This time 2 weeks ago myself and Katherine took ourselves on a weekend Yoga retreat. What a treat! We figured, how can we preach why its so good to go on a retreat if we don’t sample it ourselves, right? It was great to be on the other side of hosting and be hosted for a change. And our hosts did not disappoint. We went to, of course relax and restore after a busy summer but the weekend also offered up lots of inspiration plus we got to check out some exciting new venues for the Tune Out Retreats on the way, more on that another time.  It really set in stone for us why everyone needs a little retreating in there lives for time to time. It doesn’t have to be for a long time, expensive or luxurious. There are so many different types of retreats out there these days its really about finding something that suits your budget, time, and what you want out of it. Watch out for those ‘retreat’ labels which could end up costing thousands…a retreat could be a simple as taking a day off and turning your phone off.

So whilst we’re still daydreaming about our weekend and trying to hang on to the retreat feeling, we thought it would be a good time put down on paper why we went and why we’ll be  giving ourselves a retreat again next year. For sure!

You reconnect with your body. When you spend a weekend tuning into your body, different things can come up, some things feel easier and maybe some things feel harder. But you get an over all sense of connection to your body and your feelings when all the other ‘stuff’ is stripped away and that can feel pretty empowering.

You get to sit still. Can you honestly say you still and do nothing at any point in your day? (Not when your sleeping?!) Being on a retreat, in whatever version you choose, allows you to have the opportunity to do that. Whether its in one of the relaxation sessions, curled up on a sofa with a book, or taking in the gorgeous view for a moment. In a world that you get praised for doing more stuff in less time, its not often that we are forced to do nothing and its feels great!

You get to be creative.  Being creative isn’t just being arty or good at making stuff. Change inspires creativity in lots of ways and retreats can offer up a whole load of new things to try out. Maybe a new Pilates exercise or Yoga posture or eating different foods or getting a little craft on. We kind of got addicted to the colouring in books on our retreat, inspired by Anna’s love of them, we were able to colour as we wished in our free time, and we got hooked!

Someone takes care of YOU for a change. Not having to think about what we were eating for more than 2 whole days and being greeted at every meal with wholesome, hearty, healthy food was such a treat. Knowing that you’re nourishing our bodies feels good but when its someone else doing the thinking and cooking for you, then that’s a real treat!

You get to be someone else for a little while. We all have roles to play and schedules to follow in our day to day. Those things are stripped away on a retreat, if only for a short time, and you have the choice to spend your weekend how you like. You can either fully engaged with the group and surroundings and do all the activities OR you can retreat to a corner with a book, go for a walk and/or be on your own. No questions asked.

 

Thank you so much to our lovely hosts Anna and Monique. You can check out their  super Yoga retreats here.

xx