Youniverse 2.0
Gathering
Connect.
Rejuvenate.
Raise your vibration.
Design your next chapter.
The Youniverse 2.0 Gathering is designed for transformative growth and bonding.
Leave behind your everyday life and escape into an experience carefully crafted to cultivate a peak state and nurture peace, clarity, epiphanies, and internal shifts.
With a wellness focus, it has been mindfully created to leave you feeling rejuvenated and charged with passion for your next steps. The excitement of NYC is balanced with sleeping in, self care, a beautiful ocean beach, and pool under the stars.
Wellness & Growth
Gather with a like-hearted group, surrounded by water on the slim Rockaway Peninsula. Engage in deep soul shifting conversations while in a relaxed peak state.
Venture into Manhattan for mindful weekend excursions to experience the incredible energy of New York.
Phase 1: Rockaway Beach Retreat
Cultivate a peak state in which epiphanies and creativity flow.
- Growth sessions to find fulfillment and plan your next chapter
- Yoga
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Beach walk/runs
- Outdoor pool
- Booze Free Buzz Welcome Reception with adaptogenic social tonics
- Evening tea socials
Phase 2: Mindful Excursions in Manhattan
Challenge yourself to carry peace and intentionality into the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps.
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
- Times Square
- Grand Central Station
- Central Park
- See NYC from the top of the Freedom Tower
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
- Broadway Show
- Fine Dining
*Activities are subject to change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances
Youniverse 2.0 Origins
Meet the team creating your experience.
“They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, as if going through something hard is all it takes. That’s like saying that all you have to do to be a good fighter is step into the ring with a champion. The reason the traumas I endured made me stronger is because I was fortunate to already have the practices I needed before they happened. Then with each one I became more and more resilient - supporting multiple family members in my 20s on a teacher’s salary, losing my home to Hurricane Sandy, a home birth gone wrong, the death of my brother, divorce, the financial fallout from a failed business, living as a single mom - until I was able to deal with the COVID pandemic as if it were just another day. Therapy is a lifesaver but we also need practices to support our brain, hormones, and immune system when we’re being pushed beyond our limit. We can use the same practices and skills when we choose to push our limits in order to pursue goals and create a life we love.”
Nicole Cruz is a Holistic Wellness and Life Coach. She works with those who are forging their own path outside of the mainstream, whether by choice or due to circumstances beyond their control. Her clients are often neurodivergent, entrepreneurs, or facing difficult circumstances.
Nicole merged her backgrounds in holistic health, fitness, and education into a unique practice. Her methods optimize the mind and body to help her clients stay strong and centered as they navigate the most challenging circumstances. She guides them to improve their skills and relationships to forge a path to the life they desire - one that aligns with their values and who they are.
As a consultant for heart led business owners, she earned the nickname “the Marie Kondo of the mind.” She helps her clients to spend more time and energy in their zone of genius and less on everything that drains them by simplifying, systematizing, and delegating.
“As a divorced father of three boys, this work is personal to me. It brings me joy to help others along their paths, too. I lost my mom almost 5 years ago and that, along with a few other events, were catalysts in the process of evolving into the best version of myself. The pain I went through over that period of time was bad, but was also just what I needed to make sure that my boys wouldn’t have to endure the same hardships I have. My life goal became shifting the world slowly into one they can thrive in; giving them and the rest of society the tools we all need to repair and heal from abuses, traumas, and other misalignments in whatever forms that takes; and planting as many healthy seeds as I can along the way.”
Casey Connell is a Nationally Certified Divorce Mediator and Personal Finance Coach with a background in Engineering and Science with a national laboratory. His skillset is derived from a deep appreciation for the complexity of human behavior and how complex systems work.
Professionally he has always focused on efficiency and innovation. He finds innovative ways to reach goals faster. He easily combines new methods and ideas that challenge the status quo, with compassion and a desire to understand. His work has led him to appreciate that the best opportunities in life come from a collision of knowledge and skills. Five years ago he began a journey to shift his focus to personal growth. He met and worked with some amazing professional coaches and created relationships that shifted his entire view of the world.
In this phase of his life he’s creating spaces for others to share in a similar experience, one that is dedicated to growth however is genuine to them. He creates spaces where people feel comfortable in their own skin, seen, and where they feel able to dive into the essence of their own being to evolve into the next best version of themselves.
Anita Ruderman, RYT was certified in 1992 and has been teaching the Hot26 Series and Vinyasa Yoga continuously since then.
As owner of Hot Yoga Rockaway Beach in Rockaway Park, NY for more than 14 years, she nourishes all of her passions; connecting with students, supporting the community and providing a safe and nurturing environment for “every body” to practice yoga.
She has a dynamic personality and is an inspiring and motivating teacher. With over 30 years of experience, Anita brings compassion, humor and a unique wit and charm to her classes, stressing that yoga is a “practice not a perfect” which puts newcomers at ease. Students respond to her magic and leave her class feeling balanced and whole. She is easily accessible and happily answers questions about a pose, modifications, benefits, etc…and she can’t wait to see you sweat in the hot room!
Taking applications now…
Kicks off: July 28th at 7:00pm
Beach Retreat: July 28th - 31st
Mindful Excursions: August 1st - 3rd
How to apply:
1. Fill out our questionnaire.
Tell us about yourself and where you are in your personal growth journey.
2. Meet with our team.
Have a short video chat with us to find out details and see if it's a good fit.