Wellness Wednesday: Born to Move Airbnb Experience

This post is sponsored by Airbnb. I received the experience mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest opinion.

Born to Move

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to try my hand at acrobatic yoga along with an amazing self-defense class and a scenic bike ride with Julian of B-Fit Personal Training and Fitness. I love fitness and movement so I knew that that the Born to Move Airbnb experience was sure to be promising. I had no idea how exceptional the entire weekend would end up being.

Day 1: Location – Morningside Park

The evening of day one I arrived a little early and was immediately blown away by the beauty of the park. It was the perfect tucked away location for an evening of yoga. The scenery alone gave the session a boost before we even started.

Julian and his girlfriend Karina arrived and they were so welcoming and friendly. My guest and I were quickly reassured that acro yoga was not as formal as traditional yoga. After a few quick introductions, we went right into the first lift.  It started off shaky but I was determined and in no time I was flying with ease. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to hold my body in position after a few tries. Not only did I have the opportunity to fly I also served as a base for Karina, talk about girl power! Julian’s instructions were clear and concise. I felt safe the entire session and never once worried about falling or being dropped for that matter!

This stretch felt amazing on my back.

I was determined to conquer the “praying hands” pose and I did it!

Don’t Julian and Karina look flawless!

Day 2: B-Fit Studio Miami Lakes

For day two of the experience, Julian gave me a choice of a morning boot camp, self-defense class or both! I choose the self-defense class out of pure curiosity. I’ve taken technical boxing classes in that past and I wanted to see if there were any similarities between the two.

I was greeting warmly as soon as I walked into the Miami Lakes B-Fit Studio. While we waited on the other students to arrive I picked out my sparring gloves and prepared myself for what was going to be a very informative class. I have never taken self-defense training before however, the techniques taught were easy to grasp and very effective. Self-defense is slightly different from boxing because it’s more relaxed but you’re ready to defend yourself at a moment’s notice.  I loved combining punches with subtly kicks for a different variation.

The instructors were on hand to demonstrate every move, correct form, and provide one-on-one training with each student. I can confidently say that I left knowing how to defend myself from a choke hold and a wrist grab.

Overall, the workout was amazing and I was able to torch a few hundred calories while having a great time.

Day 3: Location – Key Biscayne

I was already convinced that day one of the experience was the best. However, the scenery of Key Biscayne won me over as I drove to the bike shop. I’ve enjoyed riding my bike on Key Biscayne previously but it had been years since I had made time to do it again.  Lately, I’ve been doing a lot running so I was looking forward to any other form of cardio besides pounding the pavement.

Julian rented the bikes and we were off! The first location was Bill Baggs State park and it was beautiful! So many different intertwining paths and of course the views of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean were perfection.

Next, we headed back north to Crandon Park and this was the highlight of the day for me. The park was crawling with beautiful male peacocks. Never having seen one up close before I was completely enamored by their beautiful feathers. Did you know only male peacocks have the long beautiful tails?

Finally, we rode over to the beach side of Crandon park and it was absolutely beautiful. If you prefer a low-key beach away from the hustle of South Beach, Crandon Park beach is the perfect spot.

The bike ride was a workout but I felt like I was out with friends the entire time.  I was honestly sad when the experience was over. Julian and Karina exceeded all of my expectations. Oh, and did I mention they also make vegan protein bars? I can easily be won over with vegan snacks.

The Other Miami

If you are planning a trip to Miami and want to try something different from the usual Miami clubs, brunch and shopping routine. The Born to Move Experience is absolutely memorable. Be sure to tell Julian and Karina I said hi!

I didn’t want to overload you guys with too many pictures and video.  So check out the rest of the best below: