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Wellness in the New Year with Fitness Guru Taryn Toomey

Fitness phenomenon Taryn Toomey is bringing her celebrity-favorite workout, The Class, around the world. Her weeklong Retreatments, where Auberge destinations have been the backdrop, are reason enough to book bucket-list-worthy trips. Toomey shares her best advice for starting the year off on the right foot and how to put well-being at the forefront while traveling.

“Auberge excels at making people truly feel cared for and nourished. From the way the staff considers each guest’s needs, to the special sensory touches in every room to encourage sleep and rest, to the spaces that we co-create for The Class – the ground is set for meaningful connection, community and deepening one’s practice.”
– Taryn Toomey

What defines The Class?

At its core, The Class is a somatic practice, which refers to a variety of methods that bring awareness to your body and how it perceives and experiences what’s happening in the present moment. Students can expect to repeat one move per song including exercises like squats, jumping jacks and burpees, as well as a variety of movements borrowed from ancient somatic practices like Qi Gong. We also use sound to release energy and breathwork to bring friendly awareness to thoughts, feelings and sensations. The result is a stronger body, a calmer mind and a greater sense of peace.

How does The Class help cultivate a stronger mind-body connection?

The Class is about returning the busy mind back to the rest of you. We pair somatic practices with a powerful and curated playlist as the teacher guides you to move, breathe and give yourself the time and space to “do you”. And it’s fun! The Class honestly feels more like a rock concert mixed with a symphony than it does therapy, but you still get the therapeutic effects.

These practices are just as useful to help you slough off a challenging meeting, enhance your own experience of positive emotions and become more present for yourself, your loved ones and the greater world around you.

Why did you create The Retreatment?

Ten years ago, I noticed that we’d move into the expansive terrain of self-inquiry during The Class, and the minute it was over we’d all leave the studio and fall right back into our default settings. I created The Retreatment to build a container where the work could be done without distraction from outside circumstances so we could go deeper into ourselves and emerge with tools that had time to take root. Funny enough, it was named by my daughter who was 4 years old at the time – it was her attempt at saying the word “retreat” and it ended up sticking!

"Retreatments are anchored in my dream vacations. I choose destinations where the nervous system can calm, where connection to one’s spirit becomes more apparent, and where we can commune with parts of ourselves that have become frayed. A weeklong retreat gives us time to practice, gathering ourselves back into wholeness."
– Taryn Toomey

What is it like to attend a Retreatment?

Typically, we start the day with a light breakfast and meditation before an extended Class. After a communal lunch, the afternoon is filled with walks, sauna, steams and cold plunges, massage and spa time, and a restorative practice to replenish the nervous system. We end the day with delicious farm-to-table dinners and enjoy deep sleep after wonderful connections.

It’s very flexible – you can do all or some of it. We have some guests that stay quiet most of the time with a specific intention. Others delve deep into every conversation, every connection. My hope is that each person leaves a Retreament feeling stronger, clearer, more connected and more capable.  

What about Etéreo inspired you to have your next Retreatment in Riviera Maya, Mexico?

The sea and warmth have completely different elements and impacts than fall foliage and cool air, as we experienced at the Wildflower Farms Retreatment. One is not better or worse, they just provide a different space. Wildflower Farms created a quieter space in preparation for the shorter days, less light. The ability to dive into the water after a Class is one of the key things I love about oceanside retreats, like the upcoming one at Etéreo in February. As Isak Dinesen says: “The cure for anything is sweat, tears or the sea.”
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Do you have any tips for how to maintain a sense of wellbeing while traveling?

Personally, I feel best when I carve out time to move and continue to do the practices that have become part of my way of life. For those traveling to a new location, I suggest leaning into the offerings of the land. If there’s an ocean – swim, kayak, learn to surf, walk on the beach. Heading to the mountains? Take morning hikes, lunch on the land, move with the elements nature provides you.

Do you have any advice for those wanting to make changes in the New Year but may not know where to begin?

I often say: “How do you start? You start.” Find a movement practice that you enjoy and look forward to doing, then create a roadmap. I don’t believe in torturing yourself through movement; your body is listening and we want to train it wisely.

If you are stuck, ask around and reach out to those who are further along on their journey. Ask if you can join them – accountability partners are great for all. Then map it out and celebrate each milestone. It takes effort and consistency at first, but the more you practice, the more it becomes a way of life, and you eventually get to the point where you miss your practice when you don’t do it!