How Do You Stay Sane?
As my summer comes to a close and I ready myself to step back into the seat as the teacher and share the delights of yoga over the coming Autumn/Winter. I want to share a little of my summer with you, what I have been up to.
How taking time out to retreat has been such a healing revelation for me.
August hit and I was shattered I had been teaching non-stop since January delivering yoga classes weekly, workshops and retreats. My personal practice had suffered and my body mind was desperate for some me time.
What I really mean is my body hurt and my mind was jumping from one I needed to achieve to the next. In yogic terms my vritti’s were taking over, too much thinking, organising, arranging. Bombarded with thoughts of the past, thoughts of the future you know how it goes! I had also picked up the habit of ‘phone checking’ have I got an email, maybe an insta message, has anyone liked me and generally feeling totally over stimulated. Sound familiar? Yes that’s the world we live in today its fast, fast internet, fast food, fast cars, fast lives and flooding the yoga world is FAST YOGA !
Guess What It’s Not Sustainable or Helpful!
I’m aware and have been around long enough to know to listen to my inner calling, which was asking to be disconnected, released from this merry go round that we now call modern day life.
So what does a yoga practitioner do when they need take time out – attend a YOGA RETREAT, that’s it the perfect place to switch off, log out and re-immerse the self to deepen the practice of inner stillness and restore
I took myself off for a week to the beautiful island of Madeira where I attended a yoga retreat with my dear friend and teacher Andrea (I would not attend a retreat without knowing the teacher, oh no) we were blessed to be staying in an Ayurvedic inspired hotel where we enjoyed delicious sattvic food lovingly prepared. Took many massages, happily being smothered in healing oils, relished in meaningful yoga, rested and relaxed. It was just the tonic I needed to get me back on track, energising and awakening my passion for life.
This time allowed me to pull back, get inspired, feel spacious and heal my body and mind.
I know only too well the challenges of modern life I live it just like you and making time for ourselves is usually last on our to do list but quite frankly that is the path to burn out, irritability, dissatisfaction and a shitty time.
Attending a yoga retreat gave me the time to re-ignite my inner fire.
There are many benefits to attending a retreat but here are a few that really resonate with me:
Connect With Nature
Many yoga retreat venues are set in beautiful natural locations, this is the perfect way to get out of the hustle and bustle of life connect to nature and your environment, see the blossom on the trees and smell the sweet ocean air.
Log Off
Its so refreshing to have a digital detox we seem to be joined at the hip to our phones. Attending a yoga retreat gives you that ideal opportunity to switch off and be more present with your feelings, sensations and the calling of the body and mind as it is only in the quietness that we can see and hear our truth with clarity.
Take stock
If you find yourself stressed, wrung out and exhausted, its difficult in the middle of life to step back and observe to be in the seat of the witness. Joining a yoga retreat gives you time to assess, make good decisions and introduce change for a better way of living.
What’s the Point
Life can simply takeover, running on the hamster wheel doing, doing, doing, our lives become a little pointless and unrewarding. Each day on my retreat I had a clear purpose, the focus that practice brings, massages to attend, a spiritual diary to update this helped me to have purpose. Life with purpose is so much more joyful, find your zest for life, it just takes a little time away with deep practice and a purposeful life will blossom.
Spend More Time With Your Yoga Teacher
The time spent under the guidance of an inspirational teacher is time you will never forget. My teachers hold great space in my heart and to be able to chat to them ask advice and discuss the deeper meaning of practice, priceless.
Positivity
Oh the delight of yoga retreat, someone organisies it all for you, you just have to join with an open mind. Its time to be filled right up with positivity no need to worry about usual holiday stress simply embrace the positive vibe that outstanding teacher embody.
Heal Thy Self
You are responsible for your own wellbeing. Take time to retreat and practice listening deeply to that which arises, slow down, breath steady this time really does change your life and help you deal with any emotional or mental issues. Your time in stillness is profound.
Deepen Your Yoga Practice
We all have great intentions to practice more regularly but out busy lives pulls us away, ironically that is the exact time when we need to practice more. A wise soul once said ‘if you have no time to do meditate then you are the one who needs it more’!
Being on yoga retreat gives you that time, its like a vitamin boost, gets you going again the discipline of a regular practice twice a day on reterat. Even the most seasoned yoga practitioner can deepen their practice on retreat. Yoga sadhana the endeavor to dedicate yourself to yogic practice is key on the path to a deeper practice and all of the delicious benefits that come from a still and courageous mind.
Healthy Eating
Joining a yoga retreat is a great way to get on the healthy stuff, NO fast food just simple, nourishing, delicious food. Yoga retreat is the ideal opportunity to eat well without having to make it yourself, it’s a reset for your taste buds and a wellness habit you can take home.
Take time for yourself
We give so much of ourselves to our families, work, pets, and friends, that we find it difficult to really take a moment for ourselves. While you will meet some great likeminded souls on retreat you have the opportunity to be alone, still, quiet and peaceful
You deserve it
This is time away just for you, all about you. The whole year you deal with what life throws at you, you support others, you work hard, you are amazing and you deserve this healing time away.
This is why I am passionate about supporting you through the practice of Yoga so that this noble practice can support and heal you as it has supported and healed me.
This is why I make a committed to you that I will create and hold space for you by offering Yoga Retreats each year so that you have a place to be, a safe place for you to dis-connect, a beautiful place where you can receive deep transformative practices, a nourishing place where you can relax and restore.
‘A Yoga retreat is absolutely not a luxury in this modern life, its a necessity’