Our Story
How it All Started....
Nestled in the heart of the Zanzibar bush lies Zen Boutique Resort and the home of Live Life Retreats, a peaceful retreat centre & resort that offers a range of programmes and activities designed to promote wellness and relaxation. From yoga and meditation, hiking and nature walks to exploring the sandbanks and desert islands of the Indian Ocean, we provide a nurturing environment for individuals and groups to unwind and recharge. Our spacious accommodations and beautiful gardens are the perfect setting for those seeking a tranquil escape from the stresses of daily life.
So back in 2019 we scheduled in a career break for June 2020. Let the saving begin. We saved and saved and the one year career break was looking epic. From Patagonia to Chile. Chile overland all the way to Columbia, and so on. You get the picture, it was going to be the trip of all trips, one hell of a year off.
The last leg of this globe trotting adventure was Cape Town all the way across Africa to Zanzibar, where we would spend an all inclusive 2 weeks to finish off this unbelievable trip and then head back to the UK and back to our jobs.
"How life had other plans for us"
Covid hit for the whole world and all plans were cancelled. The world adventure was put on hold and as we tried to get back all our money from the pre paid trips across the globe we just knew we still had to try and go some where to get away from all the negative energy being created by the news and media.
We started to go down the list of countries we were suppose to be visiting. Starting with Patagonia, crossing them off one by one as covid restrictions stopped us from flying. The list was getting shorter and shorter, Until we got to the very last country on our travel itinerary. "ZANZIBAR"
YESSSS. We could fly to Zanzibar. so on October 27th 2020, Ty's birthday we set off to the island of Zanzibar East Africa. It was so surreal over here, it was like covid never existed and felt like we had just stepped foot on another planet.
your hosts & founders
Meet Ty:
Hey everyone i am Ty, 44 years old and i am incredibly excited to be curating and hosting our Men's Transformation Sanctuary this November on the beautiful island of Zanzibar, at my stunning resort Zen Boutique.
My adventure started over two years ago when i moved from the United Kingdom to follow my dreams of building my very own boutique resort.
"Things like this don't happen to guys like me",
This was just a 20 year pipe dream. I mean how the hell was we going to do this, or could we do this! Only a couple of years ago i was climbing up and down ladders in the freezing rain fitting satellite tv dishes and installing WIFI
This move took me on a path of self- discovery, growth and achieving the unimaginable. The journey of building this resort was unbelievable to begin wit,h but then became very difficult, stressful, and i employed certain people who nearly ruined me, my marriage and my business before we even got going.
My mental and physical health took a battering. It really did push me to my absolute limits and almost broke me.
Around August 2022 i fell into a depressive state of mind, was not leaving my rented room, not even seeing my wife and talking to no one. It was a very horrible time for me and my turning point was when i wrote down the words.
"Would anyone miss me if i wasn't here"
Wow! Writing those words really shook me up, and as i was sitting there on my own in a room with no furniture, an animal ridden bed that i was sleeping in. Something ignited in me and changes were made.
It got me thinking. I would have loved to have been scrolling through my socials back then and come across a men's retreat where i could have met like minded men going through there own difficulties and issues where we could of shared and supported, while learning new skill, techniques and getting fit and become a better version of the person i know i could be
I am from a working class town called Luton. Its not the greatest place on earth, and growing up on a council estate with nothing to do, its inevitable your going to get up to mischief
Like most young men back then i entered the world of clubbing and binge drinking. And with this came party prescription drugs. This led to having a big problem.
I knew i was going down a slippery path of self distruction and that i had to change my life style and choices. So we decided Luton was not the best place to live and in 2010 we made the best decision and moved down to the South East Coast, Brighton.
This was a turning point moving away, i was unfit and unhealthy, so decided to take up running and cycling. And over the next few years i completed multiple half marathons, the London to Brighton bike rides, the Brighton Full Marathon and my biggest achievement to date, raising money for cancer research and cycling from Brighton to Paris and back again.
I've come along way since the binge drug drinking days in Luton, and the depressive state of mind a few years ago. Its never easy to open up and ask for help and advise, but once you do, life does get better.
Too many of us men bottle things up inside and carry it around like a huge weight upon our shoulders. But im telling you from my own experience, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it does not have to be a lonely path you take.
This is why this men's retreat means so much to me. I really want to help and make a difference. And feel me and my team have so much to give. This amazing 10 day retreat for 16 men will transform the way you think, feel and live your life moving forward.
I also know that myself Thijs and Greg will learn so much and together we will create something special.
Live Life Retreats & zen boutique resort
