Retreat!

Glo @ Yoga Retreat

ri-treet:  a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet; hideaway: an area where you can be alone; withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat.



Last weekend I was able to retreat to a lovely Georgian country house for 3-days of yoga, meditation and vegetarian food with Michelle Cross.  I don't know that any other "retreat" that I've been on changed me as much as this one and in so many different ways.

Since returning to my life, I feel so much stronger in my body.  Yoga may look like stretching and bending, but there's also a great deal of muscle involved in getting into poses properly and then being able to hold those poses.  I can feel the strength that developed from doing 10 hours of yoga during this weekend.  Yep, you read right ... 10 hours of yoga.  I've noticed this new found strength in my other workout classes, and in how I'm carrying my body.  My back is straighter, I'm holding my head up just a bit higher, and I feel calmer and more in touch with myself.  Not to mention how it's affected my singing.  This week I've been preparing to compete in the Finals of Concorde's Got Talent (which is tonight, by the way) and my breathing is more consistent, my notes are more supported because my core is stronger, and I'm discovering new things that my voice is capable of.



Tilton House

 The other big change has been unplugging a bit more.  Unplugging from the internet and from TV.  It's amazing how much more productive and focused I feel.  I've been reading more this week, I've started to think about the book I want to write, and I've gained some major insight into finding the courage to only doing those things that I really feel passionate about.  When it's quiet and your spirit is still, you're able to hear what's in your heart ... there's beauty in stillness!

Lastly, after eating a completely vegetarian menu and having so much more energy and less strange smells coming from the nether region, I've modified the way I'm eating.  No, I've not gone vegetarian, but I've added more fresh fruit, veggies, and grains to my diet. 

So I ask you, what would a retreat mean for you?  For me it was stepping back from myself in order to see myself a little bit clearer.  Maybe you can't get away for a weekend, but I'm sure you can find a hour over the coming weekend to retreat, be it into a book or magazine (this month's Oprah Magazine is very powerful), or a meditation or Yoga session (or both), or taking a much needed nap.  I encourage you to find a way to retreat in the coming days.  I guarantee you will immediately feel the benefits! 

I'd love to hear about your journey ... happy retreating!

Glo.