Breaking the Silence: A Retreat Addresses Pelvic Health for Caribbean Women

For generations, many Caribbean women have quietly accepted certain physical experiences as part of life. Leaking when you laugh, ongoing pelvic discomfort after childbirth and persistent digestive issues are often spoken about lightly, if at all, and rarely framed as medical concerns. Instead, they are normalized and endured.

The Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Health experts say these symptoms often point to pelvic floor dysfunction, a group of conditions affecting the muscles supporting the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. Research indicates that nearly one in four women in the United States experiences at least one pelvic floor disorder, including urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse [1]. Broader estimates suggest that more than one-third of women globally will experience some form of pelvic floor dysfunction in their lifetime. Up to half of women who have given birth may develop pelvic floor issues within ten years after childbirth [2].

Cultural Barriers to Care

Despite the commonality of these conditions, awareness remains low, particularly within Caribbean communities where cultural norms have historically shaped how women discuss their bodies. In Caribbean culture, symptoms are often framed through humor or quiet acceptance rather than medical understanding [3]. Jokes about leaking when laughing or struggling with bowel movements are familiar across generations. Globally, urinary incontinence affects an estimated 200 million people, with women making up the majority.

Sunrise & Stillness: A Wellness Retreat

From April 3 to 5, 2026, Sunrise & Stillness, a three-day women’s wellness retreat, will take place at Belle Mont Sanctuary at Kittitian Hill in St. Kitts [3]. Co-founded by pelvic health physical therapist Nadia Mills and St. Kitts-based wellness practitioner Anastasha Elliott, the retreat aims to bring pelvic health into open and informed conversation.

Addressing the Silence

“As a pelvic health physical therapist, I have seen how much unnecessary suffering comes from a lack of awareness,” explains Mills [2]. “Many women do not realize that what they are experiencing has a name and that it can be treated.”

A Holistic Approach to Wellness

The retreat blends pelvic health education with movement, nutrition, skincare, and emotional well-being. It creates a space where women can learn about their bodies in a way that feels accessible, supportive, and culturally relevant. The retreat also incorporates rest, time outdoors, and space for reflection. It recognizes that pelvic function is influenced by posture, movement, stress, nutrition, and emotional well-being.

Reclaiming Cultural Knowledge

For Anastasha Elliott, Sunrise & Stillness is also about reconnecting women with traditional Caribbean healing practices. “For generations, Caribbean women practiced healing in quiet ways,” Elliott says [3]. “It was in the teas our grandmothers made, the foods they prepared, and the way they cared for their bodies.”

Designed for Women in Transition

The retreat is designed for women navigating key life stages, including pregnancy, postpartum recovery, perimenopause, and midlife changes. These are often times when pelvic health issues turn into more noticeable and when women may prioritize the needs of others over their own.

A Growing Movement

The founders of Sunrise & Stillness envision it as part of a larger shift across the Caribbean and its diaspora, with more women seeking information about their bodies and more practitioners integrating pelvic health into broader wellness conversations [2]. “I want women to understand that their bodies are not broken,” Mills adds. “Many of the symptoms they experience have explanations, and there are solutions.”