“Should I take a vacation? Or consider this Quest Retreat thing?”
Faced with the day to day routine, sooner or later, most people’s minds turn to some kind of a break. A respite from the daily grind. New vistas, new faces, new food…new adventures, romance? Hey, anything can happen, right?
Ah! A VACATION! Who DOESN’T dream of a sweet vacation break now and then?
In 2014 I tried something new.
I was totally burnt out. I had crashed and burned very publicly and was crushed, heart and soul. A vacation wasn’t something I could not muster up the energy to plan. I knew I needed help, a break, some kind of amazing experience to renew my shattered spirit. But what?
Then I saw it. A retreat run by a coach I knew. It was a creative journey in Bali
My experience on that retreat shifted my whole life.
Now I am going to share why you should go on a Quest retreat instead of a vacation!
( Here’s the next big Quest: The Unexpected Journey to Middle-earth!)
“The purpose of a vacation is to have the time to rest. But many of us, even when we go on vacation, don’t know how to rest. We may even come back more tired than before we left.”- Thich Nhat Hanh
#1 Retreats treat the soul
While being at an exotic location can be stimulating and fun, a retreat has a purpose behind it. You can find a retreat for any interest these days. Retreats can have a series of classes, provide healthy food and activities all geared for replenishing your mind and body.
You can come home with a new discipline and healthier habits. There might be a creative project you wish to jumpstart. Or, like me, a broken soul to heal.
For me it was both! The retreat I chose was writing a first draft of a book I knew I needed to write. Plus getting so far out of my life as I knew it, that I could start to find myself again away from the life that had let me down.
I has NO idea if this was the right thing to do but I knew I had to try. The new routine and new people around me also creating their first drafts, was just what I needed.
Vacations are super. Don’t get me wrong. I think everyone needs a vacation, or at least a break every year.
But a retreat is magical. There is healing that happens. A chance to reconnect with your spirit.
When we are out of our daily routine, we can connect with our inner self. There is the magic! Reconnect and discover what you really need and desire, and come up with ways to make it happen. That is what I want for you and what I guide on a Quest Retreat,
Taking a short break a couple of times in your year is ideal.
Doing something completely different can help you be more productive, happier and hopeful.
“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.”~Jiddu Krishnamurti, spiritual leader
#2 New friends
Retreats bring together people who have something in common. You have chosen a particular retreat for a purpose, and so have the other folks there.
I have met new life long friends of every retreat I have attended. They have supported me in changing my life. It could be said they have helped to save my life.
The support you get from people who have gotten to know you on a retreat is unlike the support you get from the folks at home.
Retreats are bringing out what you want, what you want to change in yourself and at home. Your new friends can be completely judgment and worry free about supporting you in your new steps.
You’ll have started some community around what your focus and intentions are now, rather than the old ruts that have been carved out and are challenging in changing.
You can really make life changing progress by going on a Quest retreat!
“These past two weeks were full of … some of the best life experiences and made some of the best connections with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. And here’s to more!” ~ Heather S. on her experience with Quest Retreats
#3 All the planning is done for you
One thing that skyrockets the efficacy of retreats in facilitating rest and relaxation, as compared to ordinary vacations is that a great retreat leader plans everything.
This means you don’t have to worry about things like looking up the places you want to visit, things you want to do, make the reservations and buy tickets to excursions, waiting in lines, being with strangers instead of new friends, figuring out where you need to go in a new and unfamiliar place…the list goes on.
Wouldn’t you like NOT to do all the things you have to do in your day to day life and really deeply relax and enjoy?
Retreats allow you to focus solely on your own well-being, enjoyment and truly offer you a stress free time-off.
You actually have more ‘room’ inside yourself to experience what you want to feel, instead of using that overworked right brain constantly.
Being stress free, and being able to turn off the detail planning part of your brain means you have access to something deeper and calmer inside yourself. Become more yourself. Discover hidden desires, creativity and get your life back on course. You can feel deeper feelings of joy, fun and peace!
“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.”~ Albert Camus
#4 A Quest Retreat is inspirational
Speaking of discovering something deeper in yourself, where do you find inspiration in your day to day life? Do you see art, movies, get into nature? Where can you be inspired on a daily basis?
Vacations can be indulging, even overindulging in food and drink and expense.
Retreats bring a new quality to your life.
We aspire to inspire every day of the Quest. Why?
The word ‘inspire’ has it’s root in the meaning ‘to breathe into’. The Quest is set up to to breathe into your life. To inspire. And thereby bring any changes you may desire.
How?
The itinerary builds on an intention. To amaze and delight, and encourage creative thinking. I design the activities, both physical and mental, to move you towards well being and open heartedness. In this state you can access your deeper desires and dreams for your life. Then we plan next steps. You are supported along the way by me and this new awesome community you are having an epic Quest with. And we continue the support after the Quest in our Facebook group.
While I was away at the writing retreat, I kept noticing things that could have been planned out better, managed more efficiently and whole steps they missed in taking care of the guests. It impacted our experience, and not in a good way.
Something spoke inside me. A little voice kept saying ‘I could do this so much better’. I have never thought of doing something like that before but it did make sense. It brought together some of my Super Powers 1) I love taking care of and delighting people 2) I love to travel and seek out unusual experiences 3) I am great at organizing.
And voila! Quest Retreats was born!
I would not have come to that idea if I hadn’t been so totally out of my usual life and experience, and very open to my internal voice, my spirit.
Who knows what you might hear on a Quest?
“I had very high expectations of this as a vacation, a destination, nature experiences, and developing personal relationships. In the end, all of my hopes and expectations were blown away!” ~ Rob V. A Quest Retreats guest!
#5 Retreats are economical
During regular vacations, you end up spending money you do not expect on excursions that may or may not be to your liking, or at a more expensive restaurant because you are stuck and starving.
Retreats are all planned out, include some meals and meal breaks, exclusive features like professional guidance to sites, and daily travel assistance plus savings on all kinds of features because your retreat leader has relationships they have cultivated which leads to better pricing. I know I sure do!
You know how much it will all cost up front.
PLUS, I get great joy out of surprising my guests with extras that I have either discovered, or cultivated through my relationships.
A Quest Retreat goes well beyond your expectations.
“I’ll never stop telling people that the whole thing really exceeded our expectations.”~ Vic P. a Quest Retreats guest!
#6 After a Quest, you’ll bring home a new you
You’ll be in a new and awesome place when you finish a Quest. Life seems brighter. You see things clearer. You’ll be able to clear away some clutter and make things fresh.
How? You’ll find out when you join us, but a couple of things I can share now are:
- The fresh awareness of what’s working for you in your daily life, and what’s not
- People around you at home who may be draining, and how to limit your exposure to toxic folks
- What you love about your life and a strong gratitude muscle
- How to bring more creativity and fun into your world
- Making connections to your deepest self and how it brings happiness
and so much more….
A common concern for folks who attend a retreat is not being able to keep up what they’ve started once they return home.
With such a big commitment in time and money, you want to be sure the investment in your retreat will pay off in the long run.
Hey, you’re setting yourself up for success just by stepping out of your day-to-day routine and attending a Quest Retreat!
The people who are still connected to the group, making some adjustments at home and in a good routine of healthier, happier practices four days after returning home are usually the same people who are still practicing their good habits six months later! That’s good news!
Take advantage of all the energy and momentum that you’ve created on the Quest and, when you arrive home, take the time to make any necessary changes to your environment that will help you succeed. We’ll plan those steps with you!
It’s hard to leave the supportive environment of a Quest and return home to an empty house, or a house filled with people whose goals don’t align with your own. This is a lonely place to be. It feels especially lonely given all the support you received while away. It’s easy to lose momentum when the passion you felt at the retreat isn’t as intense when you return home.
You could be the only person in your family, relationship, or group of friends who’s interested in making shifts in your daily life. We have the private Facebook group filled with your traveling Fellowship and we will be cheering each other on!
Look, we all fall into our old habits from time to time. With the new awareness you have developed on the Quest, you can catch it before it goes too far and jump into the group for support.
We can brainstorm with each other on ways to be there for you. Here’s an article I wrote on that topic: http://www.questretreats.com/support-for-a-new-habit/
I look forward to spoiling you, amazing you, and blowing your mind on a Quest Retreat! Our next adventure is New Zealand 2019, The Unexpected Journey. Please check it out HERE!
“I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” — a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself… then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe.”~ Elizabeth Gilbert
