We moved, we laughed, we danced, we cried, we vibed, we went #AllinFullOut—and had a very, very good time. From May 5-7, the 2023 obé Member Retreat, presented by Athleta, brought 75 members from all over North America (representing 26 U.S. states and 1 Canadian province!) to meet each other, IRL.
Set against the stunning backdrop of springtime in New York City (home to obé HQ), the retreat was an opportunity for obé members to connect with each other, work out with their favorite obé instructors, and take their movement journeys to the next level. What unfolded was absolutely electric.
From rooftop happy hours and mega mashups to personal tours of the Box (our technicolor studio) and lots of self-care moments in between, this was a weekend for the books. Here, we reminisce on 13 reasons why this year’s member retreat was one we’ll never forget.
1. Friday night on a Dumbo rooftop.
Talk about excitement in the air! To set the tone for the weekend, members met up at obé HQ in Dumbo, Brooklyn for happy hour, mingling, delicious bites by PLANTA, and opening remarks from obé co-Founders Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills. With obé Your Body signature cocktails 🍸 in hand, we soaked up views of the Manhattan Bridge and skyline, the city twinkling as the sun set.
2. Getting our photos taken in the Box.
Turns out dreams do come true. Each of our retreat attendees got personal tours of the Box—plus the colorful obé closet where instructors pick their vibrant sets AND the getting ready station where they perfect their on-screen looks. Not to mention, the ultimate #spotlight moment: Personal photos in the Box, the colors dancing around them!
3. The epic gift bag.
Good thing we told members to leave space in their suitcases. The retreat gift bag (a $600+ value) was stocked with goods from some iconic brands, both up-and-coming and established. On top of the hot list: Athleta, Boxed Water, and Ness (our #trifecta retreat sponsors). Members could also find gifts from Amika, Athena Club, Catbird, Liquid IV, Bombas, Recess, Athletic Greens, Love Wellness, Parade, Loops, Goode, and GIR. Now that’s a self-care package.
4. The matching Athleta fits.
The star of the gift bag: A full Athleta ‘fit—featuring options for a sports bra, tank, tee, tights—and Saysh sneakers, plus a yoga mat to take home. We audibly gasped when everyone arrived Saturday morning dressed in their favorite picks for the ultimate matching #PowerOfShe moment. (Take a peek here!)
5. The mega mashups.
That’s right, mashups, plural. The first: A low-impact Sculpt + Pilates + Barre medley with Katherine M., Mary W., and Marcia M. Set in the beautiful Athleta, SoHo store, the music was a total vibe, the arm section brought a major burn, and we learned how to use towels in new (and profound) ways.
The second option? A high-impact, high-energy workout (aka Strength + HIIT + Cardio Boxing) with Dorian C., Alex S., and Ana C. that left us breathless and glowing. We’ll never forget how Dorian left it up for the members to pick the next move (star jumps? high knees? planks?) in the sweaty finisher—with obé OG Kristy interrupting her flow by calling out for a (much-needed) 10-second savasana.
6. Ashley Mills’ keynote presentation.
Spending 3 days in obé land? Magic. Getting an exclusive look under the curtain of all that’s to come for obé from co-Founder and co-CEO Ashley? Priceless. Walking us through the future vision for the platform, Ashley broke down why healthy habit formation is a lot bigger than committing to a plan and hoping it sticks—especially for women. With the latest science and research behind her, Ashley shared anecdotes from her own life as a wellness entrepreneur and mother-of-three to power her keynote: It’s Time to Rethink How We Build Healthy Habits.
7. The spicy mat chat with obé instructors.
And then, co-Founder and co-CEO Mark Mullett took the stage as host for an exclusive mat chat with a handful of obé instructors. (Word on the street is that he gave Kelly Ripa a run for her money.) On the agenda: Bouncing around a few hot topics, playing games (“and the instructor most likely to accidentally cuss in class is…?”), and answering members’ burning questions. This was a high. energy. moment.
8. …And the plank-off between members and Mark Mullett.
But the cherry on top? When a spontaneous plank-off pitted two brave (and strong AF) obé members against Mark himself. There are some details we can’t quite disclose (if you know, you know), but let’s just say the members emerged victorious, with plenty of laughing material for everyone involved.
9. All the self-care activations at Shopify.
After the morning sessions, it was time to play. Members got to choose their own adventure in the obéified SoHo Shopify space, floating from the Amika Braid Bar for fresh looks, the Glowbar Express Facials station for pampering, and the Modern Age for Wellness Assessments and optional Vitamin Injections. For the ultimate recharge moment, members could stop by the cozy Athleta Lounge. And did we mention a magical claw machine housed tons of obé swag to win?
10. The #DanceTeam energy.
Three words: Mega dance party. The energy brought by the obé #DanceTeam instructors was unreal. Together we shook our hips, grapevined, body rolled, and danced like no one was watching. Not only did we get our sweat on, but we learned a saucy combo that is sure to fire up any dance floor.
11. The big night out.
All we can say is that the obé fam knows how to dress up. Meeting at the classy Pearl Alley on iconic Pier 17 in Seaport (with stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge, FiDi, and the rising full moon), we mingled for another epic cocktail hour. The ultimate head-turning moment? When Marissa I. and Kat B. got a group of members to perform their #DanceTeam choreo with total class and confidence.
12. Sunday yoga and the sound bath to wrap it all up.
After a busy Saturday, the vibes reached a state of total zen Sunday morning for our yoga medley. Starting with a warm Yoga Sculpt, we eased into a more gentle, restorative yoga flow, ending with a stunning, ethereal sound bath by yogi Francesca V. that dropped us back into our bodies. The whole yobé fam found their ultimate chill before the closing remarks for the retreat. And at that point, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 🥲
13. All the new friends.
But the most beautiful thing of all? Getting to witness new friendships flourish and longer-term connections deepen. We saw women who traveled alone come out of the weekend with new BFFs. We saw squads who’ve stayed in touch over Facebook and Instagram for years despite living in different cities flourish together in person. And we saw everyone excited to bond over the shared love for movement.
There were smiles, laughs, (lots of) dancing, women opening up to each other, camaraderie, and a safe space for all to authentically show up as their truest selves. Over the course of our three days together it was this that set the foundation for every marvel and show-stopping moment: community is really everything—and obé is full of it.
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