Yoga and Meditation Retreats for a sustainable change

How yoga and meditation retreats can jump start your new healthy life.

Yoga classes, workshops and yoga and meditation retreats are in a high demand all over the world. Retreats are being offered on tropical Islands, in the mountains and on the beach of Spain…

Why do so  many people decide to go on a yoga retreat rather than a regular beach holiday?

Because yoga and meditation retreats are for the long run. Holidays and time away from your everyday life are helpful ways to recharge, step away from your daily routine and surroundings and grasp new and fresh energy. A retreat does the same and in addition helps you to adapt to new healthier ways of living to take with you into your day at home and continue living with a higher level of energy, calm and love.

Why is it so difficult to implement change in the every day environment?

Because we have to rewire our habits to do it and our habits work through triggers which are often located in our  close surroundings and our home and work. Leaving these places, often helps us to take the first step away from automized behavior.

We all run on habits, which admittedly are important to make life easier. We simplify tasks to give ourselves enough head space to deal with the more essential decisions and move forward in life; this is natural. But we can get stuck in habits—we can get in a rut because of our routines and we need to break through these ruts in order to grow. Which is why yoga and meditation retreats might just be the right choice.

In today’s high pressure world, we commonly have high expectations towards our jobs, families, lifestyle, and most of all, OURSELVES. We want to be better, faster, slimmer, make more money, travel further, grow more rapidly—you name it! Our expectations can often stress us out, but they might just be able to drive the machinery of change.

Before we make any changes, cooperate with me in some awareness! Create kindness and gratefulness for yourself and your body right now. Everything is perfect – you are perfect as you are! Keep that in mind while reading through this article. If we are trying to change out of a place of dislike, doubt, and instability, change will be a lot harder to achieve. (Maike Pulver)

Yoga and Meditation Retreats in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spanish beach.

Look a little deeper into common motivations of change:

Most people believe forming a perfect self and creating a perfect life will bring them happiness, self-love, and a feeling of ‘having arrived’. Do you find yourself in that mind-set sometimes? By doing this, you push happiness into the future and build a connection of outside circumstances to contribute to your inner emotional world—but all it does is to prevent you from having to deal with what is really going on in the present moment.

So start by accepting what is – from there you can see what changes are worth pursuing.

What can you do in the here and now to enable sustainable change?
 

1. Dig deep for true purpose

Knowing yourself well and being honest and realistic in setting your goals is the first step to actually getting there. Understand your goals. Want to lose weight? (Common example) Be precise. Do you want to be thinner to feel better, become fitter, faster or healthier? What is it really you are after? Most of the time it is not a perfect body image, but an emotion we are seeking. Dig deep and find your true motivations in the dressed up goal.

After you know why you want to achieve your goal, define success (maybe you want to just drop a few kilos, increase the circumference of your thighs, etc.), and then set a date. To get better organized and prepared, devote some time to sitting down and really working out the timeframe and details of your change. Use the SMART method for setting your goal: make your goal Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Straight away, arrange the first step of this action: schedule a class, join a gym, call a friend to come walking with you every morning, go for yoga and meditation retreats… Take action and make it happen.

2. Be consistent

Change is not always easy and fun! We are stepping out of the machinery of habit and low resistance into an unknown territory. Make up your mind once and after that just do it! Don’t let it be a decision, make it a new routine. And leave no room for your brain to swoop in, no room to overthink it—there’s only room to move and make it happen: the goal. A routine is established after about 3 weeks of repetitive behavior. Long term yoga and meditation retreats are perfect to help you start a new habit.

3. Be minimalistic

We get in the mindset to make changes by creating great new visions of our brighter future and our future selves. These visions might give us a strong feeling of empowerment and enthusiasm, but they also might lead to an overload if we try to implement too many changes at the same time. Overloading ourselves with new habits can throw us off. By embarking on this new path we still need some comfort and relaxation, and we mostly find these things in our repetitive day-to-day behavior. Even if you are on a diet, leave space to eat your favorite food—a small serving, perhaps allowing yourself to relax with a cup of coffee. And you will most likely make it through the rough time of change easier than trying to do it all at once. Give yourself a reasonable timeframe and action plan with doable steps and milestones.

A set date for new behaviors always helps, which is why new years  eve is a big date for many people to schedule the start of a change period. It can also be any other day. It’s totally up to you. Remember that change needs to be timely and the first step to implement sustainable change will be even more powerful if the start date and a change of scenes are combined. Invest in yourself and take a break on yoga and meditation retreats.

4. Love the journey

Create an inspiring journey, feeding yourself with energy as you go! If you are just focused on the goal, it can be a very lonely, moody miserable journey. But by finding pleasure on the way, you can learn a lot, still have fun preserve your energy. Find a team to help you, find blogs and inspiration online—photos, forums like-minded people on the same journey to share your successes and struggles with. Encourage each other, learn from each other, and build new friendships. It is always easier to enjoy the journey the it actually is fun and feels good. Yoga and meditation retreats or yoga holidays on the beach in Spain can be the right setting to combine excitement, a vacation and the start of your change process. It will be something to look forward to rather than being anxious about.

5. Go day by day

Keep your mind and your spirits with you as you move through this transitional phase. Worrying about tomorrow or  doesn’t help. Simply do your best  and let tomorrow take care of itself when it actually comes along.

6. Go on Yoga and Meditation Retreats.

Take a trip, just for yourself. Break free of your daily routine and step out of your roles and responsibilities that keep you on the tracks you are on now. This trip could be as little as a weekend, or as long as a year, but make sure to make it realistic for your lifestyle and budget. (No use spending all of your money if your lifestyle can’t accommodate that right now! Your trip should reduce your stress, not add to it!)

The secret about going to new places is that they force you to break free from your old habits – use that vibe. When you’re away from what shapes your usual every day life, you find it much easier to focus on rewiring your common behavior and bring mindfulness and consciousness into even small decisions and tasks. Yoga and Meditation Retreats are like shortcuts when it comes to making changes—they allow you to visualize your ideal self and see it in reality, and then take those changes back with you to your daily world. (Maike Pulver)

yoga and meditation retreats in spain with maike pulver and Lucia Yoga.

On yoga and meditation retreats you are being given space ad time – time because beautiful healthy food will be provided, nature surrounds you and your schedule is already planed out. All you have to do is set your mind for change – get up in the morning, attend the classes and fully indulge in a peaceful setting together with like-minded people.

What are you waiting for? You have so much life that wants to be lived! Start right now, living one day at a time, loving each day for the little blessings it brings. NOW is the time to make changes.

Feeling like jump starting your change process? Come on our yoga retreat – invest in yourself and be healthy, conscious and feel life in its full power:

https://www.luciayoga.com/yoga-retreat-in-spain-september-2016-with-maike-pulver/