7 Reasons You Should Consider Retreats Over Regular Vacations
Life is can be busy. Between work, social lives, friends, family - things can often feel too exhausting to keep up! That’s why every year, millions of people take time off, maybe a week or two, to hit the reset button on their lives. These getaways give people an attempt to rest and recoup and oftentimes come in the form of either family holidays, big tropical retreats, or maybe exciting adventure trips.
With this vacation though often hardly comes relaxation. Subconsciously, people jet off to their favorite destinations with their favorite people and don’t realize how connected their minds still are to the work they’ve left behind.
Vacations like this take away from the ultimate purpose of a holiday—to relax, recharge, and reset. What *does* truly offer this experience, however, are purposeful getaways that are aimed at rescuing you from an undesired or unpleasant situation (*cough cough*, work) and whisking you off to an exotic location to heal in that particular respect; otherwise known as a retreat.
Retreats offer everything including spiritual healing, fitness through meditation or yoga, family or marriage counseling, and much more. Let’s dive into seven reasons for you to cancel that cruise or trip to Disney, and opt for a retreat instead.
1. The Benefits of Retreats Last for Months
Retreats are more than just an escape, they’re an opportunity to go inwards. You get to set an intention as you begin a retreat. This intent can be an issue you’ve been pushing to the back burner and are ready to deal with, a recent occurrence that you want to intentionally + skillfully reflect on or talk about with people who can relate, the desire for some separation from your current day-to-day routine to find clarity and perspective, or maybe some much-needed quality time with yourself and the beauties of nature.
Retreats are entirely what you make of them, and are designed to be approached in a way that fulfills your unique needs. In turn, the benefits of retreats are much more impactful and long-lasting as opposed to vacations or hectic trips where you are naturally more apt to find more stress to cling to.
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 in the long run.
2. Retreats Break You Away from Your Routine
Sometimes, what you really need is some time with yourself and your thoughts to realize what is serving you, and what is not. Retreats can either provide this independent experience of solitude or maybe the sense of solitude in complete and utter focus on you and your partner or spouse. Retreats can also come in the form of a group experience, such as yoga and Ayurvedic retreats. No matter what kind of experience you’re looking for, look forward to one that focuses on you.
The great thing about retreats is there are often times located in an area that physically separates you from the hustle and bustle of life. When you are constantly running your day-to-day routine in either an office, a busy home, or commuting in and out of a city, we don’t realize how aggravated this makes our nervous system over time. When we go on a vacation or destination trip, we are oftentimes just inserting ourselves back into that high-stress environment. Wellness retreats are usually situated in secluded and serene locations that present the perfect recipe for disconnection from the outside so you can find a strong connection to the inside.
3. Nature is its Own Form of Medicine
Ah, nature - the best mind, body, and soul medicine there is. Arguably one of the greatest advantages of going on a retreat is that it offers you proximity to nature that you wouldn’t get through your daily life, or place you call home. A great book to read on the effects of nature on the human condition is The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Being close to nature has been shown to reduce the production of cortisol—our primary stress hormone that tends to be a bit more aggravated in busy, crowded spaces. Clean air, peaceful sounds, trees and plants, and maybe bodies of water allow you to unwind and be thoroughly rejuvenated so that you can have a fresh start to your life when you decide to hit the ‘resume’ button.
4. Enjoy Meeting Like-Minded Company
Some of the best friendships can be formed at retreats. You’ll notice that those who attend retreats are people with similar concerns or interests and in turn, the opportunity to really get to know someone feels effortless. The memories made at retreats are those rooted in mindfulness, kindness, support, and love. Whatever your intention is coming into a retreat, you’ll notice that those around you will be the best support system and also act as a mirror to help you identify issues that you couldn't have on your own. Most importantly, they help you realize that you are not alone and that there are so many others who think like you and care about you.
Now that kind of connection is something you will most likely not find on a tropical cruise.
5. Retreats are Guided by the Professionals
No matter the kind of retreat, there is universally a focus on spiritual, mental, and physical improvement. Retreats include training, exercises, or counseling 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.
