I had been following Teri for a while on Instagram, and had the good fortune to meet her in person at a photography conference. I was instantly in love with her energy and I had the feeling that I needed to be a part of whatever she was up to. So I was really excited when a spot opened up to body image BootCamp! I signed up on a whim. I won’t lie,

There was a part of me that was hesitant about the investment. I knew the price was completely fair for what was being offered, but I had never invested that much money on myself, or attended a retreat with other women— this felt extravagant. Who was I to spend this money on myself? I can tell you that the experience was 110% worth it. It was a very healing experience. It was one of the highlights of my year. I walked away with new friends. I walked away with amazing memories, and I walked away with more tools to love and accept myself.

Teri is such an amazing facilitator who holds space for all the women and their personalities and their fears and their insecurities and somehow we manage to have so much fun while doing some very hard inner work. If you are on the fence, don’t hesitate. This experience will change your life.

If I could describe Body Image Bootcamp in one word, it would be connection. Reconnecting with myself, my body, my inner child & the silent battles I have about my reflection. I admit I am guilty of always capturing memories FOR myself but not OF myself. I now realize the big difference. From start to finish, Teri and Beth created a beautiful balance of relaxation & time to strip down (literally or figuratively) and be bare. I’m forever thankful for those moments of being seen and heard.

I could never thank Teri and Beth enough for everything I gained at BIBC! I knew I wanted more for my business and Teri's training would help me get there! The entire retreat was set up to help me connect with myself and bond with my fellow attendees. I felt truly free here. A safe space to share with everyone! The food and staff are over the top! I am forever changed! I received more than I could've ever expected from this training!

I did have reservations but it wasn’t about the experience or learning from Teri, it was my personal mom guilt of leaving my toddler son for an extended time period. I’m a single parent and had my son right before Covid, so I hadn’t spent any time away from him in 2.5 years. But ultimately I knew it would be worthwhile because I have learned from Teri in many other classes and workshops and I simply love being around Teri. I also knew it would help give me a break from the stress of being a solo parent (because the mental load and worry is a lot) and a break from the stressors of running a business (again that mental load!). It turned out to be an amazing 5 days of challenging myself in so many ways AND the built in breaks to decompress were perfect, because I honestly don’t take any breaks unless I’m forced to.

Teri teaches a lot of ways to look at how we interpret bodies, speak about bodies, and show bodies. She also teaches self compassion and self care. The ultimate take away was reframing what society has taught us and really being deliberate about inclusivity, the language we use, and the way we think until it becomes a natural practice to not only think about others but to be kind to and have grace for ourselves.
And also taking some time to digest and decompress. Teri will make you take downtime for yourself so you can be present, though I’m still trying to work that into my daily life.

Absolutely do it. Teri is a phenomenal human who is knowledgeable, compassionate, welcoming, and honest. She will challenge you with care. Even if you solely go to be in the company of Teri, it’s completely worth it. Plus the food and accommodations are top notch, give yourself this gift.

I was extremely worried about going to Teri's Body Image Boot Camp because I have this fear of not fitting in. I feel like I am not liked & it's terrifying. Also groups of strangers, talking about all of our issues and opening up and being vulnerable sounded extremely scary, however Teri and her team made our space feel so safe and so secure that even before I got there, I felt welcome. Teri and her team give you so many details on what to bring and how to prepare all the way down to the layout of the airport. They were incredibly supportive.

I also had to have a roommate which terrified me because I'm not one that really likes to share rooms & I like my private space BUT there's enough space in this house to have plenty of alone time, as well as restrooms/showers.

This BIBC really helped me look within myself and find a lot of the reasons I feel the way I feel. I was able to really have some "aha" moments. All the conversations that we all had, along with our private journal prompts, really helped me to understand a lot of the feelings that I have with my body and society in general when it comes to biases and stigmas on bodies.

I know that going out of the country on a trip by yourself & meeting with a group of strangers sounds incredibly intimidating, at least it was to me, but I would do it again and again and again because this experience is so eye-opening! It allows you to really dig deep into your past and into who you are because of it. My feelings were validated, I felt seen and I felt heard. It was such an incredible journey into more self discovery and I'll be forever thankful.

Body Image Boot camp…where to start. I had no idea what all it was about, none. I had “found” Teri on FB and followed her group. When she announced that registration was open, I signed up right away.

I wanted to do what I had been encouraging my clients to do- spend money on themselves, reflect, grow, experience, be brave & do the things, take time for just them, etc. So, I took a leap.

My biggest takeaway from the experience was the validation that who I am and what I do (put into the world) is important. On all the levels.
The biggest difference in my life before and after BIBC? I hear voices….. No really, I do. When I have those moments of doubt, I hear encouragement. Crazy fatphobia self-talk, I hear curiosity. Scared, I hear sweet voices talking about courage. Not being kind to myself, I hear words of compassion. I am not feeling authentic, I hear voices asking why. Voices that belong to all my amazing friends that I found at BIBC training.

If your curious and wondering if this is for you my advice is 100% do it. You will grow, learn and experience things you didn’t even know you needed to and then some.

I had no hesitations about signing up. It was one of the “fuck yes!” decisions of my life. My only challenge was to convince my husband-at-the-time that it was financially worth it. He didn’t like the idea of investing in myself, and building confidence in myself. We divorced shortly before the retreat!

So many key takeaways from attending BIBC, that’s its hard to pick just one.

1. Where you spend your money, is where your intentions lie. I realized that I spent a lot of money on things that were superficial, not really things I valued at my core.
2. Designing a business that works for you. I don’t have to structure my business like anyone else, and that’s okay.
3. The importance of rest. I haven’t taken off more than a day or two from work in TEN YEARS. Just being able to rest and listen to what my body wanted to do was a new experience for me. That will stay with me forever.
4. Just the beauty of Puerto Vallarta. That will stay with me forever. The house was absolutely stunning.

To someone considering BIBC: Definitely do it! I have already been telling all my friends in the industry to book. It was truly a positive life experience for me. Absolutely priceless.

I loved watching the sky change from bruised purple, city lights winking like painted stars, to faded baby blanket blue from my shower window.

I loved connecting with so many beautiful humans on a soul level. We shared meals, space, insecurities, and stories.

We remembered that we were wild and natural and shameless, just like the clouds at the tips of tropical storm Roslyn’s long gray hair. If nature is mother, we are her daughters. Self love and love for our sisters is the ultimate rebellion.

We watched the sun slide below the horizon five times, each time a different, but equally beautiful sunset. Each night, the sky was the largest, most beautiful painting in the world, flanked by mountains and the city, framed by red clay rooftops, and mirrored by the ocean.

Living in this space, with these people, was a homecoming my soul knew that I needed more than my mind did.

We listened for earthquakes as we skinny dipped, we held hands, we stuck our toes in the Pacific, we yelled, we created art, we painted each other in glitter, we stood naked amongst palm trees, we laughed, and we cohabitated with geckos and coati and dragonflies.

I didn’t become, I met who I’ve always been. I had no idea how much I missed her.