Invest in your wellbeing with a D-I-Y Wellness Retreat

Recharge and reset without the price tag

How many times have you closed your eyes at your desk, (or while folding mountains of washing), and fantasised about disappearing to a health retreat in a tropical location?

You picture yourself in serene surroundings where green smoothies are served on the reg. Where your days consist of meditation, afternoon naps and listening to wellbeing experts divulge the secrets of stress-free living. Years of tension is expertly massaged from your body. Most importantly you have the one precious thing you don’t normally have in everyday life – TIME – and plenty of it. The vision ends with you returning home a calmer, healthier version of yourself.

My Health Retreat Experience

8 years ago, I did just that. Thanks to a generous friend who worked at Kamalaya Health Retreat in Ko Samui, I packed up my weary body and Mumma guilt and headed to Thailand for five days of pure bliss.

It was immediately prior to starting my Nutrition degree. The calm before the storm. Five days to recover from years of juggling part-time work with chasing small children around on little sleep. Not to mention the many years of working way too hard, that proceeded Motherhood.

On arrival, I sat on the balcony of my little resort room, looked out over the lush, tropical landscape below and set the intention for my stay:

1. Achieve a sense of calm I could bring into everyday life

2. A life goal audit. Was I where I hoped I would be? Did I even really know what that was in the first place?

Over the next few delectable days, I did all the things you would expect to do at a health retreat. I woke early to meditate and watch the sunrise with the geckos. I started a daily stretching routine, journaled, and treated myself to massages. I drank in the wisdom of the life coaches and nourished my body with wholesome, delicious food.

It was everything I’d hoped it would be. I returned home invigorated, with a new sense of purpose. Confident in the direction I was headed.

D-I-Y Wellness Retreats

I haven’t had the time or financial means to return to Kamalaya or attend any of the beautiful health retreats Australia has to offer.

Instead, I have successfully created briefer experiences with similar outcomes on a significantly smaller budget.

For the first couple of years, I booked an Airbnb in a picturesque location, no more than 2-hours’ drive from home. I scheduled a massage, ensured there were cafes and restaurants nearby and packed my yoga mat and walking shoes.

I set my intention for each experience and wrote up an agenda to follow. This always included guided meditations, a goal & values audit, journaling, reflection, downtime, and rest.

In the last two years, I’ve been content with ‘staycations. I’ve chosen a day where I have the house to myself, pre prepared food or eaten at a local café. I purchased an acupressure mat for when massages weren’t an option and made use of meditation apps and online programs and resources.

What does it mean to go on a retreat?

The definition of retreat is the act of withdrawing or time away in a quiet and secluded place. Wellness retreats remove everyday pressures and distractions, allowing you to focus on physical and mental health care practices that evoke a sense of rest and renewal.

I’ve realised that the most important aspect of a retreat is space; both physical and mental space. If the location is quiet, comfortable and free of distractions, I have been able to achieve the intention I set at the beginning of each experience.

Over the years, my D-I-Y retreat experiences that have led to:

• Meditation breakthroughs

• Insights into something troubling me

• Important decisions I had previously been struggling with

• New healthy habits

• A feeling of being rested and recharged.

It’s also these experiences (along with a great deal of research), that led me to create my mindset course You Don't Need More Willpower

Make lasting change

You Don't Need More Willpower is an online, self-paced course that can be completed over one day or a weekend, so long as you schedule time for the reflection that is required.

The modules take you through how to:

✔ Live your values and set goals that matter

✔ Build confidence and no longer be held back by outdated beliefs.

✔ Understand what causes you to procrastinate and how you can stop.

✔ Reclaim your time and prioritise your wellbeing, so you can focus on the things that matter.

How to plan your D-I-Y Retreat

If you have the time and means to head to a 5-star Health Retreat, go for it. However, it’s also something you can create for yourself at a fraction of the cost.

➡ Set aside a day or weekend.

➡ Download the accompanying D-I-Y Retreat Planner.

➡ Consider jumping onboard You Don't Need More Willpower

SPECIAL OFFER!

A 25% discount on an Initial Nutrition Consult (virtual) if you purchase You Don't Need More Willpower

To claim, send a copy of your confirmation receipt to contact@healthservedup.com

In your 1-hour holistic Nutrition consult we will evaluate your current diet and lifestyle and discuss the right nutrients and strategies to reduce stress, improve sleep and stop you from burning out.

Take a little time out to retreat from the hectic pace and responsibilities of everyday life and invest in your wellbeing (without the hefty price tag!).

(Disclosure: If you purchase via the link included in this email, I may earn a small commission. Please know that I only include resources I personally recommend and truly feel will deliver value to you.)