Taking Time Out

I started this year determined to make more time for me, for reflection, for self-care.

Last year I was being treated for breast cancer and it was the hardest year of my life. I got to the end optimistic that the worst was over, but inside I felt shattered, anxious, scared, and confused.

I'm still in the early stages of what I hope will become a very holistic and authentic recovery and exciting second chapter of my life. At the same time this is not an easy road to navigate, and I've decided to try new things to experiment with ways to improve how I'm thinking and feeling about myself and my life.

Researching options I came across a Womens Wellness Retreat being run in February, at Quest for Life, in Bundanoon NSW, and I signed up.

I had a wonderful weekend.

At times I felt a little awkward, as I can in unfamiliar environments. However, the facilitators were lovely women who created a really relaxed, supportive space. The food was fabulous, and it was a real pleasure to spend time with a fantastic diverse group of women.

There were some options for yoga, lots of opportunities to try some different meditations which helped me feel more relaxed, lots of workshops for discussion, and it was really encouraging to be with an engaged group of caring people.

Everyone was navigating their own journey as we all are in life, but in the 'real world' it's easy to feel like 'everyone else has it sorted', and that 'no-one feels like me'. I've found it's easy to feel 'less than' whatever we think everyone else is, and although I intellectually know that doesn't make any sense, it can be hard to break free at times of the self doubt, self-critique, and fears. It was good to be reminded to be compassionate not just to each other, but to ourselves.

One of the ladies mentioned a Japanese process called Kintsugi, which I'd never heard of. It is a technique to rebuilt broken pottery using lacquer mixed with precious metals like gold. The technique is designed to minimise waste, and to highlight imperfections rather than hide them, as the imperfections can make the objects more beautiful. I thought this was a meaningful metaphor for life, a way to visualise peronsal growth and change, particularly if we're coming out of period of feeling broken.

3 other key lessons from the weekend were:

1. Self-care isn't an add on treat, it's a way to live.

2. Being present changes everything.

3. What you resist persists.

If you are thinking about trying anything similar I would highly recommend visiting Quest for Life. They do many different programs, including longer stays to help people, including programs focused on those navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

#womensretreat #womenswellness #wellnessweekend #questforlife