I think the one statement I have heard most on the retreats, other than “this has been my best vacation ever!” has been at the beginning where most of the women I meet tell me they are “looking for more balance in their lives”.
The funny thing about balance is that it’s not something that once it is attained, you can just lock it in and there you go…balanced for life. Oh, if it were only that easy!
Balance is something that must be worked at daily, even hourly. That got me to wondering over the years about the nature of balance and how it can be achieved, and more importantly, sustained.
Also why is it when people are seeking balance they go to such extremes to find it? I have been known to do this by going on silent juice fasting meditation retreats for days on end to find enlightenment, drinking gallons of cranberry juice a day to flush my liver, or better yet the dreaded cabbage soup to drop a few kilos followed by grueling workouts boot camp style. It’s not surprising then to understand that I was never able to find balance through those avenues.
Any balance I have achieved in my life thus since has been through doing something known as following “the middle way”, a Buddhist philosophy that advocates everything in moderation. A wonderfully simple, yet not so easy to employ concept for a woman who has been evolving over many years from originally a very ‘all or nothing’ type personality.
That journey led me to create Surf Goddess Retreats and our program, which I have purposefully made to be very balanced. There’s activity and effort, accompanied with lots of lush pampering and relaxation, there’s healthy food smattered with delightful doses of decadent sweetness, and even worse ‘fat content’!
I always laugh at the welcome dinner when the ladies I am next to exclaim with dismay after tucking into a fulfilling portion of wholesome organic food, followed by a delish (but healthy dessert) “oh no I am never going to lose weight on this trip!” The funny thing though is that they don’t gain any either. As I said, it’s all about finding the right balance.
Now I would generally consider my life style to be pretty healthy. It’s lucky being involved the retreats, as that means I eat healthy foods, I surf regularly, and you must know I indulge in pampering on a regular basis! However, I am also known for having a sweet tooth and a fond appreciation of wine!
Plus I also have to admit that running a successful business which is as hands on as our retreats means I can be time poor and find it hard to incorporate, in a consistent way, all the components I know would take my wellbeing to the next level. As a woman who has always put the highest value on continual personal evolution, this is a lifelong commitment I am always redefining as I attain each goal.
It is said that when the student is ready the teacher appears, and so I was delighted when I was serendipitously introduced to international best selling author Jane Scrivner. I was very inspired by her book “Detox Yourself” as it was the first book on cleansing I have read (and I have read A LOT) that had what I felt to be achievable practices that could be incorporate into life on a long term basis.
Before I knew it, I found myself in England, in an absolutely gorgeous area near Stratford Upon Avon starting a weeklong cleanse following Jane’s program in her book. I was so impressed after a week of actually doing the detox I asked Jane to be our retreat's consulting Wellness Director, and she wonderfully agreed to share her extensive knowledge and wisdom with us.
Even though it was a relatively short cleanse I felt fantastic, well at least after the first few days of feeling rather lethargic as my body released some of it’s toxins! What amazed me the most was how simple and easy it was, and I didn’t feel deprived. The light bulb went off in my head…I felt I could actually keep this up for a long time, perhaps even a lifetime!
Jane was quick to assure me that while aiming for perfection in the program is a wonderful goal, even just by keeping up 80% of the actions she recommends would be enough to notice a huge difference in my daily life. I left feeling motivated and ready to move my wellbeing to the next level, and for me that means consistency and making it a natural part of my everyday life.
To ingrain a habit they say it takes 21 days, so now that I have arrived back in Bali and ‘real life’ I want to cement these wellbeing practices into my day. I have never attempted a cleanse of this length and, short of being cloistered somewhere with no temptations to distract and disrupt me, never thought I would try one on my own.
But I have come to realize that there is never a good time to do a longer cleanse. There is always going to be work, dinner parties, travelling and the rest of life that will stand in the way of doing it perfectly, so I have decided I am going to do it imperfectly!
I am going to follow the full 30 day detox that Jane’s lays out in her book, and I am going to document my successes, shortcomings, musings and whatever else comes up on my journey.
For those of you coming on the retreats soon, you get to walk beside me as I go through the process and experience some of it first hand as we have already started to incorporate Jane’s recipes, plus health and beauty practices into our cuisine & spa program.
Please feel free to post any comments or questions you may have, as I am very excited to be sharing this learning and growth experience with you all.
Wish me luck!
Shell-sea (Mermaid in Charge @ Surf Goddess Retreats)
