For anyone who reads my blog or who knows me , would know that I LOVE the Golden Door Health Retreat. It's the land of 7 second hugs, an incredible day spa, self discovery and learning to ' let it go.'
Last time I stayed at The Golden Door, roughly 8 months ago, I had no idea what to expect, but I decided to give myself to the experience whole heartedly because I knew that at that stage of my life I was unsettled and needed to find a change in myself, which luckily I did.
Everyone has things going on in their lives and we all have our own 'stuff' we are dealing with internally, and what I found was important while being at the Golden Door, is that it's necessary to stop for a minute, take a break from society and spend some quality ' you ' time with no guilt, to find your inner peace and happiness.
My last stay here was only for the weekend but a lot changed within me in those 3 days. I had ups and downs ( these can all be read in my previous Golden Door blogposts ) and I changed a lot about myself and my life when I returned, all for the better.
This time I am in a much happier head space than last time so I don't feel as much ' soul searching ' is necessary for me, but that is what's great, you can take what you want from the experience as everyone is completely different . This time around I am here to throw myself into a new experience and one I have always been slightly hesitant about. Yoga.
I have never been much of a Yoga lover, as I think I have had a few bad experiences. Also my passion and general practice is Pilates so I am very much focused on that. I also find it very hard to 'switch off '' or meditate, although I know I need to do it, but I thought trying something new and pushing my boundaries would be a good experience and there is no harm in trying something new!
––––––––––––––––––
I arrived at the gorgeous Golden Door at around 4pm - checked straight into my room and had a wander around the premises. There is just something so relaxing and incredible about this place and the views sweeping over the Hunter Valley are just priceless. At 6pm I went up to dinner to meet everyone and as dinner is communal there is a lot of ' getting to know you ' which is really lovely to find out about everyone else's lives and stories. It's a very calm, safe and accepting environment .
After dinner was the first introduction to Yoga - taught by Geraldine Coren .
About 8 of us sat around , learnt some theory on the history and the practice of Yoga, then we did some breathing exercises, chanting and meditation. I was really thrown straight into it, but learning from Geraldine who is so passionate and great at her job made it extremely fascinating and relaxing to be around. If you have already practiced Yoga then a lot of it would be familiar but it's interesting to learn 'why' we learn Yoga and how we can implement the practice into our lives to better us in so many ways. I am really looking forward to the rest of the weekend to delve much further and see how I can push myself with this experience.
After the class I was beyond tired, so I headed back to my room, had a hot bath and crashed out by 9pm! This really is the place for relaxing, taking moments out for yourself and most definitely catching up on sleep!
There is often a stigma around taking time out for yourself, as it's seen as 'selfish' or something along those lines, but it really takes me back to this beautifully true statement;
" Take care of your body - It's the only place you have to live in. "
So WHY if you are living with pain or struggle or you have unhappiness surrounding your life in some way or you just feel a little lost , why wouldn't you take time out to re assess and look after yourself?!
A happier and healthier YOU makes for a happier and healthier life, and who doesn't want that?
That is why I love the Golden Door , as I know when I walk out of these doors I will feel refreshed and ready to take on life with a whole new positive outlook.
If you are interested in looking at packages head to the we page here:
Day two blog post coming tomorrow :)
Namaste
Casey
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