But, while DDP Yoga does incorporate some traditional practices, Page doesn't take too lightly people calling his program yoga.
“First of all, it's nothing like yoga,” says Page. “It may have yoga positions in it, but I took it to another level. I always say, 'Most yoga is very 'Namaste.' DDP Yoga is way more 'T' and 'A,' or tone and attitude. That's what we're about. We're not about put your arms to the heavens, so the universe responds back. I am way more intense, but it's only in the way of engaging muscles. We're flexing and engaging as you move. Every time you flex or engage your muscles, your heart has to beat faster to get the blood to the muscle. That’s DDP Yoga.”
Instead, Page says his 'yoga' combines fitness with sports therapy.
“It’s yoga meets rehab, meets old school calisthenics, meets dynamic resistance," says Page. “I’ve been able to take yoga and create yoga for people who wouldn't be caught dead doing yoga,” says Page. “It's life changing, what we're doing and taking it to these different properties of Karisma. It's very interactive. The people who come are all really like-minded and they're looking for that health and wellness vacation and I give it to them.”
So, is this for the casual fitness person or for experts only?
“I think it's people who are looking really to enjoy a holiday, but it ain't your momma's yoga retreat," says Page. "We work out, we teach people how to eat really healthy, but they can eat any way they want to eat. We give them that experience to be able to eat well because that's what Karisma does. They have a lot of really healthy options and I want to tell people I don't care how healthy something is, if it doesn't taste great, I'm not eating it. So, they get to work out, they get to eat great food, and we party. We have a whole Casitas area with our own bartenders and everything."
How to Book DDP Yoga
Diamond Dallas Page leads his DDP Yoga class at El Dorado Seaside Suites, by Karisma in 2017. // Photo courtesy of TravelSmiths
The 2018 DDP Yoga retreat will be held from July 7 - 12 at El Dorado Casitas Royale by Karisma in the Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Agents need to contact TravelSmiths at groups@thetravelsmiths.com to secure clients’ space at the retreat. Agents can book clients’ rooms under their own agency. Agents are then required to pay TravelSmiths $850 per person (non-refundable) for the DDP Yoga event. Agents receive 10 percent commission.
If the TravelSmiths fee is paid via credit card by the agent, the payment of $850 must be paid in full. If it is paid by a check, agents may pay $765 to keep their commission in house.
“With the agents, that's gonna be a great thing because they'll be able to keep their clients," says Smith. "What we're gonna need is the name of the client. It's like contact information. We're going to be like a tour operator to them. They pay the additional fee. They'll make a commission on it and it's great, but then they'll keep their client. That's not something that we would take."
TravelSmiths Takes Home Top Honors at 2017 GIVCs
Paul Smith smooches his wife, Sally Jane Smith, after TravelSmiths wins top honors at Karisma's Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant (GIVC) awards.
Travel Agent covered this year’s Karisma's Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant (GIVC) awards, where TravelSmiths, led by Sally Jane and Paul Smith, took home the show’s top honor. The agency was awarded the “Hall of Fame” honor for “her great support throughout the years,” according to a Karisma spokesperson, who also noted that Diamond Dallas Page got married at Azul Beach Resort The Fives Playa del Carmen in 2015, per Sally Jane’s referral.
"The reason we are successful selling Karisma and the reason we love selling Karisma is that it is a brand we trust," says Sally Jane. "I know the people of the company, I know the products. And that's what I love the most, that I can sleep well at night knowing my clients are in good hands. After all, it's my name attached to everything."
About DDP the Wrestler
In the course of his career, which spanned two decades, Page has wrestled for mainstream wrestling promotions WCW, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
On February 20, WWE announced that Page would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2017, and on March 31, he was officially inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Visit www.ddpretreat.com and www.karismahotels.com. Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for all your latest travel news and be sure to follow Travel Agent’s Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike and Instagram @pike5260.
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