Advantages of a Spiritual Retreat
11 July 2019
7 Advantages of a Spiritual Retreat over a Standard Vacation
The word retreat means to withdraw. The purpose of a spiritual retreat is to step back from the stress and preoccupations of daily life, and to turn one’s focus inwards, towards realising the truth of “Who I am,” and exploring the essence of one’s existence.
The word holiday originates from ‘holy day’, which was originally intended as a spiritual retreat – a time to step back from worldly activities, and to reconnect with a sense of inner peace.
In today’s busy, competitive world, constantly chasing after ‘something more’ creates a chronic state of anxiety, and a sense that something is always missing. This feeling of emptiness and discontent is the precursor of much unhappiness.
When we take a vacation for the purpose of recreation or tourism, the chances are that we’re still rushing around, or trying to occupy ourselves with external means of fulfilment, or maybe even over-indulging in unhealthy pursuits. This leaves little time to connect with ourselves.
A spiritual retreat gives you the opportunity to ‘detox’ emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically by enabling you to:
- Focus On Your wellbeing: The whole focus of a retreat is on nurturing one’s own wellbeing, making it a more effective way of facilitating rest and relaxation. All mundane activities are taken care of by others, giving you freedom to spend quality time with your own self, discovering what makes you feel good and doing that.
- Make inner peace a priority: Retreats tend to be in peaceful surroundings, conducive to creating inner peace. Meditation is frequently taught, training the mind to become still, and to appreciate the present moment with gratitude. This enriches our experience of life. So you’re more likely to return from a spiritual retreat feeling revived and rejuvenated.
- Strengthen your sense of ‘self’ and purpose: Activities like meditation, energy healing, nature walks, encourage self-reflection and focusing on one’s own thoughts, feelings and inner being– the aim is to ‘Meet Yourself’ and to accept yourself with love and self-compassion. Being able to do this is the key to living a life of peace and purpose.
- Let nature help you heal: Modern spiritual retreats are frequently located in areas of natural beauty, away from pollution. Proximity to nature has been shown to promote healing: reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Emotional and psychological wellbeing are also improved: anxiety and depression are alleviated, and concentration is enhanced.
- Unite with kindred spirits: Sharing memorable moments with like-minded people gives the opportunity to build relationships that may last a lifetime. Deep, soul-searching conversations may be triggered as people support each other to grow emotionally and spiritually.
- Release fear & have fun: Sharing memorable moments with like-minded people gives the opportunity to build relationships that may last a lifetime. Deep, soul-searching conversations may be triggered as people support each other to grow emotionally and spiritually.
- Fast track your personal & spiritual growth: Receive guidance from experienced instructors on how to realign your thoughts and inner experience in a positive and peaceful way, to bring harmony into your life. The skills you learn will continue to benefit you long after the retreat is over. All this while spending prime time in an environment which is conducive to personal and spiritual growth.