Let Go and Enjoy: How To Really Relax on Retreat.

What is all this hype about yoga retreats and why are they becoming so popular? I remember going on one of my very first yoga retreats and how amazing I felt in the following days and weeks. It’s an experience that I will never forget. 

So what really happens when we go on a retreat? The beauty is that we get to choose. Practicing yoga once or twice daily in gorgeous surroundings really puts things into perspective. We may experience a sense of gratitude that we have not felt for a while. We also may notice a certain peaceful awareness that comes from connecting with nature on a basic level. 

Health and wellness retreats are popping up everywhere and with good reason. There are retreats out there for all types of budgets and interests. Every time we log on to our social media or see a bulletin board at a coffee shop we are exposed to a number of available mind/body retreats. These retreats promise to help us relax our minds, leave our worries behind, and get in great shape while we practice yoga all day long in some exotic location.

As a retreat leader, I can tell you that the choice is really up to us. I have seen participants immediately unplug upon arrival and go into full relaxation mode. I have also noticed that in the beginning some individuals become more agitated and find it difficult to fully relax while on retreat. I also find that these people, once they get past the first day or two, end up having the most ground-breaking experiences. Sometimes just being with our selves and our own thoughts can be extremely overwhelming. Our daily lives are so busy and we are overstimulated by social media and our responsibilities. It becomes very difficult to even put down our phones. 

How often do we really slow down and just listen to our own selves and what we need? 

In our daily lives we struggle to find that much needed pause in our thoughts. Instead, we think and then react. That pause is called Sati in Sanskrit. Sati is that mindfulness or state of awareness that allows us to be in the present moment. How often do leave our savasana (final relaxation) and rush on to the next thing?

We tend to be in a hurry to get to the next task, whether it be work, tending to a child, or another responsibility. While on retreat we can really allow ourselves to rest. The agenda is up to us. We can usually take a longer savasana, sit for a while in meditation, or just rest and be present after our practice. This opportunity creates valuable time to pause and reflect; time that we don’t usually get to enjoy even if we practice yoga at home regularly. 

So now we have signed up for our retreat and want to make the most of it. How can we really get into retreat mode? Here are a few tips:

Leave it all behind. We have invested the time and the money to let ourselves get away. We can set up an automated message at our work email so everyone knows we are on vacation. 

Take photos but let’s save the social media posts for after the retreat. We will always want to remember the experience. Posting after the retreat will keep us from always having to reply to comments, etc. Saving our social media posts until later will also help make the retreat experience last longer. 

Take the classes being offered. It might seem like a lot at first to take two or even three classes a day, but we will be surprised at how quickly we get into the groove. Our bodies will thank us!

Eat healthy food. Eat! Most retreats tend to offer healthy, organic food choices as part of the experience. When we eat good, clean food we eat well, so eat up!

Let go of judgement. We may not want to be best friends with everyone on the retreat. That’s fine, but let’s let go of judging others. Retreats tend to be a group experience so let’s enjoy the time we get to spend with new and different people. Our time together is temporary unless we choose to stay in touch afterwards. 

Get plenty of rest. Retreats tend to keep everyone on a schedule with plenty of time for relaxation. We can sit and do nothing in the afternoons. Take a good, inspirational book along. Go to bed early, avoid drinking too much alcohol, and sleep well. 

Let’s enjoy our retreat and listen to the retreat leaders. Let them take good care of us! If we can’t afford to do a full week, even a few days away can help to reset the mind and body.

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