Connect with your True Self on Vacation - Michelle Fondin

As a kid, vacation was a thing of magic. Anticipating the chance to explore new places and try new wonderful things, you would fantasise about all that lay ahead. You would make detailed plans or pack your suitcase weeks in advance, annoying your parents with your enthusiasm and the constant barrage of asking how many days until you left.

These days, things are a little different. While you still look forward to your vacation, your to-do list of all the tasks you have to accomplish before you leave keeps you from enjoying the same type of anticipation. Then, when you finally arrive at your destination, you find you’re still thinking about work, or the dog sitter, or whether your luggage will get there on time. Before you know it, three days have gone by before you can completely relax and fall into vacation mode.

Yet somewhere inside of you, that playful child still exists. It may be buried underneath the worry and responsibility, but she’s there. Vacation can be the optimal time to connect with that part of you. Follow these five steps to make it easier:

1. Let Go of Responsibility
Most often, moms (and sometimes dads) fall into this category. You know the weight of this responsibility. You need to make sure the kids have:

• Food
• Sunscreen
• Enough toys to play with
• A bath at the end of the day

If you’re the police officer, nurse, server, and entertainer, how can you possibly let your inner child come and play?

To remedy this, designate a day or two during your vacation as a no-responsibility day. If you’re able, give the responsibility to another adult who’s with you. Explain that the designated day will be your day off, and that no problem or obstacle shall be put on your plate. Give yourself permission to eat breakfast alone or read an entire book with your feet soaking in the ocean.

In the event that you’re not able to give the responsibility to another adult, give the kids a little more slack than usual, so you can have some “me” time. Or think about hiring a babysitter for an afternoon. Most hotels have onsite childcare or babysitters for hire.

2. Act Goofy
Society pressures you to act in certain ways to fit into social norms. Some of those rules go out the window on vacation. It’s likely that you’ll never again see the strangers you see at your destination, so you can afford to act a little goofy. If you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort, and they have the evening comedy skits, be a volunteer and ham it up on stage. Do the water aerobics with seniors. Sing in the talent show.

Ask yourself, “What did I do when I was a kid?” If you skipped on the promenade and got sticky from cotton candy, then allow yourself to be like your two-year-old self, eat that ice cream, and get it all over your face, for old times sake.

3. Try Something New
Being away from home, in a faraway place, can make you more of a risk-taker. Take advantage of this momentary freedom from inhibitions to try something new:

• Jump off the cliffs into the ocean
• Try parasailing
• Sign up for a few surf lessons.

Let go of your reasonable self and all the reasons why you shouldn’t try those things. Embrace the philosophy, YOLO (You Only Live Once), even if it’s only for a day. When you give into your adventurous side, you will feel exhilarated and see life from a different perspective. On top of it, you will have a great story to tell when you return.

4. Play
Do you remember when you were in your early 20s before all the responsibility came? You joined in that game of beach volleyball and played putt-putt golf with the love of your life. Get yourself out of the goal-oriented mindset and jump into free play time where you’re not looking at a clock or concerned about the next event.

Play can open up your creativity in tremendous ways. You see things from a broader perspective. During playtime, you regain a grasp of the deeper meaning of life, such as playing fair instead of playing to win. And when you return to work, you can try including this deeper insight into your day-to-day decisions.

5. Be Present
It can be difficult to be present when you’re concerned about obligations back home or connected to your electronic devices all the time. Unless you have pressing issues that require you to keep checking emails, text messages, or social media, keep your devices locked up in the room. Set an automated out-of-office message, and if something does come up, ask yourself, “Can this wait?” Chances are, it can. If the world is not going to come crashing down around you by not attending to it, then let it go.
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It’s likely that you’ve spent a lot of time, money, and effort to go on vacation. Immerse yourself intentionally into it and enjoy it thoroughly. Create memories that will last by being true to yourself and letting go of the responsibilities you have in the day-to-day. In the end, you will be glad to have had a more true and authentic experience while on vacation.

7 Reasons to consider Retreats over Vacations - by Audrey Throne

Each year, millions of people across the globe withdraw from their frenetic lifestyles for a week or two in an attempt to rest, rejuvenate, and recoup. These getaways range from family holidays to adventure trips to secluded exotic retreats.

However, after a year's hard work when the time comes to pick the perfect holiday option, we often find people bolting off to their favorite travel destinations without realizing that they will probably still be on 24/7 holiday management duty during this time off.

Such vacations undermine the fundamental purpose of a holiday—to relax and recharge. However, as opposed to a vacation, which is quite simply a time off from everyday routine, retreats are purposeful getaways that are aimed at rescuing you from an undesired or unpleasant situation and whisking you off to an exotic location to heal in that particular respect.

Retreats offer everything including spiritual healing, fitness through meditation or yoga, family or marriage counselling, and much more. Outlined below are seven reasons for you to opt for a retreat over a regular vacation.

1. Retreats Have Long-Term Benefits
In addition to offering you an escape from a tiresome routine, retreats set themselves apart from mere vacations due to the specific intent behind them. This intent can be an issue that you wish to focus on but don't get time for, a recent experience that you want to reflect on or talk about with people who understand what you're going through, the quest for some distance from your current situation to think clearly and bring things into perspective, or simply quality time with yourself and nature so you can rejuvenate.

To quote the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti, a famous spiritual leader, "I think it is essential sometimes to go into retreat, to stop everything that you have been doing, to stop your beliefs and experiences completely and look at them anew, not keep on repeating like machines whether you believe or don’t believe. You would let fresh air into your minds."

Moreover, all aspects of retreats—including location, accommodation, food, facilities, professional consultation, and activities/exercises—are all in line with what you are seeking to achieve; hence, the benefits of retreats are much more impactful and long-lasting as opposed to vacations where you are more apt to binge, gossip, and probably still spend time finishing work.

According to a research study published in Translational Psychiatry (Nature), simple vacations only bring about short-term improvements in well-being; however, a week's meditation can improve metabolism for the long-run.

Moreover, yoga retreats are known to provide relief to patients of respiratory problems, anxiety, bone thinning, high blood pressure, arthritis, incontinence, and rheumatism, along with several other ailments.

2. Retreats Provide Peace Away from Your Daily Routine
Retreats are aimed at providing you the solitude you need. This can be complete solitude as with individual and silent retreats, with your spouse or partner as with marriage retreats, or in the form of groups as with yoga and Ayurvedic retreats.

Wellness retreats are usually situated in secluded and serene locations that present the perfect platform for you to forget about the hustle and bustle of life and let your nerves relax. However, regular vacations can be taken anywhere that need not necessarily be in a quiet and calm locality. Moreover, retreats also offer a plethora of other activities that quench your thirst for adventure and exploring new cultures.

3. Nature Let's You Unwind
One of the biggest advantages of going on a retreat is that it offers you proximity to nature and its healing touch, which can’t be matched by a simple vacation. Being close to nature has shown to reduce the production of cortisol—our primary stress hormone. Moreover, clean air, calm surroundings, and plants allow you to unwind and be thoroughly rejuvenated so that you can have a fresh start to your life upon return.

4. You’re Surrounded by Like-Minded Company
Retreats attract people with similar concerns or interests and, hence, offer you the opportunity to spend memorable moments with like-minded people who are looking to achieve the same goals as you. These people act as your support system as you work toward your goal and also act as a mirror to help you identify issues that you couldn't have on your own. Most importantly, they let you realize that you are not alone.

Retreats also provide you the opportunity to make friends that you can remain in touch with even after you return home. This gathering of similar people is not characteristic to regular vacations.

5. You Have Access to Professional Guidance
Retreats include trainings, exercises, or counselling sessions by experts who allow you to see your own shortcomings and help you improve your spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. These sessions are in accordance with your needs and enable you to not only improve your well-being while at the retreat, but also equip you with information and techniques that you can use to remain in shape even after the retreat is over.

6. You Don’t Have to Worry About Planning
One thing that skyrockets the efficacy of retreats in facilitating rest and relaxation as compared to ordinary vacations is that your service provider manages them. This means you don't have to worry about things like scheduling, reservations, commutes, waiting in lines, finding locations, etc. Even though you may handle such mundane tasks in your daily life, these tasks become particularly stressful when you are in a new and unfamiliar location. Retreats allow you to focus solely on your own well-being and truly offer you a stress free time-off.

7. Retreats Can Be More Economical
Retreats can be both expensive as well as economical. However, they are much more economical and cost-effective as opposed to regular vacations. The reason for this is that during regular vacations you make your own spending decisions, which may not be the most cost-effective and can at times result in money leakage. However, retreats are pre-planned and include exclusive features like professional consultation and trainings in addition to all the facilities of a simple vacation—thus, making them more financially feasible and reliable.

So, for your next holiday, pick a retreat that will let you unwind and resolve any pending concerns empowering you to regain control of enjoy your life.