This Longevity-Focused Retreat Helped Me Reconnect to My Youth

I've never really understood the phrase, "Youth is wasted on the young." Plenty of people I admire—those in their 40s, 50s, and beyond—would say otherwise, often calling their later years the most fulfilling of their lives. But what keeps them feeling young at heart isn't necessarily a daily green juice or intense workout; it's staying connected to the things they enjoyed as a child. And for me, that's the beach.

I grew up near the Gulf, on Florida’s west coast, so naturally, many of my childhood memories are set against a backdrop of sand and saltwater. I remember weekends spent searching for seashells, swimming with friends in the warm waves, and spending lots (and lots) of time in the sun. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to grow up in that kind of place. It’s no wonder vacationers, families, and retirees flock to my hometown. And even though I live in the Pacific Northwest now, being near the ocean still feels like tapping into the fountain of youth—so I’m always looking for ways to get back to that feeling.

So, when I received the opportunity to visit The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for its 2025 spring wellness retreat, I couldn't say no. The two-day retreat centered on longevity (i.e., living a longer, healthier life), which felt like the perfect theme for someone trying to reconnect with their youth.

Here's a closer look at my weekend getaway to the east coast of Florida, and all the longevity-focused activities I enjoyed at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island's Longevity Wellness Retreat.

More about The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is a luxury beach resort situated along 13 miles of pristine shoreline on Florida's east coast. Amelia Island itself is one of the region's five barrier islands, serving as a home to stunning beaches and a variety of coastal plants and wildlife. More specifically, the Ritz is one of two luxury resorts on the island's Fernandina Beach, which is about a 45-minute drive from Jacksonville International Airport and 30 minutes south of the Florida-Georgia border. The amenities also go above and beyond, including:

• 446 luxury guest rooms and suites
• 2 resort-style pools
• A 25,000-square-foot spa and wellness center
• 4 (award-winning) restaurants, two lounge bars, and a coffee shop
• A private boardwalk and beach access
• A golf club
• 4 clay tennis courts, 2 pickleball courts, and a golf club
• Personalized wellness retreats and experiences

When I arrived in Jacksonville on a Thursday evening, I was picked up at the airport by a complimentary car service. My driver, an Amelia Island native, shared a quick debrief of what he called "the island" as we drove past palm trees, marshland, and beach houses. It was a chilly night—the retreat was in late February, so the weather all weekend was sunny but cold—so I thanked my past self for packing some layers. Once we arrived, I checked in, cozied up in my room, and reviewed my jam-packed itinerary for the following few days.

I'll admit I was nervous I wouldn't have a lot of downtime, especially since I'd be with a group of new people on the retreat (introverts, you get it). But I actually found moments of peace during the yoga and meditation sessions, spa treatments, and nutritious meals throughout the weekend. Most Ritz-Carlton retreats include a variation of the above and cost about $630 per person (excluding suite and dining charges).

Here are a few more specifics of what the Longevity Wellness Retreat entailed:

• A gourmet welcome dinner by resort chef Okan Kizilbayir
• Two sunrise yoga sessions
• Two meditation and yoga workshops led by certified instructors
• A healing sound bath experience
• Two relaxing spa treatments (red light therapy and a HydraFacial or massage)
• A meditative beach walk
• Meals at Coast or Salt (two of the hotel's fine dining experiences)

I stayed in a deluxe coastal king suite ($1,107 per night at the time of publishing) and woke up to a beautiful sunrise outside my balcony each morning. While this stay looked nothing like my average low-profile beach trip, I couldn't wait to reconnect to my Florida roots and enjoy all the resort had to offer. I even set an intention for the weekend on the first night of the retreat, with the help of our meditation and yoga instructor, Kalindi Hoffman: What did I want out of this experience?

Sure, I wanted to unwind, but I also wanted to explore what longevity meant to me. I wanted my definition to include "doing things that connect me to my youth," and I'd say this was fulfilled—with the help of a few key activities I enjoyed during my stay.

4 longevity-promoting activities I tried at the retreat

My first full day at the resort began with exploring the property. I had a few hours to spare before my afternoon of spa treatments, so I decided to walk around outside. After ordering a delicious oat milk latte in the lobby coffee shop, I walked out to the pool and then the boardwalk, which led me right to the shore. The salty air and crashing waves brought me right back to childhood; it was the perfect nostalgic start to my day. Next up: A red light therapy session.

1. TheraLight 360+ red light therapy

Thanks to social media, I've learned a lot lately about red light in the form of LED face masks to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. But until this trip, I hadn't known much about full-body red light therapy. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is currently the only resort spa in Florida that offers sessions with the TheraLight 360+ Full Body Photobiomodulation System, an FDA-registered red light therapy device that looks like a cross between a tanning bed and an MRI machine.

The TheraLight 360+ works by emitting low-level laser technology (LLLT) at different wavelengths and frequencies—about 1,000 to 5,000 Hertz—to help activate your skin cells' mitochondria (as you may know, it's the powerhouses of the cell). Studies have shown this technology may help alleviate a variety of health concerns, including skin wrinkles and scarring, joint pain and inflammation, poor blood circulation, and fatigue.¹

While I didn't experience these benefits from just one session, the spa coordinator who walked me through the treatment said clients book weekly appointments for TheraLight 360+ and rave about the positive impact it's made on their skin, pain levels, mood, and overall well-being over time. Plus, the treatment was very relaxing. The coordinator turned on some serene spa music, dimmed the lights, and gave me an eye mask (a requirement for the session), then left me to climb into the machine and shut the swinging door. As soon as it turned on, I tensed up, but after a few minutes, I felt my body loosen under the warmth of the lights.

The 15-minute session went by super fast. Before I knew it, the machine turned off, I threw on my plush robe, and met the coordinator outside the treatment room where she was operating the machine. While I chose the lowest intensity for my session (1,000 Hertz)—typically used for skin issues and anti-aging—people go up to 5,000 Hertz for overall health benefits.

While the jury's still out, medically speaking, of course, on whether red light therapy truly reverses cellular aging, it's still a relaxing treatment to try for younger-looking skin. Just be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before trying TheraLight 360+ if you are pregnant, have an underlying health condition, or take medications that make you sensitive to light (like Accutane), as red light therapy might not be right for you.

2. A Blue Zones-inspired dinner

After a super chill time at the spa, I joined the retreat group for our welcome dinner. The entire meal was inspired by the Blue Zones—geographic regions of the world where people live the longest.² A combination of factors contribute to this extended lifespan: low stress, daily movement, community, and clean air and water. But, nutritious food is arguably at the top.

Blue Zones diets consist of healthy fats, fiber, whole grains, and antioxidants, so our buffet-style dinner, expertly prepared by chef Okan Kizilbayir, featured plenty of ingredients with these nutrients. We started the night with fresh green salads topped with crispy quinoa, shredded carrots, and a marinated bean and chickpea mixture. Next were the entrées: I went for lemon grilled salmon, lentil soup, and a whole grain roll drizzled with olive oil. And we can't forget dessert—a decadent avocado chocolate mousse with fresh fruit on the side (arguably my favorite part of the menu).

Research has found most Blue Zones are bean and whole-grain-heavy because of the fiber, which is great for your gut, heart, and energy levels. Surprisingly, studies on Blue Zones have also found people still drink moderate amounts of alcohol, especially wine, so we enjoyed a few glasses alongside dinner. I felt satisfied but not stuffed by the meal, another key pillar of Blue Zone living: eating until you're about 80 percent full, and practicing mindfulness while eating to avoid discomfort.³

After dinner was finished, I couldn't help but think about how the fresh fish and produce brought me back to visiting the farmer's markets in my hometown and eating at seaside restaurants that used those fresh ingredients in their dishes. I felt grateful to have enjoyed this meal with other people as interested in longevity as me.

3. Yoga Nidra—aka "yogic sleep"

We started day two with sunrise yoga and breakfast at Coast, where we filled up for our first workshop of the day about Yoga Nidra, also known as "yogic sleep." I'm no yoga expert, but I did spend time taking yoga classes growing up and am well aware of the practice's physical benefits. I know less, however, about the spiritual and mental benefits of yoga and the positive effect it can have on your brain as you age.⁴

Brain health is the exact goal of Yoga Nidra. The practice combines breathing and visualization exercises to send your brain into a relaxing, sleep-like state. According to our instructor Kalindi Hoffman, who studied Yoga Nidra at the Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida, 30 to 40-minute sessions of the practice stimulate the production of theta and delta waves in the brain, both of which are most present during sleep and deep relaxation.^5,6 This can help improve your sleep, lower blood pressure and anxiety, and reduce inflammation throughout the body.⁷

As someone who can never fully relax during meditation, I wasn't sure if I could reach this "sleep-like state" Hoffman described. Still, I settled onto a yoga mat, cuddled under a blanket, and shut my eyes. For the first 10 minutes or so, I felt completely lucid, listening intently to the sound of Hoffman's voice as she guided us through a breathing exercise. My mind began to wander, but not in the fast, chatty way it tends to do. Instead, Hoffman's voice grew distant, and I thought I was falling asleep until I realized I was actually in a deep meditative state. Everything felt...still. Forty minutes flew by, and as I "woke up," I looked around the room to see everyone as chill and surprised as I was.

Practicing Yoga Nidra or similar meditations regularly can build resilience against chronic stress, leading to a sharp and healthy mind for the long haul.⁸ Since the retreat, I've continued to do Yoga Nidra before bed (with guided videos recommended by Hoffman) and have noticed an improvement in my sleep quality.

4. A meditative beach walk

Ah, yes, now for my favorite part of the retreat: the meditative beach walk. This activity truly made me feel like a kid again. Cassie Stallings, our guide and resort fitness instructor, took the group on a meditative walk along the beach to collect seashells, ground our bodies and minds, and draw mandalas in the sand (i.e., geometric patterns rooted in Buddhist and Hindu spiritual practice). To start, we were given mesh bags to collect our seaside treasures and to hold slips of paper with positive affirmations written on them.

Stallings had us walk slowly down the boardwalk to take in our surroundings, stopping us every so often to read a positive affirmation and letting it soak in. Once we reached the sand, I took off my sandals, and the shell hunt began. I strolled along the shore with my head down, watching the tide roll in and out and stashing anything that caught my eye. It sounds *so* simple, but I was having a blast; I could've stayed there for hours.

Meditative walking, especially along the beach, has a slew of longevity benefits. Grounding (aka planting your bare feet on the earth), for example, can help relieve anxiety and depressive symptoms, reduce insomnia, improve blood flow and circulation, and support overall longevity, while gazing at bodies of water can lower heart rate and blood pressure, and increase feelings of relaxation.^9,10

Studies aside, it's just plain fun, which I'd argue is crucial to living a long life. I know my older loved ones would agree it fits their "staying young at heart" advice.

Bonus perks of the resort

In case you can't tell, there were a lot of activities I enjoyed during my stay at the Ritz. This included a healing sound bath led by Stallings on the last day, but also non-retreat-related activities like watching the sunrise and sunset, sitting by the pool for lunch, and taking a dip in the spa's whirlpool hot tub to wind down.

And speaking of connecting to my roots, my parents, who live a few hours away from Amelia Island, surprised me at the resort so we could spend time together. We ended up exploring the downtown area once the day was over on Saturday—hopping into the car to get ice cream on the town's bustling Centre Street, where most of the restaurants, bars, and shops were located. It was such a full-circle moment because growing up, we used to get ice cream on the way home almost every beach day.

There are plenty of other activities to get up to at the resort, even if you don't have a car to explore the island, including tennis or golf lessons, wine tastings, cooking classes, bike or horseback riding, and surfing or other water sports rentals.

A few notes

If you're not one for learning—or expending any mental energy—while on vacation, this type of retreat might not be for you. The workshops required lots of self-reflecting and inner work (hence, intention setting at the start), and while I did find pockets of time to unwind, I spent a good portion of the weekend taking notes and feeling like I was in a real class. Retreat staff even gave us notebooks to jot things down as Hoffman drew diagrams of brain waves and breath patterns on a whiteboard during the Yoga Nidra and Power of Breath workshops.

My inner student absolutely thrived in this environment. However, if you're more of a lounge-by-the-pool, spa-all-day, "no thoughts, just vibes" person on beach trips, you might consider booking a regular resort stay instead, so you have more time to chill.

Another thing to consider is the food. Due to a few recently discovered food allergies, my options were somewhat limited at the retreat's pre-planned meals. Of course, the resort's restaurant staff were extremely kind and accommodating (they even cooked separate meals for me a few times!), but I was still left with the same rotation of beans, quinoa, tofu, and sweet potatoes each day. So, if you're a foodie, you might want to order other things outside the preset menu; just keep in mind that you'll have to purchase them separately.

Final thoughts

Reconnecting to my Florida roots at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island's Longevity Wellness Retreat was an unforgettable experience. Not only did I get to try a variety of wellness practices that can help me live a long, healthy life, but I also got to revisit childhood memories spent by the beach, which ignited my new mantra: stay young at heart, no matter your biological age.

If you're interested in the opportunity to do the same, consider booking a trip at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, or attending a wellness retreat at one of the many Ritz-Carlton luxury destinations all over the world.