Wherever you go, there you are

You may have gleaned that I have been out of town for an extended time. I was fortunate to be in a position to take advantage of an offer to stay in New Mexico for the month of November.

All. By. Myself.

My plan was to take the time and use it as an extended retreat. I planned to write, do some reading, take time for reflection, cleanse a little, reinvigorate my yoga practice and go hiking a lot. I did all of those things plus I enjoyed many evenings on the couch sitting with a warm crackling fire in the fireplace all made even cozier with a scented candle nearby.

I did do all those things, but truth be told, I also watched a lot of movies. And there was wine to be consumed and stories to be told. And then there was Thanksgiving and all the relatives that came from near and far. And there was an important birthday to be celebrated. Plus, my sweetheart came out for a week and we went on a New Mexico adventure.

I think you get the picture. Considering that I was also working remotely, it’s a wonder that I did any yoga at all!

If you have ever done the SuperPowers course with us, I may have revealed that out of 24 strengths, #24 for me is Self Regulation. The tool that we use for this course has an “I” statement for each character strength and the statement for self-regulation is "I manage my feelings and actions and am disciplined and self-controlled." Ahem. It is possible that being somewhat weak in the areas of self-discipline and self-control that 30 days with no clear schedule could go a little sideways. And there you have it in a nutshell - along with my good intentions, I also brought along my weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I brought me. Wherever you go, there you are - it’s inescapable.

While I am not the greatest in those areas - I do have the superpowers of curiosity and judgment, which I apply regularly under the guise of “What worked? What didn’t work?”

What worked? I had a great place in a great location, walking distance to the farmers market, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and downtown. I was next door to my good friends and my landlady was lovely and helpful. I had a good setup for my remote work. I had a room set aside for my yoga.

What didn’t work? I had too much time stretched out in front of me with very few plans. On reflection, I would have made firm plans with my friends for hefty weekend hikes. I would not go over a holiday again - too many people to make plans around. I think I would make arrangements ahead of time with a local hiking group so that I wasn’t dependent on my friends. And, I would schedule some yoga classes. Basically, I would try harder to have a schedule.

All this reflection made me think about the retreats that we offer. I realize again the magic of going on retreat is partly making the time and commitment to spend time with and for yourself. Another basic wizardry of going on retreat is that there is a schedule! Your retreat planners put together a retreat that includes personal development, reflection, excursions, dance parties, meals, pool time, spa time, cocktail time, and lounge time. All you have to do is show up and it’s very easy, with that thoughtful schedule to come away with an amazing experience.

Turns out, half the magic of going on retreat is that it’s all right there in the schedule. No self-discipline required.

As luck would have it, a Perfect Avocado retreat has all of those sweet things built right in. Come with us and experience the magic. I promise, there won’t be anything to distract you from yourself.