Time to retreat and repeat

I've been going away to Bali on a yoga retreat every year since 2011.

Most people think it's strange and don't understand why I go to the same destination, hang out at the same villa with the same people and essentially do the same things every single year.

I choose to go to Bali primarily to work on my yoga practice. By going back to the exact same place, I get to check on my progress and I get to reflect on every aspect of my life from the previous 12-months.

After more than 10 trips, Bali has become like a second home for me and that provides a sense of stability and familiarity which allows me to really slow down and relax.

Yet, it's still different enough from my ordinary life that I can totally immerse myself in the unique and beautiful Balinese way of life and culture.

I don't do many of the traditional holiday activities - drinking, partying or shopping for example - but I still have a great time and come back feeling more grounded, energised, lighter and happier!

Sure, it can be fun and exciting to try different things and go to new holiday destinations. But chopping, changing and moving around isn't necessarily relaxing. After all, if I think about where I am most comfortable and relaxed it's at home or in familiar surroundings. 

Do you have a regular getaway location? Or do you prefer to visit the latest 'hot' destinations? Are your holidays filled of touristy checklists or 'flop & drop' experiences or do they renew and refresh you? 

I love travel. It's a great way to open our eyes and minds to new experiences. It has the ability to change our perspectives and beliefs and helps us understand ourselves and our world better. It's also more affordable and accessible than ever! 

For many people going overseas is often an opportunity to get away - to forget and distract themselves from the challenges and stresses of daily life. (And it's a way to make our Instagram feed look pretty...)

While, I've been lucky enough to visit some amazing places - Algarve, Bora Bora and New York to name a few - I haven't gone back to them, like I do with Bali.

It's partly because they're so expensive and far away, but it also comes down to my intention for these trips. These trips were just an escape, while Bali is some-where I go to nourish and refresh my body, mind and life.  

Just like picking a yoga class, there are so many choices and places to go now. it's easy to keep moving and trying different styles and teachers. But it's only when we commit to a regular class that we can truly settle in, begin to work and develop our awareness.

In class, there's lots of repetition and holding the poses too. This stillness and revisiting poses allows us to notice what's really going on. We're able to observe and deepen our practice - unravelling the layers and getting to know the habits of our body and mind!

So, choose some more meaningful experiences that help you to flourish and join me on the mat to retreat and repeat...

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language...

- Rainer Maria Rilke