Before I left for my yoga retreat, I had a clear goal: I wanted to be stronger mentally and find inner peace. I know, I know, it’s a cliché, but hear me out.
The fact that I went there as a solo traveler was probably the reason why I got so much out of it. It gave me all the time in the world to reflect on everything and it intensified the whole experience.
It was a solo trip and I had a tough time adjusting. Frankly, I was a mess the first few days and I was convinced that I’d go home earlier. I didn’t think I could be alone and have a good time on my own.But… Attending daily meditation classes and giving myself time to reflect made me realize that I was stronger than that. Hanging in there and giving myself time helped me stop the negative thoughts and understand that I had the strength within all along.
There’s a distinction between being alone and being lonely. A retreat is a great way to check in with oneself and reflect. I dined alone every day, I went on trips alone, I did everything alone, but I never felt lonely. Taking time off to be in my own company and learning to trust my own instincts was very fulfilling. I believe we should all do that once in a while.
One of the hardest things in life is not caring about what others think. We all want to blend in, to be accepted and be popular so we delude ourselves to believe that being like everyone else makes us happy.But being cautious, restrained and always caring about other people’s opinion hasn’t done me any good. In fact, it has crippled my creativity and made me insecure – and for what? So I can be like everyone else and have low self-esteem? People make up their own minds no matter what you say, so you might as well just speak up. Life is too short not to be able to say what you think. So from now on, I’m taking ownership of my life and I’m going to be more honest and upfront.
It is difficult to find words to describe what I felt whilst I was there and when I came back, but to sum it all up – I opened a gate to find the new me!
thoughts by N 