A wellness retreat is a special kind of getaway—not quite a vacation, not quite an adventure, and yet likely the most rewarding getaway you’ll ever give yourself. Because that’s exactly what a wellness retreat is—a gift to yourself, a chance to up the ante on your mental and spiritual well-being.
Going on a wellness retreat takes you out of your everyday life in a way just about nothing else can. You can choose your degree of removal, but often the best way to get the most out of the experience is to completely unplug—leave the job behind, shut down your technology, and allow yourself to simply BE.
Here are reasons to even consider this kind of getaway in the first place.
Taking Time for Yourself
Wellness retreats really are designed to allow everyone who goes on them to take a moment out from the daily grind. Sure, you can do this at home, but how often do you take the time? The fact that a retreat takes you out of your usual mindset and opens up your schedule and mental space to dedicate time to—really—the most important thing you’ve got going. You. Let go of your usual routines, and give yourself the freedom to recharge, relax and reflect. Enjoy the restorative power of letting go and you might just find the experience life changing. You might find it addictive and realize you need to do this far, far more often than you already do!
Eat and Learn about Healthy Foods
Of course, whether you’re on a wellness retreat or not, you still have to eat. Wellness retreats take this everyday necessity and turn it into a way to detox and learn new ways to reward your body with the foods it needs…in the tastiest fashion possible. At our Santa Fe Wellness Retreat, the food is all vegetarian. You’ll come away with new recipes from a cooking class or two, and you’ll get to enjoy delicious Southwest cuisine as well as healthful smoothies, tips on overall nutrition and ways to stay healthy while you travel (which is sometimes challenging).
Refine Your Meditation Skills
Let’s face it. We live in a busy world and while we all know meditation is great for our bodies and brains, it’s not so easy to learn to shut off the constant barrage of everyday thoughts. A wellness retreat factors in time to meditate and reflect. This not only allows you time to recharge, but also usually opens up opportunities to enjoy guided meditation—namely, someone to help you get to that perfect mental space to decompress, focus, let go or whatever you need to do.
Journaling
How often have you wanted to take a moment to journal, but not gotten to it because your days are too full? Work, kids and the general stresses of everyday life tend to kick centering activities like journaling to the wayside. But a retreat is the perfect time to journal. Away from that daily routine and fully immersed in a serene environment, your mind clears and you can sort through thoughts and ideas in a way that’s not always possible at home. So go ahead. Go shopping for a new journal and bring it along. You’ll likely find yourself waxing rather introspective on your retreat either way, but by journaling, you’re all the more likely to take the experience home with you.
Exercise
Exercise is another aspect of life that can suffer from a busy daily routine, but wellness retreats focus on benefits to mind and body alike. On the Santa Fe Wellness Retreat, we’ll do some yoga and you might just go home with new moves. Retreats allow you extra, unplanned time (ahhh, unplanned and unscheduled is the way to go) to take a walk through peaceful surrounds or go for a morning jog. Exercise is often viewed as an extra chore to do, but a retreat is the perfect time to view it as a luxury and indulge. Go home a little stronger and empowered.
Connect with Likeminded Travelers
If you’re going on a wellness retreat, that means you’re both a person who takes time out as well as a person who loves to travel. These can be pretty unique personality traits when rolled into one. Maybe your social group at home isn’t made up of such likeminded folks (but you love them anyway), but how amazing it is to meet people with the same priorities? And how much more amazing to meet them in such a serene and inspirational setting? Beyond the planned activities of the retreat, spend some time sharing ideas with these fellow travelers to up the ante on the knowledge you take away from the experience.
Inspiration
Above all, a wellness retreat is a time to relax and recharge, but don’t discount the inspiration you’ll come away with. Don’t limit your experience to a few days in an amazing location. Take mental notes (or notes in your journal!) about what your take aways are—new exercise tips, new foods to work onto your grocery shopping list, mindfulness techniques, new friends. Keep the inspiration going when you go home!
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