Meet Adam Meyer | Founder, The Retreat: Tea & Wellness

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Meyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, what’s your definition for success?
I think success varies based on what is being measured. In other words, there is financial success, relationship success, personal success and so on. While the specifics may vary with the type of success being measured, for me the common thread between them all is a sense of contentment and joy. Do I feel content in my progress and accomplishments, and does that bring me joy? If I can answer both of those question with a yes, then to me it is a success.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In April of 2020 I launched the first phase of The Retreat: Tea & Wellness. While Covid delayed the opening of a physical location, right now it is an online store for organic loose leaf tea, wellness products, and services. When the time is right, the physical location will offer tea ceremonies, yoga & meditation classes, and wellness services such as acupuncture and body work. This business is a culmination of all the work, training, and experiences I have been through in my life. As a small child with a rare disease, I started asking a lot of big question about life, its meaning, and its purpose. I found my way to the wisdom of yoga, and learned to connect with my spirit. In 2009 I began my journey into the world of healing and became a licensed acupuncturist. I ran my own private practice for 9 years, and have been teaching yoga for about the same time as well. By the end of April 2020 I will have earned my DACM and be a Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. I am also currently the Chair of the Department of Yogic Sciences at Pacific College of Health & Science here in San Diego. I am honored to have helped design and launch a one-of-a-kind 500 hour yoga teacher training program. So what does this all have to do with Tea? Tea has been with me through my entire journey. As a child growing up in South Africa and Australia I always enjoyed a nice cup of English Breakfast or Earl Gray with milk and sugar. It was a great comfort to me through all of the challenges I faced with my illness. For most of my life, that was my experience with tea. However, in 2011 while studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chengdu, China, I experienced my first tea ceremony known as Gong Fu Cha. From that moment on I knew that there was more to tea than I had realized. Since then I have come to learn that long before tea was a social beverage, it was a sacred medicine used to balance the body, mind, and most importantly the spirit. Through The Retreat: Tea & Wellness I now have a place to share this wisdom and this medicine with others. Though the journey to arrive at this destination has been filled with ups and downs, wins and losses, it has been well worth it. If I have learned one thing on this adventure known as life, it is to trust the process, and never give up. If you can learn to quiet down and connect with the spirit that dwells within, absolutely anything is possible. If you don’t know how to do that yet, join me for some tea, and I will show you the way . . .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Long before tea was enjoyed in kitchens and cafes it was consumed in the sacred beauty of nature, and San Diego has some incredible spots to do just that! For a beautiful morning session Hike Torrey Pines down to the beach, and then enjoy a hot cup of Puerh Tea in meditative silence as the day begins. In the afternoon, find your way to the Penasquitos Creek Waterfall and perch on a rock as you enjoy some Green Tea and let the sounds of the flowing water and the warmth of the tea guide you to a place of deep stillness and peace. Finally, make your way out to Mount Laguna and post up on an outcropping where you can enjoy the spectacular sunset and a nice bowl of GABA oolong to lead you into the magic and mystery of the night.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without a doubt I wouldn’t be where I am without the selfless and dedicated support that my parents have given me throughout life. As a young child with a rare genetic disease, they never gave up fighting for me. In a pre-internet world, they found answers across the planet and made extraordinary sacrifices so that I could live, and more than that, so I could thrive. Their example of facing seemingly impossible challenges with compassion and strength has guided me in all that I have faced in my own journey. They deserve this Shoutout and many, many more.

Website: https://www.theretreatsd.com/

Instagram: @theretreatsd

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-meyer/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC169sFy2Ry-u8HEd3lKOEag

Image Credits
For the headshot while I am laughing- Elijah Nicolas/AFC Headshorts