Why Black Women Need Retreats More Than Anyone
Black women are some of the strongest, most resilient, most capable women on this planet. We hold families together. We build businesses. We show up for our communities, our children, our partners, our colleagues, often simultaneously, often without acknowledgement, and almost always without complaint.
And we are exhausted.
Not the tired that a good night’s sleep fixes. The deep, bone-level, soul-level exhaustion that comes from decades of being everything to everyone while consistently being last on our own list.
And yet, when it comes to wellness retreats, spa days, rest, and intentional self-care…
Black women are statistically among the least likely to invest in it for themselves.
We call it indulgent. We call it unnecessary. We say we cannot afford it, cannot leave the family, cannot justify the expense when there are bills to pay and people who need us.
But here is what I want to ask you today.
Can you afford not to?
The weight Black women carry
There is something called the Strong Black Woman schema. It is a cultural expectation deeply ingrained, passed down through generations, that Black women should be strong, self-sufficient, emotionally resilient, and endlessly capable of handling whatever life throws at them without breaking down.
And while strength is genuinely one of our greatest gifts, the pressure to always be strong , to never need rest, to never ask for help, to never put yourself first is quietly destroying our health.
This is not weakness. This is the inevitable result of carrying too much for too long without ever putting it down.
What rest actually does for your body
I want to talk about something that most wellness conversations skip over. The biological impact of chronic stress on Black women’s bodies specifically.
When you are under constant stress, and let us be honest, most of us are. Your body produces elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is your stress hormone. And when it is chronically elevated, it does something very specific to your body.
It stores fat, particularly around the abdomen. It disrupts your sleep. It throws your hunger hormones completely off balance, making you hungrier and less able to recognise fullness. It affects your mood, your focus, your energy, and your immune system.
And here is the connection that most people miss. All the clean eating and consistent workouts in the world will struggle to produce lasting results if your nervous system is stuck in a permanent state of stress and survival.
Rest is not a reward you earn after you lose the weight. Rest is part of the process.
And intentional, structured rest, the kind that a wellness retreat provides is one of the most powerful things you can do for your physical health, your hormones, your metabolism, and your mental wellbeing.
Why Black women resist retreats
I have had so many conversations with Black women about this. And the resistance almost always comes down to the same things.
It feels selfish. Who will take care of the children? Who will manage the house? Who will hold everything together while I am gone?
The answer which I say with so much love is that, your family will be fine for five days. They will survive. And you will come home so much more present, so much more patient, so much more joyful and energised that the five days you gave yourself will give them a better version of you for months.
It feels expensive. And I understand this completely. But I want you to think about what you spend money on without hesitation for the people you love. School fees. Birthday gifts. Holidays for the family. Hair, nails. Everything and everyone except yourself.
You are worth investing in. Your health is worth investing in. And the return on a genuine wellness reset in energy, clarity, confidence, and physical health is one of the best investments you will ever make.
It feels indulgent. As if wanting rest and peace and time for yourself is somehow greedy when there are people who need you.
But sis, you cannot pour from an empty cup. And the women who show up most powerfully for the people they love are the women who have learned to show up for themselves first.
What a retreat actually gives you
I hosted my first retreat after experiencing one myself. And what I witnessed in myself and in every woman who has come to my retreats since is nothing short of transformative.
Women arrive carrying everything. The stress, the hormonal changes, the weight that will not shift, the quiet sense that something is off and nobody quite understands. They arrive a little nervous, a little unsure, a little guilty for even being there.
By day three, something shifts. The shoulders drop. The jaw unclenches. The laughter comes from somewhere deep and free. Women who arrived as strangers are sharing things they have never said out loud. Women who have been suffering in silence for years are finally feeling seen.
And by the last day, they are glowing. Not just rested but transformed.
Because that is what happens when a Black woman finally gives herself permission to stop. To breathe, to be taken care of, to learn about her body and her hormones and her health without guilt or apology.
She remembers who she is beneath all the roles she carries. And she goes home as a better, fuller, more powerful version of herself.
This October I want that for you
April Laugh Hormone & Metabolism Reset Retreat is coming to Lanzarote, Spain this October. And I am extending a very personal invitation to every Black woman reading this who has been putting herself last for far too long.
Five days at the stunning Paradisus Salinas resort on the volcanic coastline of the Canary Islands. Five days of expert-led workshops on hormones, metabolism, and perimenopause. Movement that feels joyful and intentional. Nourishing meals taken care of entirely. Creative experiences. Pool days. Spa access. And a community of incredible women — many of them just like you — who are finally choosing themselves.
October 26–30, 2026 · Lanzarote, Spain.Only 5 rooms remaining.
This retreat is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And you deserve it.
You have been strong for everyone else for long enough.
For five days in October, let someone be strong for you. 💛
