About The Ashram
The Ashram was founded more than 50 years ago by Swedish health and wellness pioneers Catharina Hedberg and Anne-Marie Bennström. From the very beginning, Cat and Anne-Marie had a vision to introduce healthy eating, physical exercise and a connection to nature in order to cleanse the body, still the mind and nourish the soul. It was the first “boot camp” retreat with a simple but effective formula that has kept its essence throughout the years while still continually progressing to provide guests with a fun, challenging, and innovative experience. Together, Cat and Anne-Marie created one of the most highly acclaimed and successful health getaways in the world where guests return time and time again.
WHAT'S IN A NAME
The Ashram means “A Place of Peace”.
We felt it was a name to live up to and therefore every aspect of The Ashram permeates that concept. The serene beautiful mountains that surrounds us. The beach with endless blue ocean and warm soft sand. Our fresh delicious organic food. You will sense the warm, welcoming feeling wherever you go on our property and, most importantly, you will experience our amazing staff. They all come from a place of a sincere heart and have a genuine willingness to embrace you with their love and care.
This peaceful energy is created by decades of a pure intent on providing a place for each guest to "stop the clock” for a moment and letting us take care of every need during the week with us.
OUR STAFF
We are blessed to have an amazing staff!!
A warm feeling of “Family” fills every part of The Ashram.
Instructors, office personal, massage therapists, kitchen staff, housekeeping and ground staff are all professionals who work as a strong friendly team to make The Ashram program unique on all levels. It is their genuine care and love for each individual guest that makes the Soul of The Ashram so widely spoken of by returnees and new guests alike.
Hotel Legends: The Ashram with Catharina Hedberg
Passport to Everywhere with Melissa Biggs Bradley
Catharina Hedberg is the co-founder of the legendary Ashram, a boot camp retreat, nestled in the Santa Monica hills of Calabasas. Originally from Sweden, Cat and her business partner (the late Anne-Marie Bennstrom) opened The Ashram in 1974 decades before the boot camp concept became popular. Almost 50 years later, it continues to book out months in advance, welcoming both new visitors and return guests. Cat has created an environment for nurturing the mind, body and soul through yoga, hiking, farm-to-table community meals and simplicity.
In today’s episode, Cat shares her philosophy with Melissa. She discusses how her childhood influenced her approach, the necessity of nature and how she strives to meet the needs of every individual who stays at The Ashram. She also discusses the latest weight loss fad: ozempic and shares her thoughts on the drug. With contagious joy and enthusiasm, she dives into the exciting future of wellness tourism. She reveals how The Ashram continues to expand around the world with retreats in Mallorca, Iceland, the Camino de Santiago and Japan.
