Giving ourselves the gift of some time away from our daily routine, a journey spent with the self, for the self – a “me time journey” if you will, can be the perfect detour of discovery while on the greater journey of life itself. Whether it’s boarding a plane and flying off to a far away land, getting on a bus or in the car and taking a weekend road trip, jumping on a bike for a ride under the sun, or even stepping out to the park for the day, it’s about our intention. The intent to go on a retreat is, in and of itself a call for some introspection, and well deserved self-love.
Longer retreats can often offer a re-charging, or re-booting of sorts on many levels of our being. Since the process of spending a few days away from our regular lives, while purposefully nourishing our mind, body and spirit throughout this time can be a powerful way to process our life, and see if, where, and how we need to readjust for the better. This is how a retreat differs than simply going on a vacation.
Yes, part of it is an escape from our daily routines, but a retreat offers more than just an escape. Going on a retreat also means that we have made a commitment to ourselves to be open-minded, and open-hearted to learn, and experience a bit more, even if it means possibly putting ourselves a little out of our mental and spiritual comfort zone, so that in turn we can experience and possibly learn yet something else about ourselves. This is how a yoga-inspired retreat offers more than a vacation, it offers the space and time for reflecting, refreshing, and renewing on a deeper level.
Spending some good quality “Me Time” no matter what mode of transportation is used to get there, or whether alone, among familiar faces, or complete strangers is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves, and undoubtedly an investment in our life’s journey that lasts way longer than the time spent away.