Episode 120 | Retreats and Radical Transformations
The guiding light of the Yummy Mummy Experience is the mission to FREE the moms. So I want to show you exactly how a retreat could rejuvenate your life, your momming, and help you show up as the best version of yourself.
One amazing chapter of my life was teaching yoga retreats, where I got to travel all over the globe leading dozens of retreats. I am a huge advocate for going on retreats myself and know first hand just how transformational they can be.
I want to help you uncover why a retreat could be just what you need and challenge some of the common objections that pop up when someone is considering a retreat. Because honey bun, you DESERVE the opportunity to feel liberated, happy, and glowing with self-belief.
What is a retreat?
To work out what a retreat really means, it’s helpful to look at the word itself.
Let’s break it down…
‘Re’ as a prefix means ‘again’, so we’re talking about feelings you’ve had before. As a result of going on a retreat, you experience a lot of other ‘re’ words like REjuvenation, REnewal, and REvival. This is why a retreat is almost like a homecoming. You get to go back to and connect with your true self.
The ‘treat’ part of the word refers to the fact it’s a gift, it’s true pleasure. It’s not fake pleasure which we often get from our food choices. Sure you might get some pleasure from eating a pizza or a cupcake, but more often than not, you’re just left with a hangover and not much fulfillment. The treat we’re talking about here is the kind that leaves you feeling fulfilled and ALIVE! You walk out of a retreat in net positive, not feeling like you need a vacay from the vacay (mamas, you know the ones…).
Why would you want to go on a retreat?
Depending on what kind of retreat you’re going on, whether it’s by yourself, with your partner, or with work, my advice is to have an intention so that you’re super clear on your ‘why’.
The benefits of going on a retreat are never-ending in my eyes but I want to give you a run down of some of the most important reasons a retreat could truly transform your life.
They’re fun.
Contagiously fun. You have the ability to be your 6 year old self again and truly let go. As moms, it’s fair to say we don't have as much fun as I want us to be having. That is a good enough reason alone for you to be going on a retreat. Let your hair down and feel the laughter within. Deep down, all we ever want is to be our true self.
2. You get space.
Mother effing space. Actual space. The not-having-children-dripping-off-you space. The type of space where you get a whole room to yourself, you get space in your day, space in your body, and space in your head. We live in a culture where there is not a lot of space. That’s why I highly recommend going on a retreat where everything is pre-planned. You don't have to plan every dinner, every activity, or respond to emails…it's all freakin’ done for you!
3. You become a better mom.
Remember you have to put your oxygen mask on first to help your own children thrive and grow. You need to fill your cup up so you can fill theirs. That means when you go on a retreat, you leave some of your roles and identities behind. We can totally lose ourselves in all of these day-to-day roles and feel like we're walking round in a shell. A retreat enables you to forget about all that and return as the best version of yourself.
4. You can figure out what you want for your life.
Find out who you are. Connect to your gut, your intuition, and that voice inside that you might be very disconnected from. That voice is guiding you, but you don’t always give it the mic. In a retreat, you will hear your intuition and gut and discover that you really do have all the answers inside. We’re just so goddamn busy all the time, we never give it the space to tell us.
5. No decision fatigue.
You’re so used to making decisions all day, every freakin’ day. What to eat, how to craft this email, which activity to do with the kids…it’s relentless and it causes decision fatigue. We all have it. A retreat is a whole weekend or week of making very few decisions. The only decisions you have will be things like ‘Beach or pool?’...’This book or that book?’ Give yourself a break from the subtle fight or flight mode you're in constantly.
6. The gift of having something on your calendar to look forward to.
This is actually really transformational and one of the best parts about booking a retreat. It helps so much in the day to day of ‘momming’ to know that you've got something awesome on the horizon. You then know you're taking care of yourself while also taking care of your kids.
7. You get to come home refreshed.
A retreat is not a vacation you need to take a vacation from!
OK, that all sounds really great Laura but like, what if I can’t actually go?
Your brain is so quick to offer objections to something like this. Money, childcare, work….maybe even that you don’t deserve it (HELL NO brain!)
‘I can’t afford it.’
I know that some of us genuinely might not be able to afford it. But if you do really want to go, I want you to explore it. Ask yourself what the value of the trip is. Would you be a better mom as a result? Would you feel better inside your body? Would you feel free and more connected? Would it snowball into all other areas of your life? Then you get to decide if that's valuable for you. I can only tell you that the ones I have been on have been completely priceless in terms of the transformation I have had. So sometimes you do have to take a leap of faith and see what it can do.
We've been conditioned to live in a society that is achievement oriented and told that rest does not equate to success. But rest is productive, and you get soooo much more done if you are rested. You are worthy of rest. Your brain wants to fight rest because of the dopamine hits it gets from getting all the gold stars and ticking things off the list. So be willing to look at that and accept that it might feel uncomfortable. But don’t stop just because of that! Money might be a real reason but it might also be an excuse so your brain can keep you comfortable and keep hitting the dopamine.
‘There’s no one to take care of the kids.’
If the issue of childcare is putting you off, again make sure you explore all the options. Even if you think your partner might be annoyed, you might be shocked by how much they actually want this for you. Even if they are resistant, they will still respect your need for this. So be willing to have that hard conversation. Our brains are trying to just keep us in the status quo. They want us to stay sane. Just like the money, you can figure it out. Don't let your brain have the last word. YOU have the last word. Make a decision that's intentional and conscious instead of your brain making it for you. Because maybe it’ll bring you back from your wildest fucking dreams, aka retreat life!
‘I don’t deserve it.’
If you don't feel worthy enough to go, then I literally just have to stop you right there and say this: You are worthy to go on a retreat because you were born. You do not need to ‘earn’ a retreat. Put yourself at the top of the list for once. That act in itself will mean you start to show up in a whole new way in your life and your people will benefit because of it. People benefit when you are freakin’ you.
‘It’s just not for me.’
Now, if you genuinely don’t want to go, I want you to ask yourself why? Is it because you don't want to be by yourself? You might have those feelings but trust me, the gains are worth the feelings of being scared. It's too exciting on the other side and the benefits are too valuable to let it go that easily. If you don't want to go because you think I’m too cray cray to be around - that’s obviously fine (totally not offended…). But if you're scared of being alone - just no. DO IT.
So. The all important question. Are you gonna come on a retreat with me?
Because GUESS WHAT HUN?! We’re doing the Yummy Mummy Experience IRL (in real life)!!!!
This is for anyone IN the Yummy Mummy Experience, Yum Mum Masters, Yum Mum Alums, and friends of The Yummy Mummies (that is YOU!).
The theme inspiring this retreat is freedom.
So if you feel you could use a bit more space, ease and fun in your life…
If you want to deepen friendships, get those ‘aha’ moments, and receive coaching that will change your life…
So you come away with crazy good confidence, believing anything is possible…
This could definitely be the retreat you need in your life.
Click here to get all the yummy details!
It’s gonna be awesome.