Feeling a little tired of your day to day routine? Sometimes you just need to escape reality in order to rejuvenate, refresh and calm your mind. The word ‘retreat’ originates from the Latin verb ‘to pull back’ which can have several meanings in modern day life. This can mean to ‘pull back’ from regular life and focus on something you love. This withdrawal from routine can have an overwhelming amount of benefits, such as allowing us to have a new perspective on things and open up our creativity. A retreat can truly heal your mind and body and help to focus on what’s really important in your life. With depression being among the leading cause of disability worldwide, it’s time for us to take our wellbeing seriously and take part in measures to improve it. Here are 11 Awesome reasons why retreats are a healing must:
1. Detox
We hear the word ‘detox’ everywhere now, but is there a better way to truly cleanse the body than to put all of your troubles aside and just focus on the present moment? This doesn’t mean you’ll be juicing or doing an outrageous cleansing ritual, it simply means you’ll be taking part in activities that will help to reduce your negative thoughts and help create a more positive mindset.
2. Step out of day-to-day schedule
Doing the same thing each day can become monotonous and leave you uninspired and fatigued. Stepping out of your comfort zone at a retreat and discovering a new practise can help to reboot your brain and refresh your focus. You will also learn about techniques that you can help you change your daily routine and created more quality time to yourself. In a study of 131 people, researchers found that yoga helped to reduce stress and anxiety. Taking a detox from your day-to-day life and practising yoga and mindfulness can have its long-term benefits.
3. Discover yourself
Cheesy, we know, but spending time on your own can help to work out who you really are and what your true intentions are. We all get caught up in the world and allow our intentions to become askew as a result of outside influences. During a retreat, you will have the chance to strip back to basics and work out what you really want from life.
4. Find inspiration
Have you ever noticed that you become the most creative when you’re not doing anything in particular? Usually, our most inspiring thoughts come to us when we take a walk or go for a shower, that’s because we are stepping back from the obstacle and allowing our brain to run wild for a little bit, which can ultimately help solve the problem. At a retreat, you have every opportunity to switch off and let the mind wander, this will get your creative juices flowing and you never know what wonderful ideas you’ll come up with.
5. Listen
Being busy can have a negative impact on our body, as many of us don’t spend the time listening to what we need in order to re-energise and re-nourish. The quiet of a yoga or mindfulness retreat will bring back the balance in your life and allow you the time necessary to take notice of what your body is missing and to repair it effectively.
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6. Enjoy the present
Do you ever really stop and appreciate what is happening during the moment? Or are you always caught up thinking about the past or what is coming next? During a retreat, you will learn how to practise meditation and mindfulness that will bring your focus back to the present. Meaning you will be able to enjoy experiences more by being fully immersed in them.
7. Me time
Quality time is crucial for everyone, and many of us don’t get enough of it. A retreat is an ultimate reason to get a little me time, during this experience everything you do is to help heal your inner self. For this time, you don’t have to worry about your to-do list at work or grocery shopping, instead, you can channel all of your energy on working on yourself. Trust us, you may need it.
8. Change your perspective
Everyone has experienced being sarcastic or biased at some stage in our lives, after all, we are only human. Letting your negative emotions take control of a situation is what often leads to things being said and done that you regret later on. Taking the opportunity to reflect on the circumstances will allow you to make meaningful decisions that have not been driven by an adverse mental state.
9. Experience alone time
Just because you’re going on your own doesn’t mean that you’re lonely! Most people opt to go on a retreat on their own in order to get some headspace, and it’s definitely a great idea for many. There will be other people on the retreat and you’ll build new relationships, but there will be plenty of time where you can reflect and be mindful on your own. Many people fear spending time alone, but it could be just what you need to pause and reset.
10. Meet new people
The great thing about meeting people at a retreat is that you’ve got at least one thing in common- you all chose to be there! You may have all set different intentions as to why you attending a particular retreat, but you have all come ultimately to relax, practise wellbeing classes and learn to be more present. It’s the perfect time to create friendships, learn from each other’s experiences and help those that need it.
11. Learn something new
Holidays are the perfect time to relax, reset, reflect and recharge, but what about learning a new skill while taking your well-deserved break!? At wellness retreat, you will not only learn new skills like acroyoga, Pilates or meditation, but you will leave the retreat having learned something you didn’t know beforehand, how knows you may even find a new hobby to bring home with you. Wellness retreats are a great way to come back inspired, full of life and ready to go!
All of us need to heal in our own way, and there are many different methods to aid you to do so. Visiting a wellness retreat will help you to find the method that suits you best and ultimately unlock the key to calmness in your life.
