(Photo courtesy of Maria Christodoulou)
Wellness-focused and wanting to embrace the essence of what it meant to be truly relaxed, Maria Christodoulou took a day for herself and went to the beach with some friends. It was while listening to the waves crash and soaking up the sun when she came up with a name for her own business. Now, the Hicksville native is the entrepreneur of her brand Bliss Without Bother.
Founded two years ago, the company is a wellness retreat planning service. From wellness instructors to friends looking to try something new, anyone who wants to plan an event that is wellness themed, whether it be for a corporate event, private party or simply a weekend getaway, needs to do nothing more than call the company, lay down what they want and Bliss Without Bother will take care of the rest.
Such services Christodoulou’s business offer include researching locations and retreat centers, arranging ground transportation and customizing itineraries with activities like yoga, massages, meditation and aromatherapy.
“It can be very stressful [planning retreats],” said Christodoulou, who came up with the idea for the retreat planning service after being displeased with the way things were organized at retreats she had been on herself. “We save instructors from being stressed and exhausted. They can show up organized and ready to host the retreat with all their energy.”
Christodoulou’s own journey into wellness practice came after struggling to find an effective solution for her own health issues. After discovering the world of self-wellness, she found a love and passion for retreats upon realizing the health benefits they had.
“I had this amazing experience with people I had just met, I ate delicious food, the energy was grounding and I got home and felt revived,” she explained.
Fueled by her newfound ambition for wellness, Christodoulou sought advice and learned that the best way to get Bliss Without Bother on its feet was through building its website, an endeavor that she found to be the driving factor motivating her to move forward with the business.
“I felt very driven because it was coming out of my creative energies. I felt inspired,” she expressed.
Creating her brand gave Christodoulou’s life renewed meaning, and she’s been reveling in what she’s been able to achieve both for herself and for others.
“When I was working in an office all day I felt very drained and I wasn’t tapping into my creativity,” she said. “It became this very meaningful aspect of my life where I could have this outlet that I didn’t have before.”
Christodoulou prides herself on the wide range of retreat centers she’s been able to secure in her business network. Well-traveled herself, she is able to offer those who seek her services a relaxing escape in countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina and the U.S.
“I’ve been particular of what retreat centers are in the network. The owners are really good people who offer unique experiences in those countries,” she stated. “They’re all magical places; it’s pretty cool to be able to be connected to all of them.”
Offering more than just organized group getaways, Bliss Without Bother also hosts Happy Hour For Your Wellness events in Manhattan and specialty events on Long Island.
For a taste of what Bliss Without Bother is all about, partake in The Six Senses Series at the Sound View Greenport on Long Island’s North Fork on July 22 at 1:30 p.m.
For more information about Bliss Without Bother, visit www.blisswithoutbother.com.
