Yoga Retreat Before and After

Self-Care involves the seemingly-simple act of taking time for yourself - something that most of us struggle with in today’s fast-paced world.  I am learning that taking this time is not only one of the best gifts I can give to myself, but also to those whom I love and care about. 

Life is like a roller-coaster, I have experienced my fair share of challenges and limitations and have realised that its not about what happens, but how we deal with what happens that matters.  We can’t always control the situations we find ourselves in, but we can choose how we react to them.

Taking the time to retreat from this rollercoaster and hit the 're-set' button is a powerful tool for reconnecting with what really matters and refocusing our energies in order to live our best lives.

When we fill our own cups, we are able to give so much more.

This, and my love of yoga (especially Meghan Currie’s teaching) is the reason I decided to treat myself to the gift of a yoga retreat with Meghan.

Retreat

So, I spent a sun-drenched week in the heart of the Spanish countryside – Andalucia - at the Suryalila retreat centre.  Such a magical place, surrounded by wild mountains, sunflower fields, the most beautiful landscape and wildlife.  An environment perfectly tuned to nurture body, mind and soul.

When all was done, I felt stronger, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. I felt a deep sense of connection to self and to all living things.  I felt refreshed, revitalising, brighter, lighter, more whole and complete.

Reintegration

Returning home with my cup overflowing with gratitude from the experience, I felt lucky to be able to give myself this gift to de-stress and revitalise my whole being.

I guess its all good spending the time at a retreat to create this state and shed layers that no longer serve my being, but the question then remains: ‘how do I maintain this state when back to normal life?’

Establishing a daily routine beginning with a morning practice  and integrating some of the tools learned while on retreat really helped me. By giving myself this gift, I am able to hold some of the magic from the retreat.

My Daily Routine

There are many different aspects to my ideal daily routine, I try to do the below every day, but sometimes all I have time for is a 20 minute meditation.

·       Morning breathing – 20 Min Pranayama exercise (I use a guided form from Pranayama Sadhana)

·       Morning Mediation - 15 Minutes –  (I love Kris Carr’s guided meditations)

·       Heart/Mind Connection – I spend a few minutes with my hands on my heart chakra focusing on the feeling of gratitude

·       Daily Journaling (I use the ‘Daily Greatness Journal’)

·       Movement – Depending on time, this could be a 20 minute walk or a few light stretches

·       Daily Energy Routine (5 Minutes) – I love Donna Eden's work on Energy Medicine and she has created an amazing (easy to do) daily routine that boosts the immune system, increases energy, relieves pain and helps you stay youthful!

·       Daily Dose of Inspiration – My work involves lots of driving so I make the most of this time by listening to inspirational podcasts and audio books.

·       Evening Inspiration – I love learning and personally don’t watch TV, so I often allocate time on an evening for reading, online learning or watching something on Gaia.com

·       Evening Movement – My daily yoga practise is often in the evening, I find it a perfect way to de-stress from the day

By giving myself this gift every day I can maintain some of the magic from the retreat.  I also find that I operate on a more conscious level and I respond to external situations and experiences with more calm and ease.

My Resources

I feel that there is a great need for everyone to have their own personal tool kit as the need for self-care, compassion and kindness is expanding.

I feel its important, now more than ever to empower human beings to shed unneccessary layers and limitations, to boost self-love and care, freedom and happiness.  To ultimately create a more compassionate and caring world.

Below are some of my favorite reads and listens.

Books

·       The 4 Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

·       The Biology of Belief – Bruce Lipton

·       Anatomy of the Spirit – Carolyn Myss

·       The Universe Has your Back – Gabrielle Bernstein

·       A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle

·       The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

·       Energy Medicine – Donna Eden

Podcasts

·       Adventures in Happiness – Jessica Ortner

·       Dr.Wayne Dyer

·       Hayhouse Radio

·       Supersoul Conversations

Text: Sally Mc Sheffrey Brown

Photography: Wari Om