Take A Solo Retreat, Even When Life Rocks
Life can throw some serious shade sometimes – and during these moments of hardship, most of us do engage in some form of self-care—whether it’s a yoga class, a spa day, or maybe a simple walk in the park. Unfortunately, most of us are so out of tune with our own needs that we don’t even know we need healing.
The truth is, it’s hard to heal in the same environment that got us sick.
Enter: retreat. The trick is to pull the trigger on taking a retreat long before the ailments begin, and the stress level has reached epic proportions (crawled up in fetal position proportions). Your life doesn’t have to be falling apart for you to decide to invest in yourself. There’s a lot of merit in taking a solo retreat even when everything is going just peachy.
Everything is going splendidly. Goodbye world!
When I booked my stay at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, life was just that: completely peachy. I was shrouded in comfort and deeply in love, but something was telling me to branch out and seek some time to myself. Could there be any better way to do it other than a solo retreat in a German castle, with a healing modality that’s been around over 5,000 years? I think not. Just like that, I packed my bag, said “see you later” to my hubby (or “tschuss” cause he’s German), and hunkered down for a train ride to solitude.
Rediscovering Balance at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen
If there were such a thing as an “Ayurvedic Fairytale,” this gorgeous, family-run castle would be the setting. As a longtime fan of Ayurvedic medicine, I was intrigued by the thought of visiting Europe’s only Ayurvedic hotel in the lovely Art-Nouveau town of Traben-Trarbarch. Parkschlösschen is nestled in Germany’s Mosel Valley, a formidable place to dive into all things Ayurveda. The setting is as captivating as the mission, with 11 acres made up of vineyards, fresh-smelling forest, and softly flowing rivers.
A pillar of the healing effects of Ayurveda is the withdrawal of one’s self into silence.
According to Ayurveda, the cause of health and disease lies in our everyday nature and behavior. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the doldrums of daily routines, tricking us into thinking that we’re in balance—just because our career, friends, or relationship is steady. We all need time alone to be able to entirely focus inward and listen to the needs of our body, mind, and spirit.
The entire castle is in itself therapy.
At Parkschlösschen, you’ll get a break from things that you’ve probably needed a break from for some time. Don’t even think about sampling wine from the local vineyards—guests at the retreat abstain from alcohol, sugar, dairy, and meat (they do leave some quality honey out for you though). Don’t worry; red wine will still exist at the end of your stay, I promise. Instead, you can trade your favorite cabernet sauvignon for an early morning elixir of ginger juice. Or you could swim the cravings away with a therapeutic dip in the spring water pool. Yes, that’s right… zero chlorine, 100% local, and fresh spring water!
Guests at the retreat will also meet with an Ayurvedic trained Dr. to learn about the state of their doshas (body types) and their current Ayurvedic constitution. I was lucky enough to have spent some quality time with Dr. Subasinghe, whose empathy, undivided attention, wisdom, and insight, was truly healing in and of itself. The beautiful thing about Ayurveda is that it treats the human as a whole – a combination of mind, body, and soul. Ayurveda focuses on the unique nature of the individual as the primary factor in health, not the disease.
Prevention, balance, and longterm wellbeing: This is Ayurveda
Say hello to the art of resetting and recalibrating. Our daily routines and constant monkey minds can grind us down more than we know. Dr. Subasinghe shared with me that the Ayurvedic approach to treating the mind is through the body. Luckily, food is medicine, and the right foods for “you” will bring you to a serene place, where it is far easier to focus on settling the mind.
All week I was spoiled with delectable organic vegan and vegetarian gourmet meals (I even took their Ayurvedic cookbook home with me), which may be a shock to the system for some. Not really to me – although I must admit, I was missing my morning yerba mate ritual, with the absence of caffeine on the premise. But my breakfast oats soaked in coconut milk topped with baked fig, and a warm cinnamon stick helped me quickly get over it! I have to say, all the food at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen was profoundly nourishing and incredibly delicious. The nourishment and clarity I felt were unparalleled during my stay at the retreat.
After just three days, I was a glimmering portrait of health.
I was indulging in healing elixirs every morning and afternoon, using the sauna every night before bed, taking some time to simply sit in silence, and treating myself to some of the most exceptional massages I have ever experienced. Google Abhyanga immediately! Let’s just say I was swimming in coconut and sesame oil, and have never felt better. The laughter yoga classes were also super fun! If you’d like a peek into my day to day life at Parkschlösschen, you can catch up on all the juicy details in my Instagram stories Ayurveda highlight.
Here’s to You and a Future of Self-Care
I hope that in sharing my experience, it has opened you up to consider a healing modality that activates your own self-healing mechanism, and helps guide you towards your inner wisdom. We are our own healers, and being in good health is our natural state. Embarking on a self-healing journey isn’t always easy, but still incredibly rewarding. Showing up to this experience solo allowed me to take it in with an open mind, reconnecting with nature when I hadn’t even previously realized our broken bond. Setting apart a specific time for healing and reflection should be a steady to-do in all our daily calendars.
Despite all the things I had to be happy about at the time, this retreat gave me more than I expected and left me feeling recharged, revitalized, and ready to take on the inevitable future storms that await us all.
So, whether life is giving you lemons, or you are happily sipping on some organic lemonade, start your inward journey towards greater awareness and treat yourself to a wellness getaway.
No Comments