PERSONAL BLOG: INSIGHTS FROM MY SOLO RETREAT
Aug 03, 2022
I DID IT!! I spent 10 days SOLO on the little island of Waiheke, in NZ and all I can say is WOW… the depth of healing and transformation that occurred as a result was life changing!
No, it wasn’t a health retreat, no I didn’t do yoga everyday, in fact I drank wine almost daily, had one main meal a day with snacks either side, and for 5 of those 10 days I was up at 4am (completely disrupting my circadian rhythm)…
You may be wondering what on earth this has to do with wellness, or even health, but to be completely honest, this is where the real healing and magic happens. So if you stick around, I hope some of this magic will rub off on you!
MY FIRST SOLO TRIP
Let’s start at the beginning because it’s about to get vulnerable up in here…
I’ve invested in mentorship heavily for the last 4 – 5 years, having business coaches, health mentors and programs and courses that I have done on my own accord, at this stage totaling to over $100,000. And this year was NO different. I invested this time at a VIP level into a mastermind to help take my personal development and business to the next level.
One of the amazing bonuses of this mastermind was a five day mid-way retreat, and whilst circumstances didn’t permit me to be there LIVE, I still committed and showed up virtually. Which is what led me to booking solo time away to really dive deep into this transformational immersion.
You see the work I have now become certified in coaching, takes ‘coaching’ to an entirely new level that most people have never been exposed to, or are even aware of and I say that not to be arrogant, but to bring awareness to the different levels of the coaching industry and why I do what I do.
So, I headed off on a trip SOLO for the first time in my life. Bearing in mind, I was SH*T scared, I had never even stayed overnight ANYWHERE (not even my own home) alone before. I knew this was going to be a growth edge, but entirely what I needed, and it was!
Because of the time zone difference, it meant I was up at 4am every morning for 5 days to ensure I didn’t miss a beat and got to make the most out of it. I won’t drag this out by sharing all the ins and outs of days, but what I will share with you was the most powerful insight I got from not only the 5 day retreat but the remaining 5 days I spent by myself integrating and coming home to myself.
WHAT I LEARNED
Learn to love your own company – date yourself (because you are enough, simply as you are)!
I have never spent so much time on my own, and it was confronting, but also remarkably freeing. I couldn’t believe how much I loved my own company. After the retreat finished around 1/2pm most days I took myself out for a long lunch at one of the many beautiful vineyards on the island, I got to chat to the locals, do the wine tasting and simply sit and be present.
Sure I got a few stares and it felt slightly uncomfortable at first, but then I embraced it. I found comfort in the discomfort and it really stepped my confidence up to a whole new level. I realised prior to doing this, I had never given myself permission to show up fully and authentically MYSELF…
I wasn’t worried about others’ judgments, I didn’t have to do anything, or be anything for anyone, I just got to be ME, for ME. Not who I thought people or society wanted me to be, not Sheree the coach or Sheree the nutritionist or Sheree the daughter/sister/partner… Just Sheree. And you know what SHE’S AWESOME!!
I got to fall in love with who I have grown up to be, the woman I look at in the mirror every day and feel proud to be her, and that is a gift I truly hope every human gets to experience. It was freeing to say the least, and EMPOWERING beyond measure.
So this is your reminder, to get comfortable in the uncomfortable, learn to be in your own company, and that you are ENOUGH, always!
Yours in Health & Happiness,
Sheree xo
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