Finding Peace and Renewal: My Elohee Yoga Retreat Experience
Last weekend before the East coast was pummeled by Helene, I attended a yoga retreat (taught by the lovely people of my local yoga studio). I traveled a few hours away to Elhoee Retreat Center. Elohee, is one of those places where you feel an instant sense of peace, where you let go of the breath you had not realized you were holding, and where you can disappear from “real life” for a few days to take care of yourself in whatever ways are needed.
This retreat had been in the works for some time and was not a cheap choice in terms of finance, time away, or making all the details work well. The things that are most worth it for self-care are rarely easy or without cost elsewhere. Yoga has been a part of my life off and on for probably a decade, but seeking non-internet instruction and community at my local studio this past year have been an integral part of my own integration of faith-work-life.
The food was delicious (always nice to be cooked for and not made out to be a unicorn for not eating meat!). The scenery was a reminder of God’s creation and its seemingly endless capacity for renewal despite humanity’s poor choices. And the focus on improving my practice, connecting with others who value the same, and time for rest was an excellent source of renewal.
Some of that is introversion and not really wanting to be around people I don’t know well personally (or know at all!) for the weekend. Some of it is not being an ideal time to travel for our family (our senior dog is not having a lot of great days right now). And some of it is just knowing I’d lose time to get things done, so how dare I…
See how easy that is to do? To justify a lack of focus on what one needs to feel fulfilled, renewed, and restored? To find rest? If you share my faith, to find the rest God honored as good and clearly expects us to as well?
As a well-mannered young person who rarely intentionally broke rules or purposefully failed to meet expectations my initial gut is always to exactly follow the schedule and attend all the things at events like this. At some point several years ago I finally gave that up at conferences in favor of networking as needed (sigh), prioritizing my specific learning needs and fields of study, and processing large amounts of information (and peopling). The instructors this weekend encouraged us to make the retreat our own and attend what worked for us. And I managed to do just that, skipping out on some scheduled sessions in favor of stitching quietly by myself (in a little cottage dedicated to the availability of tea 24 hours per day).
I often hear this refrain these days: “Self-care isn’t selfish.” Well…maybe. I actually think we can make pretty much anything a bit too self-centered in America’s culture. I can certainly insist on self-care retreats, pedicures, and the like that my budget cannot afford. Or I can claim self-care and leave the kitchen a filthy mess for a partner every night, etc. But for most of us that extreme is not the issue. Rather, we find ourselves frazzled, bedraggled, and (to quote a consultant I once worked with) “befuzzled” to a point of desperation.
Making time and space where we can to avoid burnout and frustration matters. Self-care does not always look like a trip away or a weekly massage. For me some days it’s 10 minutes sitting in the egg chair on my front porch listening to a meditation recording. Some days it’s indulging in the incredible vegetarian egg rolls at my favorite local restaurant. And some days it’s working through a binge-able favorite with my husband and a couple of dogs piled in a cozy spot at home.
The what is far less important than the attention to making time to be my best self.
I encourage you to find ways to do this for yourself – and if you can ever get to Elohee to retreat for a bit, I’d highly recommend it.