I was 27 when we built Sansara. At that age, I don’t think I fully understood wellness as an entire ecosystem. We simply built a place around the things we loves. Surf. Movement. Good food. Long days outside. Happy hour by the pool. Waking up sore and doing it all again the next morning.
And honestly we loved it.
I still love the surf, the adventure and the feeling of using my body and seeing what it can do. But now, in my forties, I think about everything surrounding those experiences differently.
If I want to keep doing the things I love, how do I need to support my body? What happens before I paddle out? What helps me feel strong while I’m out there? What does my body need afterward? How am I sleeping, eating, hydrating and recovering?
Lately, that has meant strength trainings, surf fitness, sauna, yoga and breathwork. I’ve been learning how to access my diaphragm and breathe differently, which is humbling, because you would think that, as a yogi, I would already know ho to breathe. The more I learn, the more I understand that nothing is really a one-off.
A yoga class is not separate from how you slept. Surfing is not separate from how you prepared your body. Recovery is not something you add only when something hurts.
Strength. Movement. Food. Hydration. Breath. Sleep. Recovery. Rest.
They are all connceted.
And as my understanding of wellness has evolved, Sansara has naturally begun evolving with it. We are thinking more deeply about the complete experience. What happens before an activity, how you are supported while you are doing it, and how your body is cared for afterward. We want guests to feel held through the entire experience, not simply offered a collection of separate wellness activities.
This is not about pushing through more for the sake of doing more. It is about creating the conditions to understand your body, move well, recover well and continue doing the things that make you feel alive for a very long time. Because getting older does not necessarily mean doing less. Sometimes it simply means learning to do things differently. Maybe that is what wellness means to me now.
Not adding more to your life. Creating the conditions to feel better in the life you already have.
Some things should feel familiar from the moment you arrive.
The new wellness space is become more real every week. We are now deep in the details, the ones that might seem small but ultimately determine how a space makes you feel. I find myself walking through and imagining how everything will connect. How you will move from one room into another. Where recovery belongs. How the materials will feel beneath your hands and feet. Where the light will enter. What you will see and perhaps even more importantly, what you will feel, when you first walk through the door.
There is one detail I am particularly excited about. The fountain at Sansara’s entrance has become such a familiar part of arriving here. You hear the water before you have even put your bags down. It immediately brings a sense of calm, almost as if your body knows it can begin to exhale. It is a small detail, but it is unmistakably part of Sansara. So, when we began thinking about the entrance to the new wellness space, I kept coming back to that feeling. We are bringing in another fountain. Not as a copy. And not simply for decoration. I see it as a small thread connecting the Sansara we already know and love with everything we are creating next. Because while this building is new, I never want it to feel separate from what surrounds it. I want it to feel as though it has always belonged here. The natural materials. The open air. The textures. The sound of water. The way you move between inside and outside. All the things that make Sansara feel like Sansara.
A new space, with the same sense of arrival. And perhaps that is the part I am most excited about. We are adding more ways to move, recover and take care of ourselves, without losing the feeling that made Sansara feel like home in the first place.
Does recovery become more important as we get older?
The honest answer is, it can. But not because you turn 40 and suddenly need to stop doing the things you love. Women’s bodies change through midlife, and hormonal shifts can influence muscle mass, strength and how the body responds to exercise. The science around recovery is still evolving, and there is no single rule that applies to every woman. Research on estrogen and female skeletal muscle.
What feels especially encouraging is that our bodies remain remarkably capable of becoming stronger. Research has found that woman can improve strength and balance through resistance training regardless of menopause status. In other words, aging does not mean that our bodies stop adapting. Study on strength and balance across menopause.
So perhaps the most useful question is not: Should I start doing less?
It is: What does my body need so I can keep doing well?
Training creates stimulus. But sleep, food, hydration, mobility, breath and appropriate rest create the conditions that allow the body to respond and prepare us to do it again.
For a more woman-centered perspective on training and recovery through midlife, we also appreciate the work of Dr. Stacy Sims and Dr. Vonda Wright.
With love, Janel | Cambutal, Panamá
Soulscape | November 7 – 14, 2026
Medtreks | November 29 – December 5, 2026
Coastline Retreat | December 12 – 19, 2026
The ocean never hurries, yet everything unfolds in perfect time…
The question isn’t whether you need space, rest, or renewal. It’s when you’ll choose it for yourself.
Whether you’re ready for sunrise yoga, spa bliss, nourishing meals, or an epic surf retreat, we’re here holding space for your journey. | Inquire within.