Modern Mama

Yes, I went on a yoga retreat which is only crazy because I have been an on again and off again yogi practicing in the safety of my living room following along with Youtube videos since college. Not exactly the picture of flexibility. To top it off I had never even done an in person yoga class before when I stumbled on a list of Yoga Retreats on the Insight App and I figured why not? At the time I was extremely stressed out with my job, with my home responsibilities, and going away for a few days to practice yoga, meditate, and not have to cook for myself or anyone else sounded really appealing. So I talked to my Mom and somehow convinced her to go with me just a week after her busiest work season wrapped up so we were just two stressed out Moms hoping not to look foolish or break ourselves attempting some crazy position.

We didn’t know what to expect but we were excited and open minded to see if this could be a new way for us to connect and unwind. And I have to say my expectations were blown away. From the get go the instructor, the chef, and all of the participants were warm and welcoming. For the first time in my life no one asked me what I do as a way to get to know me. They wanted to know about my family, my interests, and my hobbies. It was just so refreshing. I could feel the kindness and love from people I just met and learned so much about myself. I left feeling completely refreshed and equipped with some new skills and tools to try out so it would be a bit of an understatement to say I am now a little hooked and I’ll tell you why.

One of the practices that I am so glad we did was journaling. This is something I have also yo-yo’d with over the years but instead of just writing whatever happened that day the prompts were much more intentional. The instructor also did a great job of allowing enough time that you could really dive deeper into each topic and really explore your thoughts and feelings particularly identifying what you want to do going forward. While it has been several weeks since the retreat this has been one of the practices that has really stuck with me and has really helped me navigate some difficult emotions and has helped me come out feeling better and more resolved. Instead of dwelling in a negative headspace I am now able to let it out and actually figure out what I want to do going forward. I don’t do it everyday but I have started carrying the journal I started during the retreat with me even on my work trips since it has been so effective.

I think one of the most surprising things that came out of the Yoga Retreat, besides actually getting through most of the yoga poses, was how much I liked the meditation practice. Before this retreat I had only tried meditation once or twice and it didn’t really go that well. The logical side of me had heard of how powerful and beneficial mediation could be but I could never really get into it. Until this retreat. And I think what did it was that the instructor did a lot of different types of meditation and really framed it around that it was something to explore instead of something to perfect. There was no expectation to sit a certain way or keep your eyes closed the whole time or even not get lost in thought. There was no wrong answer which was a little tricky to accept at first but as we got more into the retreat my curiosity started to kick in and I ended up having some really nice meditation sessions that completely changed my perspective. Since the retreat I have been mostly listening to different teachers, figuring out which ones I like but something I would like to do more of is pushing myself to not do a teacher led mediation and see if I can start developing my own meditation practice. While I haven’t quite made that leap yet its coming. So wish me luck.

While I have really appreciated adding journaling and mediation to my life, the part of the yoga retreat that I was the most obsessed with was the sauna and cold plunge experience. I already knew I liked saunas but being in a professional grade one was really amazing and I felt so good after sweating it out. For the first time it literally felt like my skin was glowing. I can’t believe these haven’t become more popular in my area so if someone needs a good business idea please start an on the beach sauna hut. I will gladly support you. And now for the second part. The cold plunge. I was originally not looking forward to that part. I hate the cold. Truly hate it but I sucked it up and didn’t let the experience go by. I went into the ice cold ocean and tried to stay as long as I could tolerate. Doing it sucked. Afterward though . . . I felt so alert. No caffeine required. And somehow more calmer. So while I still hate it I now end every nice warm shower by turning the water cold and seeing how long I can stand in the water before running to the warmth of my towel. So I know there are several of you thinking Hell No, but I would encourage you to give it a try before totally writing it off. It might surprise you.

Finally what about the yoga? We seriously lucked out. It turns out we chose a yoga retreat that was more of a restorative spa like yoga so we did survive. And I got a very good education in how to use yoga blocks since being an at home yogi I had never bought any. It turns out they are really helpful in maximizing some of the stretches and keeping good form particularly when you are minimally flexible like me. So it was worth it just for that. I now have a yoga block and have actually used it during my at home Youtube practices so if you haven’t got one yet it is definitely worth the investment.

So I can now officially say that I have attended a yoga retreat and I loved it! I can’t wait to start planning the next one and might even consider doing one solo. It was also a great way to explore an area that I had never been to before since the middle of our day was completely open to do whatever we wanted. Some people went on hikes, some took naps, some went kayaking, and some of us went shopping. There was literally something for everyone. If you are looking for a reset, wanting to set goals or intentions for yourself, or just want to try something new I would highly recommend going to a yoga retreat. And if you do or if you have already gone to one I would love to know what you thought. Until then Namaste.