Tucked away in the middle of Majorca, close to the village of Sencelles, lies the location for The Body Camp. Having met the owner Kate Whale nearly 10 years ago when she oversaw another camp, I was intrigued to discover what her own had to offer in comparison. And what a difference. The one I attended was like a military boot camp, this has an all over body, mind and soul approach. Serving vegan food only – though they added eggs into the mix this year – I had never had a plant-based diet before so this was going to be a whole new experience for me!
Arriving at the Camp in a taxi from Palma airport, I was both nervous and excited…. I was greeted with a very warm welcome by Kate and made to feel at home immediately, instantly reminding me of the time I nearly died on the top of the Atlas Mountain in Morocco on the first camp I attended, when I was pushed down a sliding slope by a mule!
The group was going to be small, only 20! I was excited but also nervous. Our first gathering was at dinner, and we were told that no one cares what they do for work etc. There are no judgements here. Attending was everyone from an optician, a partner in an electrical firm, a famous TV actress, a charismatic celebrity hairdresser Louis Byrne, a retired businessman and his wife, a stay-at-home dad with his new girlfriend, to a trio of lovely girls who work for the Hearst Group, including one for Cosmopolitan mag.
Kate’s brother Ben was the head chef and the food from day one was nothing less than exceptional. Ben and his team delivered incredible dishes and even though I was on the smallest portion I never felt starving (you have three size meal choices according to what you want to achieve).
That night at dinner we were told what the next day was going to entail, the exercise programme and timings for everything since the first day was full on all compulsory. But, future days we were told afternoons were optional. You could also book massages, facials, reflexology, reiki and more. I booked into everything plus two extra personal training sessions! I wanted the full experience.
The exercise programme was run by the super charismatic Rick who pushed everyone to do their best, but never judged anyone in the process. Encouragement was something he excels at, and you couldn’t be looked after by anyone better. He’s a very experienced trainer and is very zen at the same time – mind, body and soul. All these aspects, not just the exercise, need to be worked at.
I flung myself into the camp fully and took advantage of every aspect. A particular highlight for me was a bicycle ride in the local village led by none other than Rick, who models himself on Tom Cruise and loves everything 80s! He made the whole week fun.
There are no weight or body measurements taken throughout the week, which for me I would have found useful and was the only negative I can think of, but that’s personal choice. I came home with no weight loss but for sure extra muscle!
My own experience of the week made me realise that I had deep rooted issues that came out with a lot of emotion, but was probably good for me ultimately. This was a real journey for me. I would highly recommend this camp to anyone – go for it, take the plunge, who knows you might just love it! I look forward to going back!
For more information go to The Body Camp.
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