Work, family, bills to pay, and other priorities are just some factors that can leave you feeling burnt out. There are ways to help overcome this. I usually work out or travel when I want to de-stress. It helps clear my mind and keeps the endorphins flowing. It has never crossed my mind to attend a yoga retreat but when I heard that SoulSpeak was at Sundowners Zambales and we'll be doing yoga everyday (which is a good form exercise) it sounded like my kind of place.
When I think of the word retreat, the first thing that comes to mind are the school retreats I had to attend for Christian Living. Those were always fun because it was an excuse to go out of town with my classmates/ friends. But for this retreat, I wasn't going to know anyone. I'd be with strangers for three whole days. I forced my boyfriend to accompany me even if all the other participants were women. He's never done yoga in his life but he's into mindful meditation and because he loves me, he agreed!
We were 15 strangers with different backgrounds but with one goal in mind: to retreat. The word retreat means, "An act of moving back or withdrawing." We did just that. We left all our worries back in Manila to live in the moment.
We stayed in the 5 Bedroom Grand Pool Villa. I loved how the villa was tropical themed. Each room was designed differently but it felt very Greek inspired.
Our first activity was a simple ice breaker/ getting to know you. We all formed one big circle and picked a card from the deck. We were tasked to connect the card to why we were there and share a bit about ourselves. Everyone had their own story- some were tired from work, some were going through big changes and needed clarity, while others were there as a bonding experience with their friends. For me, I was troubled about my career path and hoped that the retreat would give me some answers. Oh and I love yoga! (I've been practicing on and off for over four years already)
After our sharing activity, we had a yoga session with Teacher Sarah and free time to go around the resort before dinner.
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| Look at that sunset |
After dinner, we had our Sound Healing activity with Tonette. Sound Healing is guided visualization and meditation with live music that uses healing vibrational sounds tuned into the 432hz frequency,
helping reduce stress and create a deep sense of peace and well-being. This was a new experience for me.
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| We were so relaxed and ready to sleep after |
Our second day started at 9 am for a pilates/ yoga session with Teacher Shiloh. It feels good to work up a sweat early in the morning.
We had our lunch and swam in the pool which overlooks this beautiful view. There were other activities offered by the resort such as kayaking, surfing and paddleboarding.
We all slept early the night before for sunrise meditation and yoga led by Teacher Sarah. It was a heartwarming experience to be able to do yoga facing the beach and hearing the calm waves. The perfect way to end an amazing weekend with these incredible souls.
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| Namaste, SoulSpeak family <3 |
For inquiries: visit their Facebook account here or email soulspeakretreats@gmail.com
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