Heartfelt Meditation Retreats: Finding Connection and Healing
When was the last time you had some "ME TIME"?
When was the last time you had some "ME TIME" without feeling guilty?
I can hear your brain buzzing for that moment when you felt fantastic just for being you.
You can't find that moment?
That's OK. There is still time for you to choose "YOU".
We spend numerous hours in our lives cleaning our homes and our cars. Somehow, when it comes to focusing on cleansing the body and mind, we haven't got any energy left.
Pathetic, right?
Why are we not doing it? One explanation could be that we were never taught to do it. It wasn't part of our culture and mindset.
However, many studies show the benefits of allocating time and space in our daily lives to focus our attention inward. Even if we didn't have the studies, most of us know and feel the release we are experiencing in our nervous system when we take a break from our daily lives.
If you are called to cultivate qualities like compassion, love, kindness, acceptance, forgiveness and emotional well-being, then you might want to explore heartfelt meditation retreats.
There are a myriad of heartfelt meditation retreats available out there for all budgets. Before you book yours, there are a few elements to pay attention to:
Become familiar with the teacher's work, voice and presentation style.
Have a call with the teacher before booking your retreat.
During the call, notice how you feel when you hear the teacher's voice and how the words the teacher uses resonate with you.
Search for retreats that describe themselves as "heart-centred" or as focusing on matters of the heart.
Become familiar with the retreat's schedule, location, duration, and any prerequisites or requirements.
Don't hesitate to call the teachers or organisers for more information.
Be clear on what you want to get from the retreat, and ensure that the retreat aligns with your interests and goals for heartful meditation and emotional well-being.
Some retreats solely focus on compassion or forgiveness.
Two weeks before going on your retreat, carve out time for yourself to journal. Ask yourself questions related to what you would like to explore during the retreat and how you would like to feel after the retreat.
As human beings, it is in our DNA to search for connection and healing; it is an essential aspect of human well-being and personal growth.
Although we have the internet and social media and can reach and connect with many people from all corners of the world, most people feel more disconnected than they have ever felt in their lives.
Most people choose to put up a brave face and get on with life because that's how most of us were taught. We can do that for one year and then a few more years, perhaps decades, but a time comes when we feel we have had enough and need a deeper connection with other human beings.
The heart and soul need healing, acceptance and compassion. We can't go on like machines or AI, which even they need time off to recuperate, cleanse and rejuvenate.
We are human, and we can't perform and give our best if we don't take time for ourselves just to be, relax, unwind, cleanse the body and mind, and then refill ourselves with love and more love and even more love.
Joining a heartfelt meditation retreat will help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself. You will have the time to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, emotions and past experiences that require healing. You will be encouraged to practice self-compassion and self-acceptance and to be kind and forgiving as you journey into your inner world.
Daily practices of loving-kindness meditations (Metta) and heart-opening meditations will support you in dissolving the invisible heart walls you created subconsciously to protect yourself.
No one likes being hurt or going through suffering. Nonetheless, as humans, we all experience pain and suffering. It starts from the moment we are born, and our parents don't know how to acknowledge our emotions; hence, we feel neglected and hurt.
A heartfelt meditation retreat will provide a safe and confidential container to be open and honest about your feelings and emotions and to share without feeling that others will judge or dismiss you.
As long as we are not willing to look within and let go of our pain, the focus and attention will always go there, and inadvertently, we will embody victim consciousness.
Looking and asking for support is human, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Truthiness is we owe it to ourselves to look within, find connection and create space for healing.
If we are not doing "the work" during this lifetime, then we will end up coming back and going through the same or similar pain, hurt and suffering.
The journey to find connection and healing is unique to every individual, and the heartfelt meditation retreat will set the tone for your healing journey, which you have to continue once you get back home.
Daily practices like forgiveness, creative expression, gratitude, learning from past experiences, patience, and seeking spiritual connection will strengthen the connection to yourself and others.
If you need support to find connection and healing, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
