Pure Living International

Helping parents help their sensory challenged children

  • Home
  • About
    • Autism Awareness
  • Work with Us
    • Events
      • Break & Breathe
    • Sensory Room Design
      • Sensory Design for Children
    • Sacred Space Design
    • Phone Consultations
  • Holistic Interior Design
  • Blog
  • Shop
    • Debra Recommends
      • Helpful Services
    • Hugh & Grace

Explore

  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Work With Us
  • Shop
  • Contact

Connect

Events, Lifestyle, Self-Care, Wellness · June 17, 2024

Break and Breathe 2025: A Retreat for Caregivers of Special Needs Children to Recharge and Connect

Break and Breathe 2025: A Wellness Retreat for Parents and Caregivers of Special Needs Children

As a parent or caretaker of special needs children, the demands of daily life can be overwhelming. The constant care, attention, and love that special needs children require often leave caregivers with little time for themselves. Recognizing this, Pure Living International is thrilled to announce the 3rd annual Break and Breathe retreat. This event, designed specifically for parents and caregivers of special needs children, will take place from May 22-25th, 2025, at the picturesque Rocas Retreat in Southern California’s gorgeous San Diego.

The Venue: Rocas Retreat

Nestled in the heart of Southern California, Rocas Retreat offers a sanctuary for caregivers in need of rest and rejuvenation. Spread over 15 acres of lush, rolling hills, the retreat provides a serene environment where nature’s beauty can soothe the soul. The accommodations range from high-end cabins and glamping trailers to yurts, ensuring a comfortable and unique stay for every guest. Whether you prefer the cozy charm of a cabin or the adventurous spirit of glamping, Rocas Retreat has something to offer.

The Importance of Self-Care for Caregivers

Caregiving for special needs children is a demanding and often stressful role. Studies have shown that parents and caretakers of special needs children experience stress levels similar to those of combat soldiers. Additionally, 50% of these parents are more prone to depression and anxiety compared to the general population. This extreme level of stress can lead to burnout, depression, and physical health issues if not managed properly. Break and Breathe 2025 aims to provide caregivers with the tools and strategies they need to manage stress, improve their mental health, and enhance their overall well-being.

The Benefits of Holistic Whole Foods Eating

One of the highlights of the retreat will be the fresh, nutritious meals prepared by a holistic chef. Whole foods, which are unprocessed and free from additives, can have a profound impact on stress management and mental health. These foods are rich in essential nutrients that support brain function, improve mood, and enhance overall health. Participants will not only enjoy delicious meals but also learn about the benefits of holistic eating and how to incorporate these practices into their daily lives.

Self-Care Tools and Techniques

The retreat will feature a variety of sessions focused on self-care, each designed to provide practical tools and techniques that caregivers can use long after the retreat is over. Here’s a closer look at some of the sessions:

Styling Your Life from the Inside Out

A special session with Inanna Bantu, a Hollywood fashion stylist will offer insights into how personal style can affect mental health and well-being. This session will go beyond fashion to explore how organizing and styling different aspects of your life can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling existence.

Therapy Yoga

Yoga is a powerful tool for reducing stress and promoting relaxation. The retreat will include trauma informed therapy yoga sessions tailored specifically for caregivers. These sessions will focus on gentle, restorative poses that help release tension, improve flexibility, and calm the mind.

Walking Meditations

Walking meditations combine the benefits of physical activity with mindfulness practice. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful grounds of Rocas Retreat while engaging in guided walking meditations. This practice helps to ground individuals in the present moment, reduce stress, and enhance mental clarity.

Mindful Eating Habits

Mindful eating is a practice that involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking. This session will teach participants how to cultivate a mindful approach to meals, which can lead to better digestion, improved nutrition, and a healthier relationship with food.

Breathwork Tools

Breathwork involves a variety of breathing techniques designed to improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Participants will learn how to use their breath to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. These simple yet effective tools can be easily incorporated into daily routines.

Self-Reflection Sessions

Healer and Life Coach Anne Judson-Yager will discuss Self-reflection as a critical component of self-care. These sessions will provide a quiet space for participants to reflect on their experiences, identify stressors, and develop strategies for coping. Journaling, guided reflection, and group discussions will be part of this transformative process.

Sound Bath Meditation

Sound baths use therapeutic sound frequencies to promote deep relaxation and healing. Participants will lie down and immerse themselves in the sounds of gongs, singing bowls, and other instruments. This practice can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance overall well-being.

Why You Should Attend Break and Breathe 2025

Connection with Other Caregivers

One of the most valuable aspects of the Break and Breathe retreat is the opportunity to connect with other parents and caregivers of special needs children. Sharing experiences, challenges, and successes with others who truly understand can provide immense emotional support and a sense of community.

Professional Guidance

The retreat will feature sessions led by experts in various fields, providing professional guidance on self-care, stress management, and wellness. This is a unique opportunity to learn from those who specialize in helping caregivers navigate the complexities of their roles.

A Chance to Recharge

Taking time for yourself is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Break and Breathe 2025 offers a chance to step away from daily responsibilities and recharge in a peaceful, supportive environment. The serene setting of Rocas Retreat, combined with the comprehensive wellness program, ensures that participants will leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Benefits of Break & Breathe Weekend Retreats

Participants will leave the retreat with practical tools and strategies that they can immediately implement in their daily lives. From new approaches to eating and exercise to mindfulness techniques and stress management tools, the retreat provides actionable insights that can lead to lasting improvements in well-being.

Testimonials from Past Participants

Here’s what past attendees of the Break and Breathe retreat have to say:

Testimonial from Monique mother of a neurodiverse daughter.
Erin, mother of an autistic child.
Michelle, mother of a neurodivergent child.
Kaci, mother of a child with a rare genetic disorder.

Sarah, mother of an autistic child:
“The Break and Breathe retreat was life-changing for me. I connected with other parents who understood my struggles and left with tools that have made a real difference in my daily life.”

David, caretaker of a neurodivergent teenager:
“This retreat provided a much-needed break and allowed me to focus on my own well-being. The sessions were incredibly valuable, and I returned home feeling more equipped to handle the challenges of caregiving.”

Emily, mother of a child with physical disabilities:
“Rocas Retreat is a beautiful place, and the holistic approach to wellness was exactly what I needed. I learned so much about nutrition, mindfulness, and self-care. It was a truly restorative experience.”

How to Register

To register for Break and Breathe 2025 and for more information, please email us at purelivingintl@gmail.com Spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged to secure your spot at this transformative wellness retreat.

We Hope to See All of You There!

The Break and Breathe 2025 wellness retreat is more than just a getaway; it’s an investment in your well-being. As a parent or caretaker of special needs children, you give so much of yourself every day. This retreat offers a rare opportunity to take time for yourself, connect with others who share your experiences, and learn valuable self-care strategies. Join us at Rocas Retreat in San Diego, California, from May 22-25, 2025, and rediscover the importance of caring for yourself as you continue to care for your loved ones.

Related posts:

  1. The Importance of Self-Care for Moms of Special Needs Children: Introducing Break & Breathe
  2. The Importance of Self-Care Breaks for Caretakers of Special Needs Children
  3. Break & Breathe Retreat September 29th – October 1st 2023
  4. Radiant Resilience: A Mother’s Triumph, Overcoming Adversities to Inspire Self-Healing and Inspire Others

Posted By: Elizabeth · In: Events, Lifestyle, Self-Care, Wellness

Radiant Resilience: A Mother’s Triumph, Overcoming Adversities to Inspire Self-Healing and Inspire Others
The Importance of Self-Care Breaks for Caretakers of Special Needs Children

You’ll Also Love

Break & Breathe Wellness Retreat for parents and caregivers of special needs childrenThe Importance of Self-Care Breaks for Caretakers of Special Needs Children
Debra Kelley, Founder of Break & Breathe meditatesThe Importance of Self-Care for Moms of Special Needs Children: Introducing Break & Breathe
Break and Breathe 2023Break & Breathe Retreat September 29th – October 1st 2023

Recent Posts

  • Break & Breathe Retreat 2026: A restorative retreat for women who have carried the weight of the world with grace. It’s time to pause, breathe, and offer yourself the same nurturing you’ve given everyone else.
  • The Power of Breathwork and Meditation for Anxiety in Autism
  • The Importance of Self-Care Breaks for Caretakers of Special Needs Children
  • Break and Breathe 2025: A Retreat for Caregivers of Special Needs Children to Recharge and Connect
  • Radiant Resilience: A Mother’s Triumph, Overcoming Adversities to Inspire Self-Healing and Inspire Others

Categories

  • Debra's Essentials
  • Decor
  • Events
  • Favorite Places
  • Food & Drink
  • Interiors
  • Lifestyle
  • Living
  • Self-Care
  • Style
  • Things to Do
  • Travel
  • Trends
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness
About Photo
Hi there! I'm Debra, and I am here to help parents of children who are neurodiverse. Do you need help balancing your own life while caring for your children who fall in the autistic spectrum? Do you need help designing a sensory space for your child or a sacred space for yourself to help you deal with the stresses of raising a neurodiverse child? As a parent of a neurodiverse daughter for the past 22 years, I have the experience, knowledge, and know-how to get you and your child on track to live your best life possible!

Get on the List

Where I Shop

  • Nordstrom
  • J. Crew
  • Zara
  • Calvin Klein
  • Banana Republic
World autism awareness day, moving from surviving World autism awareness day, moving from surviving to thriving
In 2007, the United Nations general assembly declared April 2 as World  Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need for help to improve the quality of life for those with autism so they can live full meaningful lives as an integral part of society. Appropriate support, accommodations and acceptance of this neurological variation allow those on the spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity. 

Fun Fact: here are some individuals affected by autism: Scientist,  Albert Einstein , poet Emily Dickinson, movie, Director, Tim Burton, and tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk. 

I’m so blessed to be able to be on this journey with you @ryanelee30 
I’m so proud of all your accomplishments and I look forward to what your future has for you. 

Thank you to all those who have assisted in Ryanes growth and development 🙌🏻🙏🏻👏🏼🦋💙 #worldautismawarenessday #autismawarenessmonth #lightitblue #ilovesomeonewithautism
March is a very significant month for me for sever March is a very significant month for me for several reasons and it’s colon cancer awareness month. I’ve been very transparent about my colon cancer journey since I was diagnosed in March of 2022.  With the growing rapid rate of colon cancer in healthy individuals like myself, I can’t express to you enough how important early screening is. If you are 45, please get a colonoscopy as early detection is key. Cancer of the colon is a highly treatable and often curable disease when localized to the bowel. Surgery is the primary form of treatment and results in cure in approximately 50% of patients.  I’m grateful I was amongst the 50%. It’s important to understand that you can be a vegan, a vegetarian, a pescatarian or a carnivore and cancer doesn’t discriminate. In today’s world and the environment we live in,
we must do our best to treat our body with love and kindness, we get only one! Our body is our temple, let’s treat as though. If you have not done so, schedule  your colonoscopy today, your health matters ! @colorectalcanceralliance #yourhealthmatters #coloncancerawareness
#coloncancerthriver
We have all heard the saying, “nobody gets out of We have all heard the saying, “nobody gets out of this life unscathed!”What  exactly does that mean?! 
We all experience humanness and hardship in our lifetime.  When we are younger we can’t seem to fully grasp the lessons life throws at you. What we don’t realize that it’s  only through trials that we can truly  evolve and grow. In my opinion,  how we evolve personally is through challenging times and  how you respond to them. You can avoid, you can run, you can suppress, you can be angry, sad or depressed… OR you can choose to accept the challenge and surrender to it. All the these reactions are in our nature and all these choices are ok to feel them! Often times we may not be equipped or have the tools to respond in a way that would best serve our higher self. 

With that being said, I recently just had another surgery to remove a benign mass in my neck.  I could only see the tip of the iceberg, but underneath lurking was something larger than was originally perceived, so it was removed. Similar to life, we only present to people a small window of
of our story and perhaps leave out all the underlying painful parts. With this experience, I said good by to many painful memories that perhaps were stored deep in my soul. The saying “pain in my neck “ I guess my body took literally. 😆 I went into this procedure with the intention of letting go and felt  at peace with the purpose of this process. There were many responses to make,  like why again , why me, I can’t believe this is happening again blah blah blah blah… The complete surrender to a challenge and looking at the situation with a positive mindset, I believe can set you up for a successful outcome. 
Remember that we are the authors of our own story and our powerful thoughts have the ability to change the outcome. I am healing and I am healed. I am love, I am loved…. I AM 

Be Blessed ❤️🦋💪🏼🙌🏻❤️‍🩹🙏🏻 #grateful #cancerthriver #postivemindeset #yourstory #strongernow
Scanxiety! I didn’t know of such term until recen Scanxiety! I didn’t  know of such term until recently when I called a dear friend of mine who has been through a similar experience with cancer in her review mirror.  Thanks friend 👏🏼 What is Scanxiety? “Distress leading up to, during and after an imaging scan has been termed ‘scanxiety’ [2].” “‘Scanxiety’ refers to the often-debilitating anxiety patients with cancer experience in the period surrounding imaging studies for their cancer. 
A part of my journey is getting blood work every 6 months and yearly CT scans.  December 2023, my blood work was clean, but the doctor always recommends CT scans in addition to blood work. I’m not a big fan of exposing my body to harmful radiation, but it’s all a part of this journey. This time I had so many emotions come up for me.  Honestly,  I was a mess. I allowed myself to feel the feels and ride each wave. I’m thankful for healthy outlets like working out, dance class and breathwork techniques to keep my body healthy and mind sane.  Even still with these wonderful outlets your mind can get the best of you. I will share a funny experience that helped diffuse my nerves with this past scan.  I was was getting prepped for the scan, and the first IV would not go in my vein properly, so the gentleman chose the other side, which went in nicely, so we thought 😆  Picture this, I’m in the tube  with my arms positioned above my head , and the gentleman tells me he’s going to infuse the solution. As soon as the solution is being delivered, it starts spraying everywhere all over me. Either my  vein pushed it out or the IV was not in properly.  So we had to stop and start the IV process all over again, which made me laugh 😂 My nerves left and all I could focus on was, “did that really just happen and I hope this comes out of my hair!” All this to say, ride the waves and feel the feels. Moments are fleeting… find joy in the little things and don’t  take life for granted!!! Have fun!!!🤩 
March is colon cancer awareness month, if you are 45 or older, please schedule a colonoscopy. Colon cancer is not just an unhealthy or elderly persons disease. Early detection is key #coloncancerawarenessmonth #coloncancerthriver 🦋💙💪🏼
Happy Birthday my love! I’m grateful that we keep Happy Birthday my love! I’m grateful that we keep creating more beautiful memories together. May we continue to enjoy life as it unfolds with all that comes with it.  May this year bring you even more success in all areas of your life and ours together. ❤️👏🏼🙏🏻 Martin Hernandez
Christmas Day in Colombia 🇨🇴 2023. It was our fir Christmas Day in Colombia 🇨🇴 2023.  It was our first year spending Christmas in another country and it was my nephews first Christmas.  It was a lovely afternoon spent on a farm surrounded by nature.  Thank you lil brother ,  @holisticmarie and family for a wonderful day.
It was such a honor to share my story on In This L It was such a honor to share my story on In This Life podcast with Malory Elaine. Thank you @malory_elaine for this share. 👏🏼❤️
Click the link below to listen. 

#https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-this-life-with-malory-elaine/id1717619625?i=1000639367435
What you may not know ?! It’s been almost 2 ye What you may not  know ?! 

It’s been almost  2 years since I broke my ankle. I dance with a plate and 7 screws. You also may not know that a year and  9 months  ago,  I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I’ve experienced a roller coaster of emotions from extreme highs to lows and everything in between. So much has transpired, so many positive outcomes, so many blessings, I am beyond grateful ! But  those negative thoughts try to sneak into my subconscious especially when it’s time to have my quarterly blood work and doctor’s visit.  The subtle anxiety I feel affects my whole energy, even my blood pressure. I pray, I meditate and take deep breaths, and still that subtle negative voice try’s to whisper in my ear. Today I walked into the office to get my blood work and there was a sign that said, “life is just hard sometimes and some days are just rough and that’s  ok, it’s ok to cry  to move forward! Basically it’s ok to be human!” 
Yes I am human, I have emotions and all the things that come with that.  It was a reminder of how suppressing your emotions can create stress and anxiety.  My anxiety created stress in my body and my blood pressure was as elevated to 163/80. When I got home I retested myself and it was 127/75. This is why mindset,  working out, self care and giving yourself grace is extremely valuable.  Stress has a major effect on so, embrace the good and the tough times. For  me I will continue to work out, care for my health and dance whenever I can, this is what my soul needs to fully express itself and reduce my stress.  What is yours?! #cancerthriver #stressfree #selfcare #yourhealthmatters

Copyright © 2026 Pure Living International · Theme by 17th Avenue