Summer Self Care DIY Retreat: Fire Element Theme (Increase Strength, Discipline, Energy)
In this post I’ll help you create your own Fire element self care retreat.
You’ll want to theme your retreat around the FIre element if you are trying to increase your strength, improve your discipline or boost your energy.
Your ideal Fire element self care/yoga retreat itinerary/activity ideas include:
• Sunset Yoga + Hiking Experience
• Yoga for the Fire Element
• Hiking (Feast Your Eyes on Amazing Views)
• Try A Sauna in a Nordic Style Bathhouse
• Spicy Foods (Asheville Local Restaurants)
I live here and Asheville is also known for it’s hippie-ish, alternative, healing vibes as well as great food, festivals and live music.
If you’re local, use this to plan a self-care stay-cation, discover new things to do and support your neighbors & Asheville business owners!
If you’re nearby (in the US, especially the Southeast), use this as a resource to plan your next wellness/self-care trip to Asheville, North Carolina.
Alternatively, you can also order many things online and apply the principles & ideas here to plan your own retreat wherever you are.
⛔ Contraindications: Excessive heat, intense abdominal yoga poses, fire breath pranayama, hot tubs, saunas and spicy food are not recommended for pregnant women.
You ARE the Fire Element!
Your body transforms food into energy through your digestive process in the belly.
Fire is associated with the third chakra: Manipura or the Solar Plexus Chakra. It is located in abdomen (belly). Fire represents heat, power, strength, transformation and digestion.
The sense most associated with the fire element is sight.
The season most associated with the Fire element is Summer, but it’s good to keep in touch with all the elements year round.
Spend time in the sunshine, around campfires and admire sunrises and sunsets to appreciate and connect more with the Fire element in Nature.
Sunset Yoga + Hiking Experience
Join our Sunset Vortex Yoga Hiking Tour offered every evening (weather-permitting) from April to October. Enjoy a short - but steep - hike and then bask in a mountaintop sunset. Up to 2 miles easy-moderate trail guided hike, guided meditation, guided yoga at 5600 feet. This location is said to be a natural vortex. Free lightweight yoga mats to borrow provided by your local guide & certified yoga teacher.
⏱️ Up to 2 hours 🚗 Approximately 18 Miles / 34 Minutes from Downtown Asheville
You can also join our Relaxing Waterfall Yoga Hike or Beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway Vortex Yoga Hike!
Yoga for the Fire Element
Learn five of my favorite ab-working asanas, aka Top 5 Fire element yoga poses each with three variations/progressions of the pose from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
▶️ Try this quick 5 Minute Yoga Fire Breath breathing exercise (pranayama) any time you need a Natural Energy Boost.
Then, choose your challenge:
▶️ Level 1: Beginner 25 Minute Gentle Yoga Flow for Energy & Core Strength
▶️ Level 2: 25 Minute Energizing Morning Yoga Flow (Abs & Core Strength)
▶️ Level 3: 20 Minute Yoga Core/Abs Challenge
Keep practicing these videos once per week (or more) to progress through the levels, flatten your belly and continue building your core strength!
Hiking (Feast your eyes on amazing views)
The sense most associated with the fire element is sight. Enjoy the health benefits of hiking along with incredible views at these locations:
• Looking Glass Rock
• Devil’s Courthouse
• Black Balsam Knob
• Sam Knob
• Frying Pan Mountain (Lookout Tower)
• Mount Pisgah
• Chimney Rock
• Bearwallow Mountain
• Wildcat Rock
• Craggy Pinnacle
Try A Sauna in a Nordic Style Bathhouse
Hot and cold contrast is an ancient tradition proven to help alleviate modern day stress. Sauna House is social but chill; come experience an environment that restores and resets the body and mind. Three saunas, cold showers, cold plunge, heated furniture, and a fantastic massage therapy team.
As your body temperature increases, so does your blood plasma volume. This expansion dilates your blood vessels keeping your arteries soft, supple, and compliant. To prevent your core from overheating, more blood is directed to your limbs. Increased blood flow drives oxygen deeper into muscles and joint tissue which shortens the time it takes injuries to heal and increases the body's ability to recover from athletic performance. It also soothes aches and chronic pain. Sauna sends richly oxygenated blood to the brain to improve cognitive functions.
They keep the aspen wood wet sauna at 180 degrees and allow water to be added to the rocks. The cedar sauna is dry and keeps temp at 192 degrees. The cold showers are 60 degrees and the cold plunge is 52 degrees.
Closed on Wednesdays but open every other day by reservation only.
230 Short Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Best Spicy Food in Asheville
Try incorporating more spices into your diet that heat up the body but still have anti-inflammatory properties like ginger and turmeric. These spices also aid in digestion.
Here are some of my favorite spots to find spicy food in Asheville.
Blue Dream Curry House
Blue Dream Curry House is a delicious, affordable journey of flavor serving curries from around the world including Indian, Thai and Vietnamese. Their food has many international flavors using fresh, local produce and proteins.
81 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Salsa’s (Mexican Cuisine)
Salsa’s serves Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner and you can buy their Hector’s Smokin’ Habañero Hot Sauce in person or online.
6 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Chai Pani (Indian Street Food)
Chai Pani literally means “tea and water.” It's slang in India for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or “a little something.” They serve Indian street food from four time James Beard nominated chef Meherwan Irani.
22 Battery Park Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801
Chai Pani Indian Street Food
Mamacita’s Taqueria (Mexican Cuisine)
Established in 2004, Mamacita’s Taqueria is a locally-owned family business, serving up fresh, made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine in a casual, convenient downtown Asheville location. Try one of the dishes with their House-Pickled Jalapenos.
77-A Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Laughing Seed Cafe
Laughing Seed Cafe is one of the most delicious and famous vegetarian restaurants in Asheville. Some of their spicier choices include buffalo tacos, jalapeño onion fries and BBQ jackfruit.
40 Wall St, Asheville, NC 28801
Sending you good vibes for your Fire themed yoga retreat!
See a Map of Asheville and Travel/Accommodation Recommendations here.
Let me know in the comments what you are looking forward to most on this list and how/when you complete your own Fire retreat!
💖 Miranda
Here are some more posts you will find useful:
Book one of our pre-planned retreats
Create Your Own Yoga Retreat: Earth Element Theme (Rest, Relaxation, Reflection, Relieve Anxiety/Stress)
Create Your Own Yoga Retreat: Water Element Theme (Creativity, Passion, Sexuality)
Create Your Own Yoga Retreat: Full Moon Theme (Letting Go, Learning, Self-Reflection)
Create Your Own Yoga Retreat: New Moon (New Beginnings, Self-Improvement)
