Sand and Salt Escapes; Max Schneider

Max Schneider uses sand and salt escapes to help his clients avoid burnout. After burning out from a decade in consulting, Max sought healing through a transformative surf and yoga retreat in Costa Rica, where he finally found the clarity and calm he'd been seeking. Inspired, he created “sand and salt” retreats to offer others the same renewal. Max's experiences enable him to design personalized, small-group retreats that calm the nervous system and help high-achieving professionals recharge. His team is dedicated to curating escapes that leave clients feeling refreshed, balanced, and ready to thrive in their lives and careers.

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• Website: www.sandandsaltescapes.com

Most Influential Person

Sam Mallick, a friend who runs a company called Notable

Effect on Emotions

• While growing up I think a lot of us are taught to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. Through mindfulness, I've learned that those emotions are stored in the body and you can't run from them.
• Those emotions will come out. It could be in the form of shingles and anxiety attacks which I've had. You can't run from that kind of stuff. It stays in there.
• It Will metastasize cells into skin cancer. We've seen that happen twice actually with my wife. Stress and those emotions don't run away.

Thoughts on Breathing

• The reason why in meditation we focus on our breath blew my mind when I first started practicing meditation.
• We focus on our breath because the only place that we can breathe is in the present moment. If we're trying to cultivate presence through meditation, all we have to do is focus on our breath.
• Close your eyes, feel your chest move in and out. When I first learned that, it was the biggest aha moment for me.

Suggested Resources

• Book: No Mud, No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh
• App: n/a

Bullying Story

• My first job after graduation was in outside sales for a manufacturing company. I was sent to Boston with no cost-of-living adjustment and just two weeks of PTO.
• During the holidays, I asked my manager if I could work from our home office to spend more time with family. He yelled, questioning why I thought I was special.
• I pushed back aggressively, feeling cornered.
• Looking back, I cringe. If I’d practiced mindfulness, I’d have responded with more compassion—for myself and for him—and likely managed the situation better.

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