GARRY
LINEHAM
Transformation
is the Destination
The Origin of Human Garage
2026 Spring
Issue 005
$29 USD/CAD
M I N U T E S T O C A L M
Dream it.
Lead it. Live it.
Reset Your Body
Reset Your Body
in 28 Days.
in 28 Days.
Stop Treating Symptoms.
Reset the System.
FEEL STUCK IN PAIN,
STRESS, OR FATIGUE?
The Human Garage 28-Day Reset gives you:
Helping millions of people around the world take healing into their own
hands. The 28-Day Reset is a guided at-home protocol designed to help
release tension, restore flow, and support real change from the inside out.
• 28 Guided reset classes
• Step-by-step fascial maneuver videos
• Supplement and hydration guidance
• Detox support
• Private community access
• Lifetime access
• Live meetups
• Pay-what-feels-right pricing
START YOUR
RESET TODAY
If you’re holding this
issue, I have a feeling
you already know the
old prescription didn’t
quite work.
You followed the rules. You
showed up. You pushed
through the exhaustion, the grief,
the stress, the “I’ll rest later.” And still,
something in you kept whispering, there
has to be another way.
This issue is our love letter to that whisper.
The New Prescription RX isn’t just about
fixing what’s broken. It’s about remembering
what was always wise. It’s about the kind
of healing that doesn’t shout or sparkle on
command, but settles in quietly—through
presence, environment, rhythm, story,
movement, nature, and spaces that let you
exhale. The kind that doesn’t fade in the
airport lounge or disappear by
Monday morning.
Inside these pages, you’ll meet
practitioners, designers, guides,
and storytellers who understand
that real transformation isn’t
delivered in a single moment—
it’s supported. That nervous
systems need safety before insight. That
retreats work best when they don’t just open
us up, but help us carry ourselves home
intact. That sometimes the most radical
medicine is slowing down enough to listen.
If you’ve been tired of white-knuckling your
way to “well,” consider this your permission
slip. To soften. To choose what steadies
you. To trust that healing doesn’t have to be
dramatic to be profound.
Welcome to the new prescription.
It’s been waiting for you.
new spark
Stillness is the
Agni Zotis | Amy Civica | Catherine Kontos | Crystal Adair-Benning |
D’Angelo Thompson | Debroah Octeau | Denise Ropp |
Dr. Khnuma Simmonds | Erin B. Haag | Jem Fuller | Jon Christian |
Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram | LaVreen Hall | Lora Lapiz | Mike Broadwell
Sonja Thayer | Stephanie Grunewald | Sunny Dawn Johnston |
Tracy J Stonaker
DISCLAIMER: The content in RetreatBoss Magazine is for informational purposes only. The
views expressed by contributing authors, interviewees, and advertisers are their own and do
not necessarily reflect those of RetreatBoss. We do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of
any advice, opinions, or services mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before
making decisions based on the content within this publication.
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: hello@retreatbossmagazine.com
AUTHOR INQUIRIES / SUBMIT AN ARTICLE: https://tinyurl.com/rbmagsubmit
RetreatBoss Magazine is more than a publication, it’s a gateway to
transformation, cultural immersion, and holistic well-being. Designed
for retreat seekers and those drawn to travel, self-discovery,
and personal growth, R Magazine brings the retreat experience
to life through inspiring stories, expert insights, and curated
recommendations that explore the world’s most transformative
retreats, wellness practices, and cultural experiences. It also serves
as a trusted resource for retreat leaders, facilitators, and wellness
entrepreneurs, offering industry trends, strategies, and success
stories to support those shaping the future of retreats. More than
a magazine, R is a movement—bridging the gap between seekers
and creators, fostering a global community where well-being,
exploration, and purpose thrive.
Contributing Writers
OUR MISSION
Crystal Adair-Benning
Editor In Chief
Charlotte Tweed
Interim Editor
Fritz Colinet
Marketing Director
linkedin.com/in/catherinekontos
linkedin.com/in/fritzcolinet
linkedin.com/in/crystaladairbenning
linkedin.com/in/charlotte-tweed
Founder
Catherine Kontos
Contents
Table of
feature
Garry
Lineham
32
15 Minutes
to Calm
12
Finding
Beauty at Home
D’Angelo Thompson
44
Castles in Canada,
Really?
Catherine Kontos
24
The Energy of
Your Business
Sunny Dawn Johnston
14
Meet Me at the
Tea Bar
Catherine Kontos
40
When Transformation
Stops Circling
Denise Ropp
18
The Inner Work of
Leading Retreats
Erin B. Haag
28
You Don’t Heal in the
Same Place You Burn Out
Tracy J Stonaker
68
Rewire Your Brain
Through Travel
Sonja Thayer
74
Miracle Healing
in the Himalayas
Jem Fuller
59
RetreatBoss
Magazine Music
Playlist
52
Why Retreat is
Essential to Healing
Mike Broadwell
64
Writing as
Healing
Crystal Adair-Benning
72
Green for Life
Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram
56
Rx Awe
Lora Lapiz
60
Is Presence the
Medicine
Jon Christian
82
Designing for
Transformation
Debroah Octeau
90
Culturally
Specific Healing
Dr. Khnuma Simmonds
96
Astrology’s
Comeback
Diorella Pugliese
100
Packing is Not
About Clothes
Sandra Smith
78
When the
Kitchen Heals
Amy Civica
86
The Medicine We
Evolved With
Agni Zotis
92
Nature’s Nervous
System Reset
Stephanie Grunewald
98
Return to Steady!
LaVreen Hall
12
13
FINDING
BEAUTY
At Home
Skincare can be simple & scientific.
We live in a world where the fountain of youth can be
found in products that freeze the face, make it plumper,
or regenerate it with your own plasma.
I prefer a holistic approach. Many everyday items
offer anti-aging, antibacterial, vitamin-rich, and anti-
inflammatory benefits. Look inside your kitchen cabinets.
Pomegranate oil, rose seed oil, green tea, and bakuchiol
support anti-aging and can be used as daily moisturizers.
Blueberries, cherries, garlic, turmeric, and omega-3s from
fish provide anti-inflammatory effects. You can also create
avocado masks or scrubs with oats, honey, or sugar to
keep skin hydrated and polished.
Natural oils such as castor oil, sweet almond oil, shea
butter, and coconut oil are valuable additions to your
skincare routine. These oils benefit not only your skin but
also your hair and nails.
Many beauty brands, such as Tata Harper Skincare,
incorporate plant proteins. You may also want to explore
K-Beauty brands like Seoul Ceuticals, Joseon, and
Amorepacific’s Laneige.
Keep in mind that skin changes with the seasons, sun
exposure, and overall cellular regeneration that happens
over time.
D’Angelo Thompson is a celebrated creative
artist in beauty, fashion, film, red carpet, and
television. Also, an author, educator, and
speaker who has worked with some of the
nation’s top universities and corporations.
14
Tea Bar
Meet me at the
A Modern Approach to Connection,
Steeped in Tradition
15
il Petersil answers from Bali, where the
light looks softer, and the pace feels
slower. Warm and quick to laugh, his
message is clear: he did not arrive as
a master connector. The skill was built
through practice, failure, and curiosity. What makes
people feel safe with each other? Gil calls it hospitality,
the kind that turns strangers into allies.
Hospitality keeps coming up when Gil talks about
networking. Not the glossy version associated with
cocktail hours and business cards, but the human
version. Presence. Kindness. A willingness to be useful
without keeping score. When I ask him why so many
people hate networking, he doesn’t judge. He explains
it like someone who has lived inside the discomfort,
not around it.
Gil’s take is simple and compassionate. Rejection. Being
judged. Not fitting in. Public speaking. The top fears
people list are tied to others. Once
you see that, you understand why we
create stories to avoid networking.
I shared with Gil how networking
used to feel like being a piece of
meat in a room of starving people.
Where you scan for exits before you
find the coffee. Gil doesn’t sugarcoat
it. When we walk into connection with fear, we read
everything through fear. Because people mirror each
other, we end up creating the environment we’re trying
to escape. Guarded people make others guarded,
becoming a loop.
Gil doesn’t think the answer is to be louder or more
outgoing. He’s naturally an introvert. Instead of trying
to change himself, he treated connection like a skill. He
trained to work with his own style and create ways to
make connecting with others easier, kinder, and more
genuine.
His turning point began in his early 20s when he moved
from Canada to London. This was before social media
could cushion the loneliness with constant contact.
He wanted to meet a woman, build a life, and create
an income stream beyond his job. Simultaneously, his
parents divorced, and he wanted to help his mom. Gil
craved connection with people.
Learning presence from Eckart Tolle changed
everything. No longer did he need to talk endlessly
to connect. Asking good questions and listening well
make someone feel seen. For an introvert, that’s not a
workaround. It’s a strength.
Over time, Gil shaped what he calls quantum networking,
built on three pillars: compliments, curiosity, and follow-
up. Simple words, practiced with intention. Extending
generosity.
Curiosity is where the room shifts. He skips the scripted
openers and goes deeper: What are you working on
that feels exciting? What’s your biggest focus right now?
And then there’s follow-up, which he treats like
discipline and spiritual practice. Most people reach out
once, hear nothing, and assume rejection. Gil assumes
life happened and follows up kindly.
Why not send a book you love?
Why not share a thought that
reminded you of them? Why not
reach out with warmth instead of
assumptions?
Data, the language of business,
plays a part. It’s far more expensive,
in time, energy, and money, to build
new connections. Before chasing
new clients, look at the connections you’ve left behind,
the people who trusted you enough to pay, participate,
collaborate, or refer.
He’s careful to add something important. You don’t
have to reconnect with everyone. It’s healthy to let go
of relationships that no longer align. Be intentional with
your energy and honest about who belongs in your
next chapter.
Networking doesn’t start when you walk into a room.
It starts at home. If Gil’s attending an event, he looks
up the organizers, the speakers, and anyone he wants
to meet. Then he sends a simple message: I’m looking
forward to being there. Thank you for creating this. If
you need a volunteer, I’m happy to help.
He’s used that line repeatedly. You’re no longer a
stranger trying to extract value. You’re a contributor.
You’re signaling, I’m here to make the room better.
“Look to
make a friend...”
16
A giving mindset got him into his first Tony Robbins event when
he couldn’t afford it. He offered to help. They said yes, and gave
him a bigger role: could he bring a few people from Russia? He
was no longer an attendee. He was responsible. Service turns
the door handle.
Gil’s life has demanded this practice. He’s lived in seven
countries, and often changed industries. Every move forces you
to rebuild your business and life network. If you want a full life,
learn how to connect, even when it’s uncomfortable.
In recent years, Gil has poured his philosophy into Chatea,
a hospitality method using tea to bring people back to
conversation. Tea softens the room. People effortlessly settle
in with each other. His bold vision is fresh: place tea bars next
to traditional bars at events. Guests can choose connection
without defaulting to alcohol.
Gil hasn’t had alcohol for 13 years. After doing a ten-day
challenge at a Tony Robbins event at 33, he realized he felt
better without it. He’s not here to judge anyone’s choices, but
he is certain about this: humanity does not need alcohol to
connect. We need environments that make it easier to be real.
Tea is an institution. There are functional teas and a ritual of
making tea well. Gil speaks about tea the way people speak
about wine, with precision, pride, and care. He even calls out
bad tea, the kind that gets left too long and becomes bitter, the
kind that makes people think they don’t like tea at all.
Gil doesn’t present himself as a guru, and he pushes back on
the label. On his best days, he’s a six out of ten at networking.
He knows what an eight or nine looks like. That’s not insecurity.
That’s mastery with humility. It’s the mindset of a lifelong student.
Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone, is one of his greatest
teachers, and he reveals what it took to build that relationship.
Emails went unanswered at first. Gil followed up. They became
friends.
Why does my conversation with Gil matter to the retreat world?
Retreat leaders, facilitators, and experience creators aren’t just
hosting events. You’re building rooms where people remember
what it feels like to belong. You’re setting the tone for safety,
transformation, and trust. Gil sees that. He respects it. He wants
to support it.
Gil believes networking is karmic and useful. The next time you
walk into a room, don’t network. Don’t hunt for value. Don’t brace
yourself. Look to make a friend.
And if you want to borrow Gil’s favorite container for connection,
you already know where to find him. At the tea bar.
VIEW THEIR FULL PROFILE ON RETREATMATCH.COM ---------
Catherine Kontos Legacy strategist and global advisor
in experiential travel and hospitality, specializing in
program design, immersive experiences, and media
that elevate retreat leaders and venues worldwide.
Watch the full interview on
RetreatBoss The Podcast
17
Some vacations change your scenery.
The right book changes your state of mind.
Escape
Between
the Pages!
18
of Leading Retreats
The
Why Retreat Leaders Must Heal Their
Relationship With Money, Worthiness,
and Abundance To Create the Impact
They Are Called To Lead
19
“leaders who design intentional
rituals, not just schedules,
create experiences people want
to come back to...”
Transformation is the heartbeat of the retreat industry. We talk
about how our attendees experience breakthroughs, clarity,
healing, community, and renewal. We talk about how the
retreat experience elevates them into a more aligned version
of themselves. We talk about the magic that takes place when
someone steps outside their daily life and into an intentional
container of growth.
What we do not talk about nearly enough is the transformation
required of the retreat leader.
There is a misconception in our industry that the person holding
space must already be whole. That the retreat leader has
transcended their fears, their wounds, their scarcity, and their
doubts. That the one guiding the transformation is somehow
immune to the thousand small stories every entrepreneur must
rewrite to truly lead.
The opposite is true.
The retreat leaders who create the deepest impact are the ones
who have walked their own path of healing and continue to walk
that path. They are the ones who have learned to sit with discomfort
and expand their receiving while continuing to rewire the internal
narratives that fight to keep them small. They are the ones who
understand that their attendees can only rise to the level they
themselves have climbed, so they continue to climb.
I was reminded of this lesson on a recent trip to Egypt, where
I attended a client’s retreat as a paying participant. Egypt is
breathtaking, ancient, mystical, and powerful. It is also marked by
extreme, desperate poverty. You can sleep in a luxury hotel, step
outside its gates, and immediately witness conditions that will break
your heart and humble you to your core.
The contrast is sharp. It shakes something loose inside you. It asks
you to look at money and impact through a new lens.
On our private Dahabiya on the Nile, our group had a massage
therapist brought onboard. She was skilled, warm, intuitive, and
committed to her craft. Yet she was working in brutal conditions.
The agency she worked for did not provide massage tables, and she
did not own one herself. She could not afford one. And because she
worked through an agency, she only received a small percentage
20
appropriate conditions. To create stability for her family.
Watching her cry from a mix of shock, relief, and gratitude,
something clicked even deeper inside my heart.
This is why financial success matters. This is why profit matters.
This is why we must talk about money. Not because money is
the point. Because money allows us to create impact without
hesitation.
If I wasn’t doing well financially, I wouldn’t have been able to make
that decision in three seconds flat. I wouldn’t have been able to
say yes without researching how much a massage table costs.
I wouldn’t have been able to say yes without checking my bank
account, or wondering how I’d make it up later, or calculating
whether it was “doable.”
That table did not change my life. But it changed hers.
And this is the message retreat leaders need to hear. The ones
who feel guilty for charging more. The ones who question their
worthiness. The ones who undercharge, overdeliver, and tell
themselves they should be satisfied receiving less.
Your abundance is someone else’s answered prayer.
The retreat leaders who struggle most with profitability are
often the ones who hold the deepest wounds around receiving.
Many grew up in environments where money was taboo. Many
entered helping professions where earning anything beyond
survival was seen as indulgent. Many still carry beliefs that
financial ambition contradicts spiritual integrity.
Those beliefs show up everywhere. They show up in retreat
pricing that does not reflect the value delivered. They show
up in burnout and resentment. They show up in fear of raising
prices, even when costs rise. They show up in leaders who pour
endlessly into their attendees while leaving themselves depleted.
But when a retreat leader heals these wounds, everything
changes. Their leadership expands. Their retreats deepen. Their
presence strengthens. They learn to receive fully, which allows
them to give fully. They start making decisions not from fear but
from overflow. They create experiences that are transformative
because they are rooted in self-trust rather than self-sacrifice.
Profitability becomes a portal to greater impact.
A profitable retreat leader can compensate their team well.
They can hire local vendors. They can support local economies.
They can fund their own continued growth. They can invest in
the sustainability of their business instead of running on fumes.
They can create abundance that ripples outward.
This is the healing the retreat industry needs. Leaders who are
not afraid to earn. Leaders who understand that money in the
hands of conscious, heart-centered individuals becomes a tool
for justice, stability, generosity, and empowerment. Leaders who
model what it looks like to rise so their attendees can rise as well.
Transformation is not something we deliver. It is something we
embody. Our attendees can only rise to the level we ourselves
have climbed.
If we want this industry to evolve, it begins inside the retreat
leader. It begins with healing the beliefs that say we are not
worthy of abundance. It begins with letting go of the idea that
financial ambition is selfish. It begins with remembering that
abundance, when paired with integrity, becomes a force for
good.
Profit is not the opposite of purpose. Profit is what fuels purpose.
And the more financially empowered retreat leaders become,
the more lives they will change.
VIEW THEIR FULL PROFILE ON RETREATMATCH.COM ---------
Erin B. Haag, founder of Luxury in Business
Retreats® and creator of Pricing Overhaul®, helps
retreat professionals build profitable businesses
and is known as the Retreat Industry Disruptor.
With 20+ years in pricing strategy and sales systems,
Erin blends sharp business acumen with soul-led
mentorship. Her methods shift money mindset, build confidence, and
drive results so clients can travel the world, transform lives, and get
paid well to do it - ideally with a glass of wine and cheese plate in hand.
21
RM Magazine
Premium Retreats Start
with Premium Spaces
LIST YOUR VENUE WITH
RetreatMatch.com
RetreatMatch connects premium venues with vetted
retreat leaders ready to book.
We’re a curated ecosystem of experienced facilitators,
wellness professionals, and conscious entrepreneurs searching
for spaces exactly like yours.
Your next ideal booking could be one listing away.