A Little TLC With Wellness Retreats

Modern day life is very comfortable. As they say “almost everything is just one click away.”  All these conveniences were devised to create “more leisure” time to do the things for which we don’t get time. Nevertheless people still suffer from low energy, exhaustion, depression etc.

Once in a Mexican village a few fishermen were sitting by the ocean side happily conversing about their catch of fresh fish. A businessman holidaying at the village had been watching them for some time.  He walks over to them and asks why were they not catching more fish, suggesting that they make it into a big business operation which could make them much money, after which they could retire by the beachside.  This jogged the fishermens’ curiosity.  They asked how long it would take to make that kind of money. The businessmen said 25 years. The fishermen thought about it for a few moments. They said they enjoy life catching fish, playing with their children on the sunny beach, spending time with their wives in the beautiful backdrop without much worry about anything. So spending 25 years to make that money was not worth the time that it took away from what they have right now. Moral of the story – simple life is deeply ingrained in us.

Back in the old days, when things were not so automated, people used to expend physical energy and put in good day’s work. At end of the day they were physically tired, but mentally and emotionally fulfilled.  But now work is mentally intensive and physically comfortable. Even then we are tired, unhealthy and have less time.

So how do we use our “leisure or free time”? Our tendency is to tie up ourselves with more “to do’s” as “more” seems to be order of the day.  The more we complicate our life, the more difficult it gets to manage the day to day stuff without the buildup of stress.  That is where “Wellness Retreats” come into play.  Retreats are designed for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.  There are many types of wellness retreats offering different types of activities like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, massages, spa services, nature hikes, self-discovery, spiritual and couple’s retreats.  The activities in the retreat are well spaced to give enough time for rest and “me time.”  Depending on the retreat type accordingly the activities are organized.

While going away on a vacation might provide the needed break from the daily bustle of activity, many a times we return more tired from a vacation.  But a wellness retreat is about getting away from  the stress of the hectic pace,  chores, responsibilities and mad rush of daily life to unwind the mind from its daily routine. An all-inclusive holistic wellness retreat, can be very beneficial to our overall wellbeing.  The tender love and care with which retreats treat its residents can give much needed emotional and mental healing.  A wellness retreat provides a much needed refuge or safe space in our busy lives, to finally slow down, to make a deeper connection with ourselves.  The experience of wellness is different for different people. It could be anywhere from gaining insights, aha moments, to a completely transformative experience. So it is important to go to a retreat with an open mind and heart, without expectations and let things flow.

When do we know we need to go to a wellness retreat?

1) Feeling constantly tired and low energy.

2) Feeling overwhelmed with just the daily activities.

3) Lack of focus, irritability and overly emotional.

4) High stress taking a toll on health.

5) Lost sense of purpose and passion for life.

6) Want to de-stress, lose weight and get healthy.

7) At cross-roads in life and don’t know what to do next.

8) Feeling anxious and depressed about life.

Treating yourself to a wellness retreat should not be a one-time deal.  Given our lifestyle, one should make the time to go to a retreat at least once a year.  The benefit of spending a few days at the retreat greatly outweighs the cost.