The minute Goop announced their first wellness retreat, around the time I had Olivia, I wanted to go! But, due to scheduling conflicts every time I was never able to make it. This year not only did Goop announce a Los Angeles retreat but on a weekend I had no plans! I booked immediately so I wouldn’t miss it again.
This year, In Goop Health, partnered with Porsche and hosted the event at the Porsche driving experience track/center in LA. Each ticket holder not only got to check the cars out but had a chance to drive a Taycan on a wet track plus a 911 on a winding race track. It was a blast!
200 attendees were separated into separate pods of 50 to keep things small and intimate. With a VIP ticket (these sold out instantly so I wasn’t able to get one) attendees met GP, had breakfast and extra classes. I received a green wristband; my schedule followed the green pod.
Starting The Day
First up was a welcoming meditation with Sebene Selassie. This was fabulous! It really set the intention for the day and I thought Sebene was amazing. After I grabbed a breakfast muffin, goop glow, my journal, and went to check my coat/bags in. I got there a bit late due to a late flight and Uber disaster.
My second session was Finding Purpose through Astrology with Chani. I really enjoyed this. We went deep into our sun and moon signs. I do wish this was a tad longer like maybe 30 minutes so we could have done a little more. We did receive a free month of her app in the gift bag so I am excited to try that out. (update Sadly, my code was missing.)
Ready for a turn around the track.
The electric Taycan not only screams race car but was stunning to look at. It had tons of space for all the stuff I carry. I had the chance to see how the car handles on a wet spinout track. Each driver hopped into a car equipped with a walkie and a driving coach on the other end to talk through the maneuver. This turned into a fun and super cool experience. I tried my hardest to spin the car but never got enough speed. My partner spun out twice and said it was really cool to experience.
Racing in a 911
I always joke I’d like to outrun someone in a chase but if you’ve ever driven with me you know that will never happen. So this experience was uber fun. I drove the red car and did my best to keep pace with the coach in the lead. It was so fun and I loved taking the turns and pushing it along the straightaways. I don’t ever see myself as a 911 owner but it was a great experience.
The Pop Up
Next up I had the chance to head into the gifting suite. After talking to several women who attended past retreats I realized this year was much smaller. Both in attendees and space and experiences. About 9 different popups were spread out for each pod to enjoy. Many of the women told me there was usually double that or more. The experience felt very intimate and exclusive. I liked never having to wait in line and having direct access to the speakers before/after the sessions to ask questions.
Slip had a pillow pit charging station and gave out eye masks+custom pillowcases.
Augustinus Bader had a facialist teaching face massage that I LOVED this was probably the best class. We received a cute headband and samples to do the massage. So great.
Ilia did foundation matching and touchups. Then gifted us our foundation! I was super excited about this. Ilia is a brand I am really falling into right now so the foundation match and gift were great.
Goop had a full shop and they gave out samples+tote bags GWP
Aura Inner Beauty had a collagen cocktail station. The drinks were delicious! I ended up going straight home and ordering the coconut collagen. Can’t wait until it gets here.
There was a Tarot Reader.
An Astrologist.
Equitea Co had a refreshment station.
B12 shots from Hydration Room.
Overall, the popup was super fun. I was excited about all of the gifts and discovering Aura Collagen was a HUGE win for me.
in Goop Health Wellness Retreat Lunch
Lunch was delicious. There were about 5 options to choose from. A salmon bento box, Chinese chicken salad, Chinese Salad sans Chicken, a Cobb salad, and a Mediterranean Plate. Plus a choice of Japanese Sweet Potato soup or Bone broth. I went with the Chinese Chicken Salad and sweet potato soup. Both were delicious!!! I In Goop Kitchen comes to Monterey soon.
The snack kitchen remained open all day. The crudites plate was delicious. There were cookies, brownies, smoothies, coffee, chips and so much healthy yummy food I didn’t know where to start.
in Goop Health Wellness Retreat Final Sessions
After lunch, I had two final sessions. Cultivating Creativity with Srini Pillay’s was an amazing masterclass on the power of positive thinking and creative excessing. Like naps, daydreaming, long mind wandering walks, and more. This was my favorite session and I was bummed he was the only book not in the gift bag. I ended up buying it on Audible. Halfway through and SOOO good.
My last session was Getting the Love You Want with Sara Nasserzadeh. She was a blast and so funny. Randomly, a lot of women at the retreat were mid-divorce or midlife crises. I can see how her workshop would be super helpful at that time in life. I found it a refreshing chat but my least favorite session.
Meeting GP!
Finally, the night ended with a chat between Mathew Walker and Gwenyth Paltrow. It was a great chat. I am obsessed with the Aura ring and I was excited to hear Mathew Walker is part of the company. I’ll do a review of the ring next week so tune back for more. GP ended the day with a chat with Jay Shetty. This was a fun and witty chat.
I left the day on a high. Packing my giant gift bag into a carry-on I brought just in case we didn’t get the signature In Goop Health Tumi bag (we didn’t) I ran off to the airport for my flight home. An awesome day.
The gift bag came stuffed full of everything you can find in the Goop shop! Many of the products have sat on my wishlist for ages.
Final Thoughts on the in Goop Health Retreat 2021
The day was awesome. I went in intimidated that I wouldn’t fit in. I like to follow goop but I don’t think of myself as a goopie. Sometimes, like GP’s Vogue SPF debacle, just makes me want to run from the brand but then I try a recipe or travel guide and I love them a little more. I worried about stepping into a world full of Golden Goose (I hate them), Goyard bags, and women who live breathed died goop. It wasn’t like that at all.
From the second I checked in I noticed a warm and inviting atmosphere. The whole Goop staff went out of their way to make all of us feel included and helped. They all smiled and were cheerful. Everyone kept asking us if we drove the cars yet and what we thought. They all seemed to really care.
I was surprised to see and meet women (there were a few men there) from all walks of life, different races and ages, and different body shapes. Most everyone I met was from California but held vastly different jobs. All of the women were friendly. Everyone I spoke with had a different goal for the day. Overall, the day ended in positivity and light. It was awesome and I can’t wait to go again.
