Bikini Bootcamp

Amansala comes from the Sanskrit words for peace and water. Just two hours south from Cancun, Mexico, the Amansala Resort--home of the Bikini Bootcamp--is located in Tulum, Mexico. Guests stay in cabanas on the white, sandy beach.

One of my favorite memories from Bikini Bootcamp was the Mayan clay treatment. Melissa Periman, owner of the Amansala Resort, mixed together the ancient mud and honey, while leading us through a meditation and assuring us that the ritual would draw impurities from our bodies. They clay was cold at first, but as I rubbed it over my body, I felt connected to the group around me. Perhaps it's because we all looked ridiculous? We giggled and helped each other cover the hard to reach places on our backs. Our inhibitions lowered as we made our way to the water's edge and allowed the sun to harden our war paint. As I stood in front of the ocean, I heard nothing but the rhythmic sound of waves against the sand. It was Valentine's Day 2011, and I was near the end of two years of back to back deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. I began to relax for the first time in years and allowed myself to be overcome by the possibility of peace.