Yoga

Why everyone should try retreating…

/ laurahogg82 / Leave a comment

collectmomentsnotthings

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.

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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!

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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

 

Autumn is coming…are you ready?

/ laurahogg82 / Leave a comment

warmsocks

Its true! Its on its way. How you feeling about that? Personally, we’re suckers for a season change, especially Autumn. Everyone comes back to their Pilates classes…yay, and we do love to get all organised in a back to school kind of way. But more seriously, the cold, wet and darker days can have a REAL impact on our health and well being. After all we are a part of nature ourselves and therefore we’re going to celebrate the turning of the seasons with a little tuneout guide to preparing for the Autumn.

Are you suffering from post summer burn out? Yep we’re feeling it too. Its great to enjoy the summer and lets face it, its pretty short lived in this country so we’ve got to make the most of it! But all those late summer nights, after work drinks and festivals can take their toll on our bodies leaving us needing a little pick me up. So here goes…

  • Be boring. In our ‘do it all‘ culture and constant updates on other peoples lives via our smart phones the pressure is always on to get more stuff done and be a better version of you. And that’s great, its always good to be inspired and strive to be your best but when taken to the extreme that can have the opposite effect on our health creating a bit of a multi tasking monster!!! So maybe for a little while could you try doing LESS stuff? It might just be a couple for days or even a week, until you feel less wired and more tuned in to YOU. Try eating simple, uncomplicated, clean foods, go out less, drink less, exercise slowly with some Yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi, finish work on time, turn your technology off, read and potter. And once doing so hopefully allowing some space not only in the body but mentally too for the start of a lovely new season…
  • Mix it up. Could you change your daily routine? We love doing this as its stimulates the brain, leaving us feeling revived and refreshed.

Could you…

  • Get to bed earlier. With the darker nights, we’re not going to feel bad about sneaking off to bed at 9:30pm. Nope. If you struggle with getting off to sleep you could try our recently posted ‘How to Tune Out…last thing at night’
  • If you’re getting to bed a little earlier, could you get up earlier in the morning? Try re-setting your alarm to allow for an extra 15 minutes, which might allow some time for the following – a 10 minute Headspace meditation. A morning stretch. A hot water and lemon. A mindful breakfast.
  • See sunlight. Whatever you’re day entails, try to get outside. In your lunch break or hopping off your commute a stop early and walking the rest of the way.
  • Make some plans. Sit down and think about who you’d like to see over the next few months, things you’d like to do and see. Life can move so fast sometimes we get caught up in the day to day and those special moments can pass us by. Catch up with some old friends, book a retreat (!) workshop or start a new project.
  • Bring your green inside. The garden might be on the turn but there’s still loads of homegrown veggies that you can plant up in your container garden just now. Or you could buy some indoor plants and help to detoxify the air with these species.
  • Mix up your midweek meals. Have you been eating the same things for a while? What about cooking some new recipes or checking out your local farmers market for some inspiration and the best fresh seasonal food.

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