Midlyfe was born through a collaboration between passionate experts in women's health and wellness with a mission to prepare and educate women as they navigate life in peri- and post-menopause. This a retreat for women in midlife with the intention to elevate understanding, empower the mind, engage the spirit, and energize the body so that we may emerge renewed and continue to grow.
Retreat is a time to find connection - to nature, self, and others. Although we have unique journeys, Midlyfe is here to provide a supportive community to uplift the spirit and nurture the heart. Enjoy the picturesque surroundings of Panama and spend time absorbing the awe of your natural surroundings. Go on a hike, take a walk on the beach, decompress with a restorative yoga class, swim in the ocean, or try a surf lesson!
Our dynamic team will address the many changes that come with perimenopause and menopause that impact our hormones, energy, sleep, mood, mental focus, musculoskeletal system and more. We will discuss the latest evidence based practices and tools to help you move through this transition feeling empowered.
After a week of soul nourishing retreat, you will feel a renewed sense of self that will empower you to be confident in your next steps and embrace the challenges and beauty of midlife.
Dr. Alyson Miletich is a medical doctor, board certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Reiki Master, owner and medical director of Surya Medicine, and certified epigenetic coach with the belief that our potential for health and well-being is not limited to the absence of disease. She understands that there are many paths to vibrant health and that it is possible for all of us. Optimization of nutrition, sleep and circadian rhythms, hormones, detoxification, and mind/body/spirit balance is essential to this pursuit, and the ability to leverage epigenetics within these areas is a powerful tool.
Dr. Miletich obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree at The University of South Carolina where she graduated magna cum laude. Before becoming a physician, she taught in a medically supervised weight loss program as a health coach, worked as a personal trainer, and taught Yoga. She also studied nutrition in graduate school at Clemson University.
This was followed by medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina and then residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC. After many years of traditional Ob-Gyn practice, she trained in Integrative Medicine at The Sajune Institute for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine in Florida, completed training through The American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, and obtained certification as an Epigenetic Coach through Apeiron Academy.
In her free time, she loves to be in nature, spend time with her husband and two boys, and seek understanding about the deeper truths of reality. A lifelong student, she loves to travel and discover new things, including discoveries that aid in achieving and maintaining wellness and vitality.
Jane is a wellness collaborator at heart. She is a licensed Massage Therapist, certified Pilates and Yoga instructor, certified Girls Gone Strong Women's and Menopause Coach. She is passionate about creating welcoming and supportive spaces of women to build functional strength and stability and enjoys the variety and challenges of combining multiple disciplines into her days.
Jane is continually drawn to learning ways to strengthen connection to self and others and exploring pathways that help create balance and peace within. Throughout her twenty years as a bodyworker, she has learned that all myofascial tissues carry memories that affect how we live; some physical from accidents and surgeries, others emotional from trauma and disease. Although our histories are important, they do not dictate our future well-being. There are many ways to provide support for resiliency, decrease systemic inflammation, and minimize the risk for injury and chronic pain. As a coach, she encourages a growth mindset and the idea that caring for oneself is a long-term investment that supports ongoing flexibility and change. She continues to have curiosity for ways to foster healing and the ability to thrive.
Jane loves travel and exploring new surroundings. She was born in Vietnam, grew up in Minnesota, went to high school in New York, and received a degree in Biology from Colorado College. After college she traveled internationally and live on both coasts. Ultimately, she missed the mountains and the sun and made Colorado home. She attended the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado and has been practicing therapeutic massage since 2005; many of those years were spent within physical therapy clinics where she also taught rehab Pilates and therapeutic yoga. She has treated a wide variety of clients including sports and spinal cord injuries, auto-immune disorders, post-surgical, headache, scoliosis, motor vehicle accidents, pre/post-natal, athletes and seniors.
Jane is most at peace on the hiking trail, in the garden, or curled up with a good book. She loves bike rides with her husband, strength training with her teenage daughter, and naps on the couch with her Mastiff, Lola.
Elisa Myzal is a fitness and communications professional who specializes in media relations and event planning.
Her communications career includes working with law enforcement, government, international sports associations and teams, large corporations and nonprofit entities. Elisa has also worked with local and national media outlets and coordinated numerous Olympic-level, professional and youth sports events and business conferences.
On the fitness side, Elisa is a NASM certified personal trainer as well as a certified Girls Gone Strong Women's and Pre/Postnatal Coach. She is an avid runner whose accomplishments include a third place finish at the 2012 TransRockies Run, completing the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim and being a runner on the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey first place masters women's team multiple years.
Elisa looks forward to Midlyfe Retreats to share with like-minded women the strength and cardio training tools that can help them live healthier, more enjoyable lives. She is also eager to learn from the experiences and perspectives of other women.
Elisa grew up in Upstate New York, graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences and currently lives in Chattanooga, TN. She is a member of the Girls on the Run of Southeast Tennessee Board of Directors and Chair of its marketing committee. In addition to running, she enriches her life with trail hiking and travel as both improve physical health, challenge the mind, and help gain a better appreciation for the world and others living in it.
Skylar Orton is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) who specialized in sports injury rehabilitation, orthopedics and complex pain syndromes. In addition to her PT practice, she is a licensed and practicing Massage Therapist and Certified Menopause Coache.
Skylar has been practicing PT since 2006. She graduated with a BS in Exercise Science as well as her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of South Carolina. She is board certified as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist through the APTA and Certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy through the McKenzie Institute.
Skylar was inspired to go into movement therapy initially after receiving treatment for her scoliosis. She found guided exercise was the best medicine for her back stiffness and pain and wanted to help others achieve the same relief.
Through her own perimenopause experience, Skylar began to recognize the lack of awareness and education around the symptoms of hormonal depletion in the body. She was given antidepressants for symptoms, told it was a natural part of life and she needed to just "get through it". She was not given education or guidance on how to manage perimenopausal shifts and changes in mood, energy, and sleep disorder. Through her own research and talking to others in the field, she improved her symptoms greatly through nutrition, supplementation, exercise, and hormone therapies. Skylar is passionate about improving the menopause experience for other women, especially surrounding the symptoms of joint pain, frozen shoulder, sarcopenia (muscle loss), osteopenia and osteoporosis (bone loss).
She believes in multiple paths to pain free movement and feels the individual should be viewed holistically to determine the best plan of care. She draws from a broad range of evidence based treatments, from manual therapies to active movement in order to achieve positive outcomes.
Skylar loves spending time with her husband and two kids. She enjoys walking her Havanese dog, yoga, cross country and downhill skiing, hiking, and traveling.
