all the better.
'Connection, novelty and intentional rest are key ingredients for long-term well-being, and curated retreats offer all three,' Wright tells Yahoo. The right retreat doesn't just give you memories; it gives you momentum, she adds. 'By stepping away from the noise of daily life and into a space designed for reflection and genuine connection, people often return not just feeling recharged, but with renewed confidence, clarity and the kinds of relationships that continue to transform their lives long after the retreat ends.'
As I write this, it's been a week since my trip. Eventually, my tan will fade. The olive oil will run out. The algorithm will move on. But what stays with me isn't the content I created on the retreat — it's the contentment, and community, I found.

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Short attention spans require constant stimuli, and necessities such as diapers, baby food, and bottles present a whole host of challenges. Here's what you need to keep your youngest passengers happy and content for hours in the back Window Shades Sleep and comfort in the car are simpler when the sun's not beating down, so pick up this four-pack of window shades and keep your child content. $11.99 at Blanket and Pillow Set A happy kid is a quiet, contented kid—the key to a successful road trip. Children need to be comfortable on long drives, and this blanket and travel set comes as a pink unicorn, a blue dinosaur, or an orange and white fox. It's made of soft, plush flannel, and the blanket can be folded up inside the pillowcase for easy travel. $29.99 at Organizers When your child has what they need within easy reach, road trips are easier for everyone else in the car. This two-pack of back-seat organizers offers plenty of pockets and cubbies, including a large clear sleeve for tablets. It comes in eight colors. $25.99 at Sickness Patches There's few road-trip scenarios worse than when a child loses their lunch in the back seat. Stave off nausea with this 24-pack. It will last the whole trip and is safe for adults and children, meaning it can work for everyone in the car. Parents rave about its effectiveness. $14.99 at Travel Trays Perfect for back-seat meals on the go, these handy trays fit perfectly in most car-seat cupholders and come in pairs, with nine colors. Or you can get this blue and pink set. $29.99 at Hand Wipes You might think you have enough wipes to last the whole trip, but you don't. There's never enough. Pick up this five-pack and keep batches of 20 wipes all over the car. Hypoallergenic and made with aloe vera, they're unscented and free of parabens and other nasty stuff, so they're ideal for little hands and faces. $12.49 at Tablet Holder Keep their favorite videos in view but far from curious fingers that can unintentionally stop play, mess up settings, and other miscues that force parents to fix them. Featuring four-axis, 360-degree adjustability, they're ideal for cars, SUVs, and minivans. $15.19 at Convertible Car Seat Rotating child car seats are a game-changer, making it easier to lift your kids out of the car. The Graco Turn2Me lets parents use it as a backward-facing baby seat, spin it around when your toddler gets big enough to face forward, then convert it into a high-back booster seat for kids up to 100 pounds. It might be the only car seat you'll ever need. $369.99 at Spinner Snacks are a critical component of a happy road trip with kids. This clever device has five compartments, and its 6.5-inch size makes it ideal for little laps. 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They come in a variety of colors, boast a 50-hour battery life, and only cost around 70 bucks, all while giving your kids the independence and privacy they crave. $69.99 at Sickness Chewables Nothing puts a stop to road-trip momentum faster than motion sickness. Nip it in the bud and stay on the road with tasty Dramamine chewables. The tasty grape flavor will be like candy to young travelers. $4.57 at Bottle Owala bottles are so popular with kids that your child likely already has one for school. New adventures call for new stuff, though, so get your kid another Owala for the road trip. A whopping 21 colors and 32- and 40-ounce sizes are available. Leakproof and BPA-free, the lid is dishwasher-safe, too. It's the perfect back-seat water bottle. $29.99 at Travel Tray Made of 600D oxford cloth and kid-safe plastic, this travel tray is ideal for kids of all ages because it features a dry-erase lap desk plus plenty of mesh pockets. Better still, it comes in numerous colors and patterns. 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- Yahoo
Passengers keep indulging in this nasty plane bathroom behavior — here's why airlines are afraid to call out the icky offenders
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Airplane etiquette is going down the potty — but there's one particularly stinky behavior that airlines are hesitant to call out. A veteran flight attendant claims that carriers are declining to educate unfamiliar passengers on how to use Western-style toilets — over concerns they'll take offense. The confounding concession to cultural sensitivity means things can get pretty messy at 30,000 feet, according to Marcus Daniels, who retired in 2019 after working the friendly skies for over five years in Australia and the Middle East. 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures,' said Daniels. 'However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.' Yurii Zushchyk – 'Passengers will defecate on the floor and you just do your best to smile and not say anything,' the inflight insider told the Daily Mail. 'You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights.' In fact, the crew member said he could recall dozens of stories of airplane 'accidents,' the lion's share of which occur in developing countries, where many aren't privy to the doo's and doo not do's of modern lavatory use. 'As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations,' said Daniels. 'We'll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too.' And while he declined to specify the routes where this issue is most common, he said it's 'not really a problem in first-world countries because we know how to use western toilets.' According to Mobility International USA, four billion people worldwide use squat pots, which require the goer to hunker down over a hole in the ground — and use a bucket or hose for heinie hygiene in lieu of TP. Crew members have noticed the trend is concentrated in certain regions. – Meanwhile, a whopping 420 million of earth's inhabitants still defecate in the street, per a World Bank Blog from 2023. This can pose problems when nature calls high above certain parts of the world. 'On these routes, we're having to constantly check the toilets to make sure they're clean and the toilet rolls aren't stuffed down the bin,' lamented Daniels. 'On one flight I had a passenger who kept peeing on the floor. I tried to show her how to use the toilet, and she would nod and agree, then do it again.' Billions of people still use squat toilets (pictured). zirong – He added that things got so unsanitary on one trip that he 'had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.' Daniels chalked up the inability to master the game of thrones to a lack of 'education,' declaring, 'If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.' 'Most of the confused passengers don't speak English as their first language so we can't really explain how to use the toilet,' the former FA lamented. 'It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.' Despite the abundance of inflight brownouts, this change likely isn't in the pipeline, per Daniels. 'Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don't want to offend anyone,' the ex-crewmember claimed. 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.' He added, 'It would be a dream come true. I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it's still an issue.' A lack of bathroom etiquette isn't just revolting — a catastrophic trip to the lavatory can also jeopardize flights as well. In March, Air India implored passengers to use the lavatories for their intended purpose after passengers clogged airplane toilets with clothing, diverting an international flight. A so-called lavatory backup might seem trivial, but just one clogged toilet can prompt the pilots ground a flight due to the limited number of facilities in the air.