I have been leading yoga retreats for over a decade. I have led everything from small local half-day retreats to weeklong destination retreats in places such as Bali, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. After leading retreats for so long, I am convinced that there is a retreats are a necessity, not just an indulgence.
Back in 2011, I was sent as an emissary by the yoga studio I was working for to Haramara, a retreat center just outside of the little surfer town of Sayulita on the Pacific Coast. To be honest, I had a cynical and jaded view of retreats as pure escapism. They were a way to avoid the realities of life, to be in denial.
Nourishing Yoga
Then, I arrived at Haramara and my five days there changed everything. First, at the time, there was no cell service or internet available on the property. So I was relieved of having to be in contact with the outside world. No news feed. No need to communicate with family or friends. There was feeling of being outside of time, a sort of suspension.
Second, I was immediately cared for. My meals – beautiful, nutritious and delicious – were taken care of. And I was in a place that was quiet and beautiful. The entire property looks out over the Pacific Ocean. Each day, I could rise and devote a portion of my day to my practice – sunrise meditation and a lengthy yoga practice. The remainder of my day, I could rest.
These pieces were profound for me. At the time, I was incredibly busy and, although I didn’t recognize it, stressed and exhausted. I was:
- managing a yoga studio
- starting a teacher training
- teaching workshops and weekly classes
- and my primary relationship was on the rocks
I was able to rest, to be cared for in those five days, the necessity of a retreat became clear. Because many of the distractions and duties of daily life simply weren’t present meant that I had time to reflect and contemplate. Wonderful conversations were had with others. I leisurely explored the area on long walks. And, may have opened a book – or more likely I napped in the hammock in my cabana and fell asleep to the sound of the Pacific Ocean.
The Benefit and Necessity of a Retreat Today
Over the last 15 years, I have led many retreats, and I always see how necessary they are. When we take time out for ourselves—to rest and to do our spiritual practice—we emerge with a renewed energy. In other words, we refill our inner reservoir.
Yet, for those of us who live in the US or Canada, our culture presses in on us, and often, we are like fish in water and cannot even see it. Similarly, for those of us who are caretakers, we can become depleted over time. Because of this, retreat allows us time to quiet the nervous system and recover our lost selves.
Ultimately, many of us are more exhausted than we realize and, without knowing it, are propping ourselves up each day.
Not everyone has the time or funds to go on retreat in a place like Haramara. However, there are creative ways to give yourself a retreat of sorts. So, make it a priority to set aside time (and funds, if possible) periodically, so you can step outside of your daily life, and hold space for yourself to heal, to cultivate your spiritual life, to be creative, to be quiet, to be surrounded by beauty, and to be held and cared for by others.
