Need a break?

A retreat from your life? So you Googled "destination retreats"...but were turned off by the expense. Not for you, right?

Well, I'm here to encourage you to take another look at it. I've just returned from an all-inclusive 5 day retreat at a villa deep in the heart of Tuscany. The focus was Ayurvedic Sleep Yoga - the promise was a restful night's sleep. This, alone, was enough to make me pull out my credit card.

But the fact that I'd never been to Tuscany...TUSCANY!...and the prospect of 5 blissful days without having to solve problems or think about a rat-race schedule...well, it was too good to pass up. I booked it without fussing about the expense.

And, boy, was it worth it!

This was our home (pictured above) for 5 glorious days. Le Lappe, a villa so deep in the heart of Tuscany, there was little else to do but follow Anandi (www.thesleepguru.co.uk) and Amy (www.divinotours.com) as they led us through our daily Ayurveda lessons, breath work, and yoga practice. Eight of us came together there, differing in age and background, but very like-minded in our desire to learn to relax and sleep deeply.

After, on the train from Siena to Pisa, then on to Nice - a new experience for me and a bit of a challenge - I had plenty of time to think through the events of my retreat week. I felt happy, refreshed, and relieved to be in the right seat on the right train. I was literally bursting with joy!

Here's what this retreat vacation gave to me, and why this type of experience is amazing value for money.

1. Disappear

You get away, physically, from work and home routines. You break daily habits that have become ingrained in your psyche, that have become who you are.

But...maybe you don't want to be that person any more. Hmmm?

You also get away from that persona. That you that you present to your world of friends, family, and colleagues because that’s who they expect you to be. And that’s who you expect you to be.

I felt that...almost immediately on arrival in Pisa. PISA! I had a day and a night there before meeting the others at the airport for transport to our villa in Tuscany. Wandering its crooked streets with the leaning tower looming overhead was surreal, and I was mesmerized by it. I was already far, far away from my workaday world.

On retreat, you can be a new you. Or the real you. You forget what it’s like to be in your life. You actually feel that you can start over - the chains are broken. You have space to contemplate who you want to be. You're free to think new thoughts and try new behaviours. And that will create a shift toward being that new person - changes that will last long after you get home.

Do consider going on your own. If you bring a friend or your partner, you won’t have the same experience. Chances are you’ll keep being the you they expect to see every morning.

To really get away and experience transformation, go alone.

2. Boost Your Confidence

You will most likely have choosen a retreat that's being held in a an exotic and beautiful location. Why not? Over and above the thrill of seeing a new place, travelling there alone will be adventure. 

Travelling solo turns on and brings to the fore new skills you don't know you possess. You'll have to fend for yourself, solve problems, ask questions, perhaps speak a new tongue.

You'll connect with strangers, like I did, to ask for infomation about, say, interpreting the train schedules in Italy. Or to say 'Grazie' for helping to heave your overstuffed cases onto the train.

And people will ask you questions...like you know! Keep your wits about you and stay safe...and you will feel strong and proud to have successfully hurdled your daily obstacles. You can settle into your seat and enjoy the view, feeling a newfound confidence. The new you is brave, and savvy.

3. Broaden Your Scope

The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.  - Reid Hoffman

You'll make new friends. The right kind of friends for you now. The women drawn to your retreat will be on the your path and can help you become who you want to be. Some will even become friends for life.

I found it such a joy to be surrounded by women who were awake - to yoga, to struggling with sleep, to working on raising their energy and becoming better, happier and more connected to their higher selves.

If you don’t want to be who you are any more, you might look at the people you spend your time with. A retreat that speaks to you is a great place to start. Absorb the energy and wisdom coming from the others who were drawn to that retreat.

4. Kickstart Your Diet Upgrade

Wellness retreats planners take great care directing and overseeing the preparation of delicious, nutritious, and inspired meals. Every choice on the menu or at the buffet is healthy, energy-boosting food. You get the sense that you are nourishing your body with every bite, and you didn't have to shop or cook. It's all done for you!

Our retreat featured a vegan menu, following Ayurvedic tradition. I'll admit I'm usually an omnivore, which - after 30 years of trying every diet under the sun - is the one that works best for my metabolic type.  But eating fresh, vegetarian meals lovingly prepared by our in-house Italian chef was part of the experience. And each evening meal was accompanied by a local organic Tuscan wine - a special treat.

5. Soak Up Healing Vibes and Raise Your Energy

The place itself, the energy of the location, is often very special. Retreat sites are chosen for their beauty, the surrounding countryside, proximity to forests, deserts or ocean, offering experiences in nature - like a stunning coastal hike or a tranquil, leafy spot to sit and dream -  that we don’t get in cities.

As you can see in the photo above - Le Lappe was swirling in positive vibes. My room was the one on the top floor, with the three windows. I faced east so each morning I saw the sun rise over the hilly Tuscan countryside. Bliss!

6. Chill Out

Leave your worries behind and really and truly rest. All the details are taken care of. All you need to do is show up. Accommodations are usually comfortable and thoughtfully planned. There is plenty of time built in for personal down time - for reading, writing, napping, or meditating, or for being active. Most times, there is a massage therapist onsite, or a spa at the resort, and relaxing body treatments are encouraged.

We had an Ayurvedic massage therapist come to our villa each day, so I booked two of her treatments, which were set up in the privacy of my room. Both involved a lot of sesame oil and warmed herbs. It seemed so fitting to give my body the same attention that the breathwork and meditation were giving my mind.

7. 100% You Time

From the time that you arrive at your retreat until you pack your bags and head for home, it’s all about you. You decide what time you’ll get up, what time to get your exercise, what extra activities to partake in, what to sample from the menu of yummy food offerings, whether to spend your free time journalling, meditating, or chatting to new friends, and what luscious spa treatments to enjoy. You, you, you. For a change.

Although your retreat leaders will have spent considerable time planning your schedule, they are aware that this is an escape for you, and that you may need more quiet time than is scheduled. I was terribly jet-lagged for the first few days there, and chose to sleep through the sunrise yoga practice on days one and two. Others in the group came and went at different times of the day - according to their needs. You decide. It's your retreat.

8. Become

Your retreat will have a program, a focus that matches your intent for change in your life, often led by an expert in the field. You will have been guided to it by your need for something that's missing in your life. You may be there to sharpen a skill, go on safari, revive your relationship, or to learn something that will lead to spiritual enlightenment. Or a combination of the above, as is often the case.

The program will give you up-close-and-personal access to the expertise of the leader, but also to the collective wisdom and energy of the group. Combine the whole experience - the venue, the beautiful natural surroundings, the peace and quiet - and your energy levels will soar, you'll literally be vibrating at a higher frequency - wiser and happier - and transformed.

Me? I'm now breathing deeper and sleeping better than I have in years.

If you're not already convinced...

Remember that women over 50 have reached a stage in their lives when they're starting to ask some big questions. Why am I here? What is my purpose for this life? How to I live more meaningfully? Is there more? I'm sure you can add to this list with your own big old existential questions.

Choose the right retreat, and you'll address some of those questions. You'll have time to contemplate where your life has taken you, where you are now, and where you want to go. And you'll have guidance in changing your path to one that is guided by the positive emotions of love,  joy, inspiration, gratitude, and empowerment - to name a few.

And that, dear friends, is priceless.

 

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PS: My RETREATmd retreats are in the planning stages, and will focus on raising awareness and vibrational energy, with a different self care theme and expert featured at each retreat. They'll be held, starting in 2020, in the sparkling Massif des Maures (small mountain range in the Côte d'Azur, France), a locale renowned for healing energy and great Rosé!