SwellWomen is more than just a surf camp. It’s a place to leave your worries behind and connect with other like-minded women. It’s an oasis for frolicking in the sunshine and dancing on waves. It’s an opportunity to get in-tune with your body and learn to treat it like the temple it truly is. And it’s a safe space to discover what sets your soul on fire and tap into your inner bliss. In 2002, Me-Shell Mijangos moved to Maui, Hawaii on a whim and quickly fell in love with the people, the waves, and the pace of the island. She wanted to find a way to combine her passions of surfing and yoga into one while simultaneously empowering women in the process. In 2003, SwellWomen was born. “I really wanted to take care of women,” Mijangos tells ASN. “I wanted to create something that allowed women to let go, make friends, and try something new while being supported.” Mijangos quickly created a tribe across the world, with women traveling from all corners of the globe to partake in her life-changing retreats. After eleven successful years, Mijangos decided it was time to shift her focus to her family and confidently passed the reigns and sold the company to her good friend and occasional co-worker, Lulu Agan.
Rebecca Parsons Upon acquiring the company and the title of Chief Officer of Bliss, Agan was inspired to deepen the wellness aspect of the program as well as expand globally. She began researching and traveling to pristine surf spots around the world, hand-picking locations that were safe for solo female travelers. Today, retreats take place in Maui, Mexico, Indonesia (Rote & Mentawais), El Salvador, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Nicaragua. SwellWomen’s tagline is “Learn, Live, Love BLISS.” They’re all about inspiring women to travel, connect with themselves, connect with their health, and tap into what truly makes them happy.
Maui Digital Images “The ultimate goal is to cultivate as much happiness as you can,” Agan tells ASN. “To do that you have to go through the ebbs and flows of life. That’s what surfing is all about – it really teaches us how to ride the waves of life.” I recently attended a SwellWomen retreat in Lahanai, Maui and can personally attest to the amount of dedication and intention that goes into creating a beautiful week of bliss.
Rebecca Parsons Although each location is unique, most retreats follow the same basic formula. The week kicked off with a delicious beachside welcome dinner, complete with goodie bags and a rundown of what to expect from the week. After that, guests were invited to retire to the stunning beachfront surf pad to catch some sleep before hitting the waves. Mornings at SwellWomen began early. We’d wake before the sun, don our swimsuits, and mount our bikes for a quick five-minute ride to Breakwall, the surf spot of choice for the week. There, we’d meet up with the SwellBliss Coaching Team and get a lesson on the beach before paddling out.
Rebecca Parsons The coaches are kind, passionate, and determined to help you become the best surfer you can be, whether you’re learning for the very first time or are a seasoned waterwoman. Although Agan and her co-leader, in our case Mijangos (who has found her way back to the company), don’t personally teach surfing, they are in the water every session, hooting and hollering alongside the instructors.
Maui Digital Images After a couple hours on the water, we’d fill up on a hearty breakfast at Betty’s, a seaside restaurant serving local grinds, before heading back to the surf pad for some free time. At the surf pad, some would nap in their rooms, others would swim in the sea, and us solar-powered humans would soak up the Hawaiian sunshine. Next up: yoga. Yoga was led by Agan herself and the practice of choice was yin restorative yoga. Yin restorative yoga is slow-paced and works to calm the mind and nervous system while focusing on the breath, enabling you to turn inward. In addition to the poses, each yoga session included a brief journaling session, allowing us to dive deeper into out thoughts and reflect on the week and our individual lives back home.
Liquid Barrel “Yoga is the perfect compliment to surfing because you want to balance out and restore your body,” says Agna. “That, in turn, just makes you more juicy and open to surf the next day.” At SwellWomen they have found the perfect balance of activity and relaxation. The mornings and early afternoons are filled with surfing and yoga, while the evenings are free to spend as you please. Each guest is treated to a restorative massage and sunset catamaran cruise during the week, allowing you to fully indulge in the gifts the island has to offer.
Maui Digital Images My week at Swell Women was nothing short of magical. Agan and Mijangos have created a program that is not only fun, but also helps you to connect with your deeper self. Over the course of the week, you’ll likely tap into the best version of yourself and they provide you with the tools you need to take your surfing skills and the life lessons learned home with you. When you leave, you take a piece of SwellWomen with you and are given the opportunity to incorporate that bliss into you every day life. “Our mission is really to create the ripple effect and inspire people to connect to themselves and live their best (bliss) life,” explains Agan. Mission accomplished. Check out everything SwellWomen has to offer at their website.
Do Women’s Groups Make It Easier to Achieve Inclusivity Across the Board?
Read article
Pro Skier Caroline Gleich Summited Everest to Promote Gender Equality
Read article
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
SwellWomen is more than just a surf camp. It’s a place to leave your worries behind and connect with other like-minded women. It’s an oasis for frolicking in the sunshine and dancing on waves. It’s an opportunity to get in-tune with your body and learn to treat it like the temple it truly is. And it’s a safe space to discover what sets your soul on fire and tap into your inner bliss.
In 2002, Me-Shell Mijangos moved to Maui, Hawaii on a whim and quickly fell in love with the people, the waves, and the pace of the island. She wanted to find a way to combine her passions of surfing and yoga into one while simultaneously empowering women in the process. In 2003, SwellWomen was born.
“I really wanted to take care of women,” Mijangos tells ASN. “I wanted to create something that allowed women to let go, make friends, and try something new while being supported.”
Mijangos quickly created a tribe across the world, with women traveling from all corners of the globe to partake in her life-changing retreats. After eleven successful years, Mijangos decided it was time to shift her focus to her family and confidently passed the reigns and sold the company to her good friend and occasional co-worker, Lulu Agan.
Upon acquiring the company and the title of Chief Officer of Bliss, Agan was inspired to deepen the wellness aspect of the program as well as expand globally. She began researching and traveling to pristine surf spots around the world, hand-picking locations that were safe for solo female travelers. Today, retreats take place in Maui, Mexico, Indonesia (Rote & Mentawais), El Salvador, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Nicaragua.
SwellWomen’s tagline is “Learn, Live, Love BLISS.” They’re all about inspiring women to travel, connect with themselves, connect with their health, and tap into what truly makes them happy.
“The ultimate goal is to cultivate as much happiness as you can,” Agan tells ASN. “To do that you have to go through the ebbs and flows of life. That’s what surfing is all about – it really teaches us how to ride the waves of life.”
I recently attended a SwellWomen retreat in Lahanai, Maui and can personally attest to the amount of dedication and intention that goes into creating a beautiful week of bliss.
Although each location is unique, most retreats follow the same basic formula. The week kicked off with a delicious beachside welcome dinner, complete with goodie bags and a rundown of what to expect from the week. After that, guests were invited to retire to the stunning beachfront surf pad to catch some sleep before hitting the waves.
Mornings at SwellWomen began early. We’d wake before the sun, don our swimsuits, and mount our bikes for a quick five-minute ride to Breakwall, the surf spot of choice for the week. There, we’d meet up with the SwellBliss Coaching Team and get a lesson on the beach before paddling out.
The coaches are kind, passionate, and determined to help you become the best surfer you can be, whether you’re learning for the very first time or are a seasoned waterwoman. Although Agan and her co-leader, in our case Mijangos (who has found her way back to the company), don’t personally teach surfing, they are in the water every session, hooting and hollering alongside the instructors.
After a couple hours on the water, we’d fill up on a hearty breakfast at Betty’s, a seaside restaurant serving local grinds, before heading back to the surf pad for some free time. At the surf pad, some would nap in their rooms, others would swim in the sea, and us solar-powered humans would soak up the Hawaiian sunshine. Next up: yoga.
Yoga was led by Agan herself and the practice of choice was yin restorative yoga. Yin restorative yoga is slow-paced and works to calm the mind and nervous system while focusing on the breath, enabling you to turn inward. In addition to the poses, each yoga session included a brief journaling session, allowing us to dive deeper into out thoughts and reflect on the week and our individual lives back home.
“Yoga is the perfect compliment to surfing because you want to balance out and restore your body,” says Agna. “That, in turn, just makes you more juicy and open to surf the next day.”
At SwellWomen they have found the perfect balance of activity and relaxation. The mornings and early afternoons are filled with surfing and yoga, while the evenings are free to spend as you please. Each guest is treated to a restorative massage and sunset catamaran cruise during the week, allowing you to fully indulge in the gifts the island has to offer.
My week at Swell Women was nothing short of magical. Agan and Mijangos have created a program that is not only fun, but also helps you to connect with your deeper self. Over the course of the week, you’ll likely tap into the best version of yourself and they provide you with the tools you need to take your surfing skills and the life lessons learned home with you. When you leave, you take a piece of SwellWomen with you and are given the opportunity to incorporate that bliss into you every day life.
“Our mission is really to create the ripple effect and inspire people to connect to themselves and live their best (bliss) life,” explains Agan.
Mission accomplished.
Check out everything SwellWomen has to offer at their website.
Do Women’s Groups Make It Easier to Achieve Inclusivity Across the Board?
Read article
Pro Skier Caroline Gleich Summited Everest to Promote Gender Equality
Read article
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
Do Women’s Groups Make It Easier to Achieve Inclusivity Across the Board?
Read article
Do Women’s Groups Make It Easier to Achieve Inclusivity Across the Board?
Pro Skier Caroline Gleich Summited Everest to Promote Gender Equality
Read article
Pro Skier Caroline Gleich Summited Everest to Promote Gender Equality
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
