Why Going on a Retreat Saved my Life
- Jan 8, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 7
Retreat. Oh, that's where you go to do weird things and chant and spend all day meditating. That's what I thought before I went on my first retreat in 2015. That was before I found myself at rock bottom, struggling to deal with people, my job, and my life. That was before I realized religion didn't have to fit in a box like I'd been taught my whole life. That was before...
My first retreat was with a friend in Portugal...she was already booked to go (she lives in London), and one night I realized I needed a break. Like a real break. Where cell phones didn't exist, where there was time to think and be and listen to my inner voice...where someone else took care of me...mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I needed a new perspective and some answers to a recurring problem I was having with life...it was challenging me to be more.
I booked my ticket and showed up...having never practiced yoga before (well, maybe I tried a few classes to understand the poses, but let's just say it was maybe 4 classes...and on an app for 25 minutes...this was in 2015, so apps were just coming out and it wasn't ideal!).
Let's just say my whole world changed. I was inspired by these yogis who had been practicing for years and what they could do...I was humbled by what I thought was strength was really just a physical expression of working out...I had no idea what it meant to connect to my breath, to be in my body, and to allow myself to FEEL something.
My body ached from the practices, but I felt SO GOOD. My internal chatter turned from chaos to a better understanding of why. I had the deepest connection to "God" I'd ever had (I grew up in the church, my grandparents were missionaries and long-standing pastors...and at one point I thought I was gonna follow in those footsteps... guess I did just in a different way...) in savasana one day and thought...my goodness. Is this really what it's all about? To be connected to others, to the deeper self within, and to feel and be in life?
I came home with answers to things I needed clarity on, with a deeper understanding of my purpose and a LOVE for this practice of yoga...the whole practice, not just the asana...and my life was forever changed. Thank you, Flo, for being the conduit and guide I needed to move me into something greater.
Since that retreat, I have been on many more...and have hosted even more. Why? Because I believe in the power of going away, being open, and just living IT'S TRANSFORMATIVE.
Want to know my 3 reasons retreats are so powerful? Check out more in our video below...and join us for our next Nourish retreat in 2023 in Costa Rica.
