Do you have Body/Mind/Spirit/Soul practices that there is never enough time “to do” at home?
I totally understand, and have come to realize that this is just the nature of “being human” in a fast paced world. The cell phone is alerting you to texts, calls etc. and the time it takes to “stay healthy” with all the “to do’s” can be exhausting.
That was part of my motivation for taking myself on retreat for a month this January. When I removed all the familiar distractions and simplified my daily living with with no “have to’s” I was amazed to find an acceptance surface around what was being asked for on a deeper level within.
In these series of upcoming blogs my intention is to share with you some of the experiences that surfaced on my adventure in Bequia.
To begin with, I was not alone. My retreat house came with an assortment of delightful flowers, plants, animals, reptiles and bugs.
Bernie, the dog added a bit of laughter and joy. He needed to join me each morning as I walked up the hill to welcome in the new day. His little body swooned in the tall grass and he eventually settled down as I sat in stillness or moved in yoga & qigong. 
Kit, the cat hardly gave me a glance, yet by the end of my stay she was also attending my morning and evening meditation and movement rituals on the Sacred hill. As I hung my clothes on the line out back a variety of creatures would appear and pause as if to get a look at this new companion on their way through the yard.
A beautiful turtle strolled by me one day on the way to the woods. He stopped and took me in without even retreating to his shell for a moment. This same turtle brought me face to face with fear one evening when I thought I heard someone outside my bedroom shuffling by. The next day the turtle showed me where the noise came from as it slowly moved behind the ferns under the bedroom window for a cool nap. I had a good chuckle around my imagination and what it can do to me.
The quick movements of the various lizards, birds and bugs lent another dimension to these companions that showed up on my retreat. There was a fluorescent green headed hummingbird that kissed all the purple flowers around the verandah each day many times. There were so many different types of Lizards in a wide range of sizes. They would leap in the air and be off running or pause in the sun for hours.
My next posting will highlight some of the practices that showed up on the retreat. My daily reminder was, remember you are on retreat, no “have to’s”. I was amazed to find out what was a natural flow for me when I let go of pushing myself. stay tuned….
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Thank you for sharing, MJ. Your travelogue gave me a short mini-vacay-respite from my desk at work. Love the 4-legged companions!
Great to hear from you! So happy you were able to pause and
take in the love from my companions on retreat.