Great Minds Abroad

Name: Great Minds Abroad
Address: Washington D.C., DC, US
Telephone: +12027433420

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Great Minds Abroad

Curated International CE Retreats for Women in Healing Professions ✨🌎
📍Next Adventure: Vietnam March 2026! 🇻🇳
greatmindsabroad.com/vietnam-2026

Next Retreat- Marrakech, Morocco March 2022
https://greatmindsabroad.com/upcoming-retreats

04/06/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 8 🇻🇳

Today was our final day and closing ceremony in Yen Tu Mountain- and also International Women’s Day!! What an honor to celebrate this special day all together in a room full of women in this very sacred space. We had the pleasure of an incredibly special ceremony in a pagoda while Ms. Hang, a Buddhist monk priestess, played us her soundbowls and led us through a Vietnamese Buddhist meditation. The room’s windows were open, and the breeze of jasmine and incense was softly moving the wind chimes as we meditated. Afterwards, we wrote in handmade journals from local women artisans to reflect on our trip, enjoyed women-made gifts to celebrate the day, and shared our reflections on this amazing 8 days with each other. We spent some down savoring our last moments together at the resort’s gorgeous pools and spa, and then it was off to Hanoi to end our retreat.

I could not be more proud to have created and carried out this magical 8 days in Vietnam together, and to have watched the growth, peace, and friendships that each guest gained. 🙏🏼

Last video credit to documenting our journey!

04/05/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 7 🇻🇳

Today we woke up in the gorgeous limestone karst islands and emerald waters of Bai Tu Long Bay! After sunrise Tai Chi, we hopped on boats to visit a local fishing village where they live on the water and farm oysters (with the cutest puppies!). We learned how pearls are made and got to go pearl shopping! Then it was time for another road trip as we headed to Yen Tu Mountain, the birthplace of Vietnamese Buddhism. Our stunning resort at the foot of the mountain left us speechless, and we spent the day visiting the resort’s pagodas, temples, pools, pink salt spas, and had a very special Buddhist walking meditation in the gardens led by Buddhist monk priestesses. While they rang the bells and chanted, we learned to walk slowly to clear our minds and to share the peace in our hearts out into the world for those that couldn’t hear the bells- what an amazing mental health lesson for us! Tonight we had a group dinner with a surprise appearance of Vietnamese dragons, followed by a night village festival with local games, songs, dragons, fire, and dancing! What an unforgettable day here in Vietnam!!

04/04/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 6! 🇻🇳

Today we took another road trip (with a fun snack excursion at a classic Vietnamese rest stop!) to the infamous UNESCO world heritage Ha Long Bay, and then the much less traveled Bai Tu Long Bay, where we boarded our luxury cruise and home for the next two days! Cruise activities included caving, kayaking, beach exploring, squid fishing, fresh seafood lunches and dinners, cooking class, and loads of relaxing time on deck to see the gorgeous views (especially from our en suite whirlpool bath tubs!!). Heaven!

04/03/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 5! 🇻🇳

Today we woke up in paradise at our gorgeous lakeside bungalow resort in the limestone mountains of Ninh Binh! We spent the morning exploring the UNESCO world heritage sites including climbing the Hang Múa cave with a gorgeous view of the lotus lakes and Bích Động Pagoda which is a stunning temple carved into a cave system! All that exploring left us hungry for another multi-course meal at an adorable lantern restaurant, and then we headed back to our resort for our final CE talks on the impacts of the war and current government structures (where we learned that Vietnam is doing amazing things for it’s people like eradicating homelessness and universal health care!). We had the night off to explore the village and relax at the resort, heaven!

04/02/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 4! 🇻🇳

Today we headed to the stunning limestone mountains of Ninh Binh! Our roadtrip took us to To He village where we learned about ancient toy-making from the famous artisan Mr. Hau, and we got to make some ourselves! We then had lunch in a family home nearby and had our next CE talk on mental health statistics in Vietnam in a gorgeous stilt thatched house. After the talk we took a sampan boat ride in the gorgeous Van Long Nature Preserve, where we saw monkeys and birds along the pink lotus flowers! Then we had dinner in another family home where we got to see the family altar, eat so many family recipes, feed the koi fish, and we left with hand embroidered bags as gifts and thank you’s for our visit!

The families here have been so lovingly welcoming to us all, and we have all been feeling quite emotional at the way we have been received and fed in each home. What a gift!

04/01/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 3! 🇻🇳

Today started with a visit to a tiny local market for ingredients for our cooking class in another beautiful family home! We split into 2 teams and had 20 minutes to recreate 2 classic dishes after watching a demonstration Masterchef style- phew!😮‍💨 After eating our meal in the family’s lakeside garden, we visited the Women’s Museum of Vietnam to see the influence women made during the war and throughout the country’s history. Then we had a very special dinner tonight in the Dau family home, and they welcomed us so warmly to eat (many) family recipes, see their family photos and altar for their ancestors, and listen to folktale songs. Mr. and Mrs. Dau were soldiers in the war who had 5 daughters and raised each one to be independent and strong- revolutionary at the time. Mr. Dau told us that no matter where we come from we should love one another and learn about what makes us different so that there can finally be peace in the world. Not a dry eye was found as we ended the evening with hugs and kisses from this gorgeous family.

03/31/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 2! 🇻🇳

Today we had the absolute honor of attending a tea ceremony with a Tea Master who had just driven 8 hours from the high mountains where he picked tea just for our ceremony under a full moon! He taught us how to pause to sip tea with peace in our hearts and love for all living things- an unexpectedly emotional moment of mental health for us. Then we visited the Temple of Literature- Vietnam’s first university- that was decorated for Lunar New Year (aka Tet), followed by a special lunch at KOTO, the first restaurant in Vietnam to train at-risk youth to work in the hospitality industry. The evening was spent learning about mental health in Vietnam from therapist Ms. Le Viet Ha, MHC and it was a fantastic discussion- particularly in learning that there are significantly less effects of the war here due to the focus of the people on peace and resiliency and the joy of celebration in reunifying their country at last. A truly heart-warming day here in Hanoi for all of us!

Lastly, and importantly 😂, we learned to cross the street here in Hanoi by sticking together with our hands up earning the group our tour nickname of “sticky rices”. See the video for our first group cross!

03/30/2026

8 Days of GMA: Vietnam Edition, Day 1! 🇻🇳

Today our group explored the city of Hanoi, and we successfully turned 5/11 coffee haters into coffee lovers (as you can see from the endless coffee photos!). Everyone had their first bowls of pho and yummy street food before heading to our Welcome Dinner to officially kick off the week! We enjoyed 8 awesome courses and had our first CE talk on Eurocentrism. Nearly all of these guests had been on previous retreats together so it was a day of sweet reunions all around!

10/18/2025

Winter invites us to slow down — to rest, reflect, and reconnect with our own natural healing rhythms. As the world quiets down, we are reminded that stillness is not empty; it is deeply restorative.

Join us on January 10, 2026 from 12:30-6:30pm EST for a cozy virtual retreat inspired by the art of Wintering.

*Discover healing practices to support mental and physical health as you gently adjust to the season

*Experience guided journaling reflection and heart-centered practices including a Yoga Nidra and EFT Tapping

*Learn how to create your own cozy Winter sanctuary, explore global healing traditions, and embrace the beauty of slowing down

This is your invitation to pause — to find peace in stillness and renewal in the heart of Winter.

Reserve your spot here! http://www.mindshiftwithlauren.com/winter-retreat

07/25/2025

This just in…the Vietnam retreat is SOLD OUT!!! That was fast!! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of this little dream company of mine today! To all the gorgeous souls who have come on our retreats, and all the ones who are coming on this one- THANK YOU. I couldn’t have done it without you!!

Ps- if you still want a chance at coming with us to Vietnam, sign up for our waitlist (link in bio!)

07/18/2025

And our newest destination is….Vietnam!! 🇻🇳

This winter leave the winter gray days behind and come with us to explore Northern Vietnam for a week of jaw-dropping natural landscapes, adventure, and friendship as we dive into the mental health and Indigenous culture! If you know me, you know that Vietnam is my MOST favorite country on the planet, and I have been lovingly curating this trip across my last four visits to the North. Together with my uber-sustainable travel partners and local family friends, I have secured some very specially curated activities- check out allll the dreamy details on our website now! :)

Pre-launch bookings open for our GMA Family as a thank you before booking opens to the general public- sign up for our newsletter to stay tuned for opening dates and more details! See you in Vietnam!!!

10/07/2024

Less than three weeks until our gorgeous Guatemala Dia de Los Mu***os CE retreat begins! I am working closely with our host Shamans to make this the most magical retreat yet ✨

Address

Washington D.C., DC

Telephone

+12027433420

Website

http://www.greatmindsabroad.com/

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