Wednesday, October 19th, day six of my first experience retreating. Prior to coming here I hadn’t really given much (any?) consideration to what precisely the notion of what a retreat meant, my focus resting instead almost entirely on the experience I was coming here to Tulum Mexico to enjoy. Since being here I’ve been pondering a little more in depth the notion of what a retreat experience is really all about and what I’ve been taking away from this experience so far.
First and foremost being completely submersed into a topic and world of knowledge you find fascinating is nothing short of a dream come true. A classic test of when you’re doing something you love is that you completely lose track of time, the hours just flying by, and without a doubt that is the case here. My days are comprised of nothing but things I love: yoga asana practice totalling somewhere in the two and half to three hours over the course of the day, meditation – this morning was a group meditation walk down the beach as the sun was just rising, group eating – with the option of sitting alone if you’re in the mood for solitude, alone time to read,swim, walk, and then discussion, more discussion and yet more discussion on topics I am deeply curious of ranging from detailed break down of yoga poses (easily spending upwards of half an hour dissecting just one pose), how to cue people in and out of the poses, what qualities make up a good yoga teacher, what goes into sequencing a class, anatomy, and the yoga and Ayurvedic philosophies, which we’re just starting to scratch the surface of over the past day or so. I love this stuff so much, to the core of my very being and being here where my sole purpose is to learn, discuss and practice is truly wonderful. And I’m being introduced to so many things I cannot wait to bring home to my work – I am positively bursting at the seams with ideas already.
Similarly, retreating with a group of like minded people has been very satisfying. Feeling a strong sense of belonging and community that one often doesn’t experience in the AWESOME AND WONDERFUL though occasionally lonely and isolated route of self employment. Everyone here is likely looking for something a little different in this regard, some seeking out more companionship, and others relishing more solitary time, myself I would say falling somewhere in the middle; enjoying some interesting conversations over a glass of wine in the evenings and carving out solitary time as well – for example today enjoying a solo swim in the most serene ocean waters I think I’ve ever seen, it was too inviting to not splash into.
Spending extended time in a sacred place. We’ve all gone for those hikes in the mountains, or walks along the river , or maybe sitting quietly in our backyards or on our sun decks that fill us with that sense of awe, of connecting with something bigger. Being here has me soaking in that feeling of being in a sacred place and space from 6:05 when my alarm chimes me awake, until 10:00 or so when my eyes close for the day. I’m realizing what a nourishing experience this is for the soul, it’s almost like being on another planet, as all the normal thoughts, patterns, worries all just kind of fade into the background, and you step into the completely different life – different people, different food, different climate, different routines, different conversations, different ideas, different clothes, different everything (I’m trying to think right now what’s the same as being at home….my bedtime routine is pretty similar with wash the face, contacts out, teeth taken care of… but outside of that I don’t think a single other thing is the same). This was at first more than just a little disorienting, I found myself feeling fuzzy and kind of lost, like I didn’t know heads from tails, my asana practice feeling crunchy and like I was in a strangers body, but sometime over the past 24 or so hours I realized the fuzziness has gone and a new settled feeling is kicking in and Las Luna, Tulum Mexico is feeling like my new home for the time being.
The word retreat upon closer inspection and now first hand experience is both a retreat from your normal life, and a personal retreat inwards, a drawing in and turning inwards of our thoughts, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and towards those bigger questions we don’t always find time and space to reflect upon. As I suspected the case would be, I can see how people get hooked on the experience of retreating, and start incorporating them with greater regularity and consistency into their life, I certainly don’t see this being my one and only!
What has been your experience with retreats? What would be your expectations? What do you think would be different for you after attending?
