Have you ever felt stuck and knew something needed to change to live a fuller life? Or perhaps there’s a project you’ve been wanting to start, but don’t know where to begin? Sometimes, I’ve wished I had the ability to take a quick pause from daily life to really think about what I want for my future, and what I need to change to get there.
That was me three months ago. I had just finished my Ph.D and moved to Spain, and I felt stuck, not knowing what steps to take next. Though I had done individual therapy sessions for years, tried different forms of alternative healing, and tasted the power of solo travel for self-awareness, I still wasn’t sure what to do next. Basically, I felt like I didn’t know who I wanted to be, now that my schooling was done.
So when I met Elise Madrick, the CEO and facilitator of Cerené and Cerené Experiences, and she told me about its upcoming trip to Morocco “designed for anyone in the midst of transition who is ready to tap into their unleashed, hidden potential,” I bought a ticket. Cerené’s promise, according to its website, is to “offer insights that transform your perspective” and give participants “a new blueprint for living your life.”
I still wasn’t sure exactly what I was signing up for — and had hesitations around group self-discovery trips — but I jumped on the opportunity anyway. I felt a trusting connection with Madrick, and loved the idea of a pause to force me to focus on my goals and figure out what I wanted. And even better was the fact that it would be a palm-tree–and-sun-infused pause.
The rise of retreats in the wellness tourism sector
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Health, wellness, and self-transformation retreats sit inside the fast-growing “wellness tourism” sector, which was valued at about $651 billion in 2022; by 2024, that number rose to $895.09 billion. Specifically, the global wellness retreat market was valued at $180.5 billion in 2022, but projected to nearly double to $363.9 billion by 2032. Depending on your source, yoga retreats alone are a $10 billion industry, as of 2024.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why the sector, with all its diverse offerings, is growing so quickly, but it’s likely tied to post-pandemic emphasis on health and wellness, plus growing concerns about burnout and work-life balance. Wellness retreat operators in the US have reported increases of up to 30 percent in bookings in the last year, and in 2022, a survey of wellness tour operators found that many were increasing their group sizes in response to increased demand.
With all that data in mind, I was curious to see if these retreats really lead to measurable benefits. The category of “retreats” as they relate to health and personal development is a broad one, and there aren’t too many studies out there on whether they lead to real results. However, the few studies that do exist suggest that they could lead to positive change. A 2017 report focused mostly on physical health retreats found that participants reported positive changes six weeks after returning from a program. And in 2023, a study found that most participants felt happier after returning from a retreat, with guests who had specific pain issues also reporting physical improvements.
But as a social researcher, I know that self-reported metrics of happiness aren’t always the most reliable. It’s one of the major reasons I decided to give Cerené’s program a try – not just because of the program itself, but because I was curious whether self-transformation retreats really can be the life-changing boost so many attendees seem to experience.
The wide range of wellness and self-transformation retreats
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Retreats in the (broadly speaking) wellness tourism sector can be grouped less by theme and more by how structured they actually are. At one end are highly structured, program-based offerings like those from Cerené Experiences, usually with trained facilitators like licensed therapists and certified coaches. They consist of structured time away from everyday life in a new environment, where people work with facilitators to examine whatever questions they’re trying to solve: what to do next in life, how to get past stressful or heartbreaking events, or how to find one’s passion, among many other choices.
One step away from that are the more “experiential” or “transformational” retreats that focus on extended hours of a single skill (like breath work, movement, ceremony, or hiking). They usually have some framing and integration, but the focus is mostly on dedicating time to the activity. You can also find ayahuasca retreats, as well as other psychedelics, marketed for their therapeutic and/or spiritual benefits. Then you have lightly curated packages from resorts and retreat centers that combine lodging with a few activities around themes like wellness (spa services and yoga sessions) or adventure (guided hikes and kayak sessions). There may be a meditation session or some healthy eating involved, but the focus is more on relaxation and a change of scenery than deep personal or mental growth.
One thing all these retreats have in common is that being in a different place is meant to remove distractions and social roles that can make it harder to focus on yourself. Programs are usually all-inclusive, as my Cerené Experience was, and take place at locations around the world, from Morocco to the Dominican Republic.
A rare self-transformation trip
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There are all sorts of self-improvement or transformation one-week retreats to be found online, from health, wellness, yoga, and meditation retreats to leadership training trips. My trip was a little different in relation to other offerings in the market, as the goal wasn’t immediate health improvements or self-discovery (as if a singular identity pre-existed in us, just waiting to be found). The goal of my Cerené Experience was to recreate and transform participants through group and individual work during the retreat, but also, importantly, teach the tools necessary to continue that work after the retreat.
The other unique element on my retreat was that Cerené tailors each retreat to the individuals participating, so no trip is exactly the same as the ones before. My group was small, with only 14 selected participants and two main facilitators: Andrew Sykes and Elise Madrick. We gathered for one week outside of Marrakech in Morocco for guidance from Sykes, a professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and expert in high-impact habits, and Madrick, who developed programs at Northwestern and focuses on “ontological coaching” – coaching based in ontology, or the study of being.
Despite each experience being customized, the core curriculum is consistent. The first few days are for exploring who you have been (or think you’ve been), followed by a few days of learning how to acquire new skills quickly and effectively. The remaining time is spent on crafting a concrete plan to support the skills and habits you want to develop when you go back to normal life. Those skills, we learned, would be the key to self-transformation.
Activities included a mix of guided activities like group discussions, journaling exercises, and movement. Our days started with yoga or movement at 7 AM, followed by classes with Sykes and Madrick until 5 PM. Those hours included practical exercises (like drawing ourselves, shadowing another participant, or even learning to juggle), plus time for guided self-reflection.
How traveling to a retreat helps shift your perspective
Photo: Debbie Gonzalez Canada
My Cerené experience took place at Villa Taj, where we were the only guests. It was important that it was a new place for the participants, and that it felt safe and comfortable to facilitate introspection and emotions. In Madrick’s words, by “taking people out of where they usually are, putting them somewhere completely different, becoming different becomes much easier.”
Natural elements played an important role in visualizing and internalizing self transformation. One afternoon, standing in water up to our necks, Sykes explained that changing your mindset is like moving up a level: when you feel stuck, as we did with water nearly over our heads, a shift in perspective can make it all seem more surmountable. And by doing yoga and exercising each day in the Moroccan desert, we experienced the importance of repeating practices and rising above limitations.
After one week in Morocco, we were able to recognize our stories and mindsets, change the ones not serving us (such as “I can’t cook,” “I am not a morning person,” or “I am not a leader,”) then plan exactly how to change habits to change ourselves. Being in a new place, with 24/7 facilitators and a group of people going through similar learning processes, made us more open and susceptible to trying different things – including different versions of ourselves.
However, we also learned that we couldn’t rely on being in a new location to propel us forward. It was all good to feel reenergized while doing yoga in the Moroccan desert, but we needed to be able to continue the transformation once we went back home to our messy lives. The Cerené team taught us unique skills and mindsets, with dedicated time away from the distractions of home to practice the new skills.
How travel helps you make new choices
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We learned that to enact change, you have to make a conscious effort to stick to the choices you make. At home, it’s easy to forget you chose to go to the gym three times a week or chose to study French. But spending a week away from home gives you a head start on sticking to those decisions without distractions from work, chores, or friends and family.
Equally important is learning to defend those decisions from people back home who might question the commitment — something that can become problematic, as it leads to decision paralysis. We used our time in Morocco to practice how to handle those situations, and we playfully tested each other with role playing situations we may encounter in the real world.
How travel helps you keep specific, measurable commitments
It’s easy to broadly commit to something. I decided during the trip I wanted to develop the artistic side of myself I felt I’d neglected while pursuing higher education. And it’s easy to say “yes, I’ll commit to being more creative.” But I learned I need to be specific with my commitment, my deliverables, and my expectations.
In my case, I decided that instead of doomscrolling on my phone, I’d illustrate on my tablet for at least 30 minutes a day for the next 100 days, hitting at least six days a week. I also committed to share my illustrations with a set number of people to keep myself accountable.
I probably could have thought of that “100 day challenge” on my own. But thanks to the group dynamic, I had a built-in group of people to keep me accountable – and to whom I could return the favor. Better still, it was a group of new people who didn’t judge me based on who I was (or they thought I was), but rather, who can encourage me going forward, based on the person they heard me say I want to be.
While the structured group classes were fantastic, the casual conversations made a real difference, too. Despite the cliches, mantras (which the Cerené experience team simply call “quotes”) have greatly helped in my personal transformation. The two phrases that have been most helpful to me so far came from being around new people who had a different outlook on life. One is from Sykes: “What do feelings have to do with it?” (something I ask myself when I start saying I don’t feel like drawing). The other, perhaps more straightforward one, is from Madrick: “Buckle up, buttercup.”
How travel helps you learn to get and give feedback
Cooking with Marrakech-based Amal. Photo: Debbie Gonzalez Canada
Part of continuing to stay dedicated post-retreat means working with the best coach we can find for our new skills (in my case, an illustrator), and learning to take feedback from that coach. And that includes critical feedback.
During the trip, we practiced giving and receiving feedback, and learned when we were behaving in ways that may be considered “uncoachable,” such as saying “I can’t.” During a cooking lesson with Amal, a non-profit based in Morocco, we were inspired by the instructors — women who overcame their struggles to become talented chefs and improve their communities. One participant even committed to writing a book to help people overcome depression in a holistic way, and since then, many other participants have given him feedback on his book drafts, based on our individual expertise.
What happens after you get home
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Sometimes while traveling, you’ll have a mind-blowing experience that you think will change your life. But it doesn’t always. You go back home, and get sucked into your usual routine.
The most effective personal travel retreats, including the Cerené Experience, continue after you go back to real life. My retreat included three one-on-one coaching sessions, four group calls to discuss challenges and check in with everyone’s progress, regular meetings with “accountability buddies” to support each other, and an ongoing group chat for accountability, mutual support, and motivation.
It’s been two months since I came back from Morocco, and we’ve supported each other not only with our new habits, but also through job changes, divorces, and all sorts of challenges. Being part of the group has kept me more committed to practicing my art, too.
I still haven’t quite figured out where to take my career next, though I am feeling more comfortable with that unknown. After all, a retreat isn’t a magic solution to solve all life’s questions. But in these eight weeks, I’ve illustrated daily; it’s the most I’ve drawn since I stopped taking art classes in 2009. I’ve kept the practice up despite job commitments, health challenges, and family issues, and even created an Instagram account to share my illustrations. For now, and for me, at least, it feels like the week spent away with Cerené Experiences was well worth it, and I already feel like it’s delivered on its promise.
How to find personal development retreats
Take time to research the program and instructors, rather than relying on pretty social media photos. Photo: My Good Images/Shutterstock
The next Cerené trip, similar to the one I joined in Morocco, is in Sesimbra, Portugal, from October 19-26, 2026. Experiences cap out at 16 people, and the cost ($16,888) includes accommodation, all meals, cultural experiences and excursions, plus airport transfers at the destination, as well as the coaching sessions before and after the trip. Cerené also offers does one-on-one coaching and corporate team retreats.
If you decide to look for alternative personal development retreats, make sure to have an in-depth conversation with your soon-to-be coaches before committing to discover if your way of working aligns with theirs. You also need to be comfortable with the person and feel like you can trust them with guiding your self-transformation. Feel free to ask to talk with people who previously participated, and ask them how it went for them — it’s much more helpful than letting yourself be fooled by good-looking website photos and catchy social media posts.
