
Pexels/Yan Krukau
Every so often I have a truly pinch me moment in my life. It usually happens around the time I drag out my suitcase to pack for a yoga and meditation retreat. Over the past six years, I have had the pleasure of leading over 15 retreats across four continents. It remains one of my favorite things.
There are so many things that I love about retreats. I love getting to see the world, exploring a new place with a group of like minded people and starting every day with a yoga and meditation class. But, if I’m being honest, one of my favorite things about retreats is how good I feel when I get back. Even if I’m leading the retreat, I come home feeling lighter, brighter and happier. When I return from a retreat, I feel like I took a true vacation, one where I honored my body, gave myself an emotional retreat and turned the volume down on stress and burnout. I just feel good.
This time of year typically has us doing two things. We are simultaneously looking for a way to escape the Minnesota winter, and we are looking to reevaluate our habits, routines and wellness goals. So why not do both? If you haven’t considered a wellness retreat before, maybe this year will be the one where you come back from a vacation truly feeling better.
Kelly Smith is a local yoga and meditation teacher, author and podcaster.