Tosca Reno’s Clean Living Experience with Retreats Unlimited

By Courtney Caggiano

Sometimes we can’t find the answers we seek if we continue to seek them in the voices of others. Sometimes we can’t hear them until we enter into the silence, and allow the voice within to reveal the answers we’ve had all along.

This is the purpose behind Retreats Unlimited’s Clean Living Experience with Tosca Reno, a lifestyle expert and writer-at-heart who believes that our mental and spiritual health begins with finding the courage to step outside of the current of chaos and trust the voice within ourselves—all while learning to hear that voice through a meditative life.

As a New York Times best-selling author, certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, fitness model and motivational speaker, Tosca has shared her lessons of life change and powerful inspiration with people all over the world, including high-profile celebrities and audiences of Good Morning America. Beneath her accomplishments, Tosca is a woman who has mastered the art of overcoming and has found strength of soul, a strength she believes is possible for anyone in any walk of life to reach.

Now, you have the opportunity to join Tosca on a life-changing journey to detox your body, mind and soul as you ground yourself in the stillness of nature at BG Ocala Ranch.

Only an hour outside of Orlando and less than an hour and a half from Tampa lies a hidden escape nestled in the rolling hills of Ocala that invites you to part ways with busyness and simply be at rest. BG Ranch is what may easily become the most sought-after luxury estate in Florida, with sprawling pastures and endless green outlined with a canopy of oak trees that lead to the 10,000-square-foot, eight-bedroom Great House.

Complete with an elegant equestrian experience, BG Ranch creates a lush setting to rejuvenate the senses as you enjoy the finest nature Florida has to offer and the most sophisticated lodgings in town. Combine this with Tosca’s wellness retreat, and you’ll never want to leave this Ocala haven.

Upon entering the Great House of the ranch, Tosca greets her guests with warm embraces, eager to encourage them into their clean living journey, on which they will learn the benefits of eating natural, raw and unprocessed foods. For the next four days, they are within reach of their return to a lifestyle rooted in equilibrium with nature. The focus of Tosca’s retreat is not just to instruct women about how to live and eat holistically, but also to reach women where they are, teach them to understand their inner strength and help them discover personalized pathways of healing.

Each morning begins with a brisk walk through the dew-covered hills of the property, along with a half-hour to an hour of sunrise meditation. For those who have never learned the valuable treasures found in a short time of meditation, this activity may seem as simple as taking a relaxing break from a busy day, but Tosca’s revolutionary insight into the practical effects of meditating completely change one’s mind and body for the better.

Meditation provides the foundation for the retreat, as letting go of yourself and making room for vulnerability is the key to a relaxed, purpose-driven lifestyle. Health does not begin with the body; it begins with the mind and soul. Tosca teaches that when we meditate, we transition the mind outside of the limitations, fears, and inhibitions of ourselves and into connection with our true selves, which allows us to tap into our unlimited potential. According to Tosca, when we understand our worth through this potential, we find a desire to take care of our spirits, our bodies, and our future. This is where clean eating and exercise take hold of our lives in an effortless way.

If you’re looking for adventure or perhaps a bit of relaxation, horseback riding is just a short walk from the Great House, and the trails take you through the valleys and woods of the awe-inspiring horse capital of North America.

After meditation, Tosca guides her guests through a fulfilling day of power-packed exercises, healthy meals and innovative teaching sessions, in which Tosca explains knowledgeable ways to incorporate clean eating and wellness into everyday life. These sessions can be as important as a lesson on the advantages of drinking apple cider vinegar on a daily basis and as exciting as cooking classes demonstrating how to prepare your own clean meal.

Every breakfast, lunch and dinner on the retreat is made fresh by a culinary expert, using the most natural and organic ingredients available. Dishes like mushroom bolognese with tomato sauce and peppery arugula salad with grilled chicken and pomegranate seeds will entice you to toss your bad eating habits down the kitchen sink. One of the most enlightening parts of the dinner is listening to Tosca discuss the characteristics of the food. Just by spending a meal with her, it’s impossible to leave the table without learning why Himalayan salt is more beneficial than table salt, how to make probiotic-rich “yogurt cheese” in your own kitchen or how to cook gluten-free pasta without having it crumble to pieces. Of course, desserts are still on the menu! Guilt-free decadence in the form of chocolate flourless cake and other treats inspired from Tosca’s own cookbook of clean recipes make the thought of organic eating more delightful than ever before.

I was blessed to be a part of Tosca’s wellness retreat, and as a participant I was lucky enough to get a seat at her table during each meal. Although every dinner never failed to amaze my appetite, my favorite course came after the final plate was taken away, when Tosca would ask us a simple question: “What was your triumph today?”

Tosca explains that triumphs are the moments in our day when we conquer personal goals, no matter how small. Some said trying a new workout; others’ triumphs were as simple as being bold enough to take some down time for themselves. My triumph of the day was riding a horse fast enough to secure a steady gallop, and holding onto that gallop as I let go of the saddle, the fear of falling and the uncertainty of tomorrow, and rode to freedom in the presence of only God and the horse beneath me.

That’s what Tosca does. She gets you out of yourself. She shows you that all those fears right outside of your heart’s window are actually great opportunities of endless possibilities to be taken confidently before they’re gone. That’s the triumph.

Tosca may seem like a heaven-sent heroine of healthy living, but the beginnings of her story show a more insecure woman yearning for a second chance. “The journey for me started about 17 years ago. I was at the time obese and unwell, I weighed over 200 pounds, and I was beginning to experience heart palpitations—my father died early as a result of heart disease—and I was depressed,” she remembers. “One day, I couldn’t walk up the stairs of my own house or take care of my kids, and I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”

At that moment, Tosca knew it was time to make a change. “As it happens so often, ‘when the student is ready, the teacher will come,’ is the saying. I was ready to start working out because I felt that was the way to start getting well. I wanted to lose weight, and I didn’t understand that there were other components to wellness until I met Robert Kennedy and he challenged me to enter a bodybuilding contest, which I did at age 42, and through that preparation I learned how to eat clean, and I healed myself. All the illnesses that I had were gone, I lost a lot of weight; in fact, I looked better than I ever did. I looked younger and felt amazing. I also found my purpose, which was writing and wellness, and that led to having a regular column in Oxygen Magazine, building a following, writing books and the eat clean revolution.”

This triumphant lifestyle is what motivates Tosca to encourage others into pursuing the life that is best suited for them, body and soul. The Retreats Unlimited wellness retreat is a chance to begin this pursuit for yourself.

Tosca’s retreat is also a great opportunity to check out the BG Ranch, with its fresh air and countless activities, giving you a luxurious look into the wonders of Ocala. Whether you come for the retreat or just to stay for a weekend, the BG Ranch is the perfect location to reserve for your next in-state getaway or event. 

Plan your dream outdoor wedding under oaks draped in Spanish-moss and surrounded by the purity of the green pastures, or come for a stress-free family reunion, corporate event or birthday party. With every amenity and a personal concierge staff, the BG Ranch takes care of all your needs, and the on-property, three-bedroom Farm House and six, three-bedroom Cottages provide plenty of room for guests.

If you’re looking for adventure or perhaps a bit of relaxation, horseback riding is just a short walk from the Great House, and the trails take you through the valleys and woods of the awe-inspiring horse capital of North America.

It’s time to get away from the ordinary, and to take a vacation from the usual vacation. Join Tosca on a wellness retreat or take your own journey, and lose yourself in the quiet wonder that awaits you on the ranch.

To learn more about Tosca Reno, visit ToscaReno.com. Find out how you can plan your stay at BG Ocala Ranch at BGOcalaRanch.com.