Healing is a journey and it’s not for the weak. Taking the time to explore the depth of your being requires strength, resilience, and commitment. I always find it funny when someone “very busy” speaks about self care and says, “Self care? I wish I had time!” Just like anything in your life that matters to you, it’s about making the time.
Unlike a “get rich quick” scheme, wellness and healing travel are not intended to be the 48-hour or seven day solution. These experiences are to start, support, or deepen your path. Recently, I joined Healing Hotels of the World’s first ever virtual retreat. It was planned on a weekend from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. First step is making the time. Done and done. Next I needed the right environment. Sheltering-at-home in a Boston apartment with my husband and our 12-year-old made that an interesting challenge. I was fortunate enough to stay at a friend’s empty apartment. Other retreat participants created space in different rooms throughout their homes. Even more than the physical space is what you do with it. Turn your phone off, light a candle, wear comfortable clothing. Allow yourself these hours to commit to being present. Then settle in for an inspiring weekend.
Day One: Virtual Healing
A Journey to Your Inner Place of Power. That was the name of the retreat. We started our time with Sharada Rumi from Melbourne, Australia. She taught us about EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, sometimes referred to as the tapping method. This is psychological acupressure to help remove negative emotions, reduce pain, and replace with positivity and healing. Part of this process is repeating a statement aloud while tapping. Simply hearing your own voice saying this kindness to yourself is powerful. What a lovely beginning.
From there we had mindful movement using the Gyrokinesis Method with an instructor from Germany, meditation and intention setting with a teacher from Italy, and cooked our lunch with the help of (and recipe from) a loving family in India.
Intention setting consistently amazes me. Stop to think about what you’d like to gain from an experience. And then write it down. This last piece is key (similar to manifesting and journaling). What do you need to release? It turns out I needed to release pain. It felt unclear on day one what this hurt was linked to. After the last session on Saturday, I spent the day and night by myself doing what brought me joy and peace. I wrote in my journal, chose a dinner that brought me health and delighted my palate, watched a new show that made me think, laugh, and cry. Then I called my grandmother who always inspires me. I think I get my fire from her. Per usual, I ended my night with a meditation before bed.
Day Two: Going Deeper
Sunday morning I was ready to go feeling energized after a night of deep sleep. Back for more mindful movement and into a meditation. While my retreat family was rejuvenated and peaceful, I found myself struggling to connect. Instead, this meditation was filled with my pain. There was racism, domestic violence, and body acceptance. This was a mirror to the past month. The energy of the hate and hurt racism stirs in this world and inside of me, my battle with self loathing about my body, and the tale of domestic violence. I recently discovered a close friend is in an abusive relationship. As a DV survivor and advocate for awareness around this issue (silence protects the violence), it brought agony to my soul.
So here was my pain being spelled out in meditation. And we still have a few hours left to the retreat. This is the point where it gets uncomfortable. Do I sit with this? Try to avoid it by staying busy? Or commit to the remaining sessions? If you reach this point during a healing or wellness retreat, remember your intention. Bring to light your “why” behind making this time. Finally, be mindful that staying present is an important part of the commitment.
Naturally, I kept going. Unlike how I feel about participating in team sports, emotional awkwardness and discomfort are in my wheelhouse. The group was taught Pranayama, breathing techniques from a Yogi in India. My heart rate slowed down and I felt more open than before. Then we meet Coco Galis, an energetic alchemist from Australia. Wow. Our time with her released the floodgates of my tears, which she referred to as liquid gold. I felt seen, cared for, and lighter. This was the beginning of a deeper opening.
Results
One of my favorite sayings is “When you’re ready to learn, a teacher appears.” This inner journey was more than self care. It was deeper than wellness. The retreat was made for healing. I was ready to learn and Healing Hotels of the World appeared with teachers in tow. I didn’t know what to expect from virtually traveling the globe. Here was this scenario where many people are meeting for the first time on a screen yet creating this bond. There was a shared openness that some do not even have with their inner circle. It was a gift unlike anything I’ve experienced and beyond my expectations. The healing journey continues…