Body Image Bootcamp 2026
It has been more than 3 months since we’ve left BIBC and I still can’t help thinking about the magic that happened - not just for the attendees but also for myself. This year we decided to do BIBC in a different place which meant different rules, expectations and experiences. Instead of the home at the top of the sky bucket in Puerto Vallarta, we opted for a retreat style location in Baja, Mexico. When Beth and I considered how we wanted things to change with BIBC moving forward, one of the things we talked about was ideally less humidity and so we found a gorgeous retreat center (Topia Boutique Retreat Center) which has access to the ocean while also being in a mountain desert area. Surrounded by cacti and palm trees was surreal, but the weather was so much more delightful for both Beth and I haha! One of the other things we did differently, was that we added on a complimentary day so that folks could arrive in Cabot and be greeted with a cute hotel stay so we could get to know each other before heading out to the retreat center!
Secondary, the food provided at this retreat center is all locally sourced from farmers and prepared with love by the beautiful staff members. One thing I had to contend with was that food was not always accessible and this allowed me to do my own inner work around food anxiety - knowing that we would have more than enough at the meals, so why was I frustrated to not have it whenever I wanted it? It brought me back to my relationship with food as warped by diet culture and restriction and the rebellious inner child who hated being told what to do. That being said, because of the way the food was prepared, provded, and timed I was never hungry, I never crashed throughout the day, and I had so much energy and clarity! There’s something to be said for the way it was structured and it took me having a chat with my inner child to realize the benefits of it, which I have now since applied to my life back home to regulate my blood sugar and satiety!
One of the things that was a wee bit different as well, was the ability to be nude as often (out of respect for the staff that stayed on during the days). That being said, the nights were ours and we were able to exist as naturally as we all felt comfortable as we sat around the fire. Interestingly enough, though, it wasn’t as hot as previous years and so the desire to strip your clothes off was also not as intense (lol). I’m not going to lie at first I was thrown off, as we had spoken with the owners about the importance of the nudity/semi-nudity aspect of the work we do at BIBC and they assured us it would be possible, but upon arrival things had changed. And if you know me, you know how I hate when expectations are dashed - but we did what we do best and we compromised with them to make it possible while also accommodating the wishes of the staff. One of the other things we were told was that there would be a TV for us to teach with (as we’ve had in the past), but upon arrival there was no TV available for us and while at first I was frantically thinking about it, I leaned into “It is what it is, how can we make the best of it” not realizing that NOT having a TV actually made BIBC BETTER. It forced folks to truly listen and take notes instead of just grabbing a picture of the screen and thus, the content was absorbed at a much higher rate. It also encourage better discussion and consideration of what I was asking and thus, going forward - presentation for the audience? Not required! Plus, the workbooks are so robust with the necessary images, that we didn’t even skip a beat. For the folks that are more visual, we provided a link to the slides so they could have access to the content to review if needed.
Now, in addition to those changes, there were some delightfully fun things that we got to do because of the new location! First, upon registration our attendees had the choice of deciding what local charity part of their registration would support: Pescadero Bomberos, Cerritos Beach Dogs, or Madre Teresa and we surprised the attendees with a visit to Cerritos Beach Dog Cafe where we got to meet and walk the very dogs they supported! (I tried to talk Beth into starting a small fire, so the Pescadero Bomberos would have to come rescue us, but they said “no” ~ whatever). We also headed into town so we could get some souvenirs and enjoy the local vibes.
The other fun thing we got to do was head to a “secret” local beach where wild horses roam and they set up a little picnic for us where we enjoyed burritos and ceviche. Some of us spent our time collecting shells and rocks (I know you are shocked by this). I also took Robyn (one of our magical attendees) and photographed her on the epic rock faces!
Lastly, the retreat center itself has a beautiful room designed for yoga and exercise, but I took it over to do my magical nude portraits of the attendees on their last night before we sat down to a beautiful dinner where they brought in a musician to play for us while we ate and then danced. We concluded that last night with a dance party, learning line dancing, and sitting nudi judy around the fire together as we shared what the week meant to us each.
Of course, in between the delicious food, the joyful dancing, and the fun excursions, we were learning a lot. Both from the curriculum and each others stories. One of my favorite things is getting to listen as the attendees chatted about how the curriculum applied to their specific experiences and continued the conversations long after we had ended class. I loved being able to photograph each person and showcase their individuality and one of the things we did differently this year, is that I did TWO portrait sessions of the attendees. One featuring them in items that they felt confident in and the other in their most natural form. I loved chatting with each of them about their fears around being photographed and then showing them how to use the very tools they had just learned to apply to their photoshoot experience so that they could see themselves with kinder eyes.
Because there were a lot of things that changed, one thing I learned about myself at this retreat, is that I get really irritable when things are out of my control and that irritability happens because my brain has to restrategize and it means I have no capacity for niceties. As such, I’ve learned to communicate with people that I am just strategizing and need a moment to myself so as not to impact other people’s experiences.
AND I also learned that even though things are out of my control sometimes, it actually ends up being for the better…IF I LET IT. Instead of forcing it. Kinda like body image, if you think about it. If we stop trying to control our bodies so much, it actually ends up being better for our brains and emotions.I never realized how much stress I would put on myself to ENSURE the attendees would have a good time and walk away with good things to say and while yes, I strive to make sure that happens - I also had to realize that I cannot control everything NOR anyone! We can show up and do the best that we can with the greatest of intentions, but ultimately folks are their own autonomous beings and their experience will be theirs and things will happen beyond our control.
Overall, this year I felt that Body Image Bootcamp had so much more room to breathe and I’m excited to see what this means for it moving forward. The more I loosen the reigns and trust my & Beth’s gifts for showing up and creating a beautiful space for folks to explore their relationship to themselves and their bodies, the more the magic is able to flow with ease.
