Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to disconnect from life for a while and reconnect with myself.
A couple of months ago a post on my instagram feed popped up about a weekend yoga retreat being held by Emily, the founder of Travel Light Yoga. I clicked over to the website, had a brief scout over the details and before I knew it I had booked myself in.
Something about it just felt right.
I’m so glad I didn’t do my normal thing, thinking up 100’s of reasons of why I can’t “do” something.
Emily talked about lots of stuff that resonated with me. In particular, about how people wonder why we are continually presented with the same results or outcomes to situations when we very rarely change our behaviours. People are, after all creatures of habit.
Emily has written a really insightful post about this here (which I recommend taking a look at) and shared this with us after one of our meditation sessions.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters By Portia Nelson
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost … I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place
but, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
It got me thinking. A lot.
I have always thought behaviours of mine were a little out of my control, a bit “auto pilot”… just my personality. Emily helped me understand that mindfulness, the stuff we cultivate on the mat, makes the biggest difference when we take it off the mat, into our lives each and every day.
I took so much from the weekend. An open body, heart and mind but more importantly I found a wise teacher, with a beautiful, generous heart.
If you ever get the opportunity to take a few days out, get yourself to a Travel Light Yoga retreat. You won’t regret it.
It was perfect and for me, came along just when I needed it most.
xx