Rant: That $120 'self care' retreat I went to last month was a total scam

I dropped $120 on a 'wellness retreat' thinking it would help me deal with my fake smile problem at work. Instead it was just 8 hours of forced group hugs and someone telling me to 'breathe into my sadness'. The only thing I left with was a lighter wallet and a headache from the incense. Has anyone else paid for something like this and just felt worse after?

3 comments

3 Comments

milarodriguez1mo ago

Lmao same energy as when I paid $80 for a "sound bath" and it was just a guy playing one of those singing bowls off-key for an hour while I sat on a damp towel. I think the only thing I healed was my bank account being $120 lighter and my ability to fake a smile when someone asks "how was it?" Honestly, next time I'll just buy myself a fancy coffee and a new candle and call it self care, at least I'll smell nice and feel caffeinated instead of ripped off and incense-burnt. Hope your fake smile is at least getting a good workout from pretending that retreat was helpful 😂

the_elliot1mo ago

Hold on though, $120 for a full day retreat is actually pretty cheap when you break it down. Most legit wellness programs cost way more than that, like $300 to $500 for a similar length. You probably got what you paid for, which is a bare bones operation that didn't have real trainers or counselors. The whole "breathe into your sadness" thing is a red flag too, that's not how proper somatic work is done. Next time look for something that lists specific credentials for the facilitators, not just vague "healers" or "coaches." It sucks you had a bad time, but the price point itself should have been a warning.

the_mary1mo ago

@the_elliot nailed it, cheap retreats usually mean cheap results, look for certified folks next time.