Retreats, a Refresh Button for the Soul

I just completed a weeklong yoga retreat in the island of Paros. A small island just south of the ever-popular, Mykonos. Paros is quaint, charming, and abundant with fig trees (my favorite part). It was a lovely setting for Downward Dogs, Shavasanas, and farm-to-table meals accompanied by an even lovelier group of like-minded people.

The retreat, organized by Ewa, Emma, and Taru, was a synergistic week of morning beach yoga, evening yoga, exquisitely prepared food, and free-flowing afternoons to lounge, read, and do as you pleased.

Retreats are different from your regular holiday because it is an opportunity to be immersed in a practice or path causing you to let go of what’s at home. It’s fair to say that any vacation is a time for relaxation, however, retreats are an immersion into self-work. Whatever your path is, retreats allow us to pause, restart, and troubleshoot our lives for a brief moment.

Taru, our host, did a phenomenal job of cooking us 3 meals a day that were nourishing and literally life giving. There was not one meal that I walked from and was overly-stuffed and tired from eating too much. Every single meal was fresh and home-cooked.

Emma and Ewa were our magnificent yoga teachers. Ewa’s beach yoga mornings were invigorating and Emma’s gentle evening practices were the perfect way to ease into a meditative state before sleeping.

Most importantly, the group could not have been better. We were a great mix of cultures and backgrounds with lots of deep conversations around meals.

One of the beautiful parts about retreats is that allows us to bond with people we may not ordinarily strike conversation with. We get a chance to connect with others in a deep, heart-opening space. It is a practice in non-judgement, non-attachment, and openness (because when you are in that kind of “yoga high”, there is little space for judgment).

My time in Paros was an invitation to take those very practices into my daily routine. Thank you to everyone who took part in this magical time, we paused our lives and re-started anew.