Not having your phone what-so-ever or in any capacity for two days except for checking once or twice for emergency reasons, and then turning it back off completely is phenomenal! While a little bit stressful, overall, absolutely phenomenal. It is amazing to just totally disconnect. When is the last time you have done that? 

Another fun fact; It is amazing how long your battery will last when you’re not on your phone every 15 seconds/10million times a day! So, the other thing I learned is that if you just have your phone for emergencies, and you’re not on it 24/7, the iPhone battery lasts at least 2 days. 😊

You can meet so many amazing people! So many amazing women from so many different walks of life. The stay-at-home mom, the yoga instructor, the architect, the doctor, the yoga studio owner, the musician, the talkshow host, different business owners, etc. Just so many different amazing cool people to meet.

It was really, really, really sweet! We had a schedule to wake up about 7:00 a.m. Yes, I will say that again, that is 7:00 a.m., on purpose (I know, right?). So, she woke us up at 7:00 a.m. by hitting the gong or by playing her flute. It was a super beautiful melody to wake up to in any or either instance. She was a blessing!

The next thing I learned, is that I definitely have confirmation that I have OCD; which the first step is admitting you have a problem, and then working on it, right? So, the way my OCD came up would be…well, there are…. okay, fine...if I’m being honest, are several. LOL!

1. Apparently,even though people will be barefoot for yoga they don’t necessarily care about cutting, manicuring, and or painting their toenails. Those three things which drive me crazy. I know. It’s ridiculous; don’t make fun of me! I’m weird! It’s cool, I know. I must be the only one crazy obsessed with that! Like, if I’m not painting my toenails, or they are super chipped or something, I am not exposing my freaky little toes! Ha!
2. The next thing that had a big effect on my OCD, which was very interesting, very fun, very cool...and well, obviously, I have an issue! I know that I have an issue, considering that even my pajamas at night have to match. OCD, much? Yep, my OCD kicked in when almost no one’s outfits matched. How liberating that it didn’t bother anyone. It was cold,and we had to wear layers. Everyone was just free-spirited, free flowing, wore whatever was comfortable to them regardless if it matched in any way, or not. That is awesome, and for that, I admire those people. I will work on myself to not be too ridiculous with my forms ofOCD.
3. Lastly, imagine you have these three buckets with soapy water in them. You put your silverware in the first bucket, then the second bucket is where you pre-scrubbed your plates, and the third bucket is where you rinsed it. OMG! I am cringing right now as I am thinking about it. That was such like, UGH! When I wash dishes at home, I do not fill the sink with water because the water gets so dirty and gross. I don’t want my hands in it. It's like swishing your hands around in vomit. But, here, I had to put my hands in dirty water with all kinds of left-over food which was not so much fun, but again, it was me, being weird and ridiculous. It was very doable (even though it was disgusting to me and no one else, of course.) #Don’tJudge

And then the fun continues!

So, news to me, I, apparently, am very much a coffee snob! I said it. I said it out loud. I have admitted it, and that is the first step! I. Am. A. Coffee. Snob. Shout out to Nespresso, and shout out to Nescafé, because I just cannot deal with coffee besides those two! To me, it is literally just like flavored water and I just don’t understand it. The joy in drinking coffee is that it is so fulfilling to your heart. Thick, warm, strong is my preference!

The next thing that I learned about is “Seva." What does that mean? Well, I learned that it means "working meditation". On this retreat, everyone cleaned up behind themselves. We made our beds, vacuumed our floors, cleaned the toilets, and cleaned the shower. Everybody pitched in! We picked up after the meals, we wiped the tables off, and picked up the placemats; so that was neat. We pre-washed all of our dishes so that the person washing the dishes did not have a big gunky mess to deal with, which I like this, because it made me think. As we clean, wash, do our daily chores at home, and take care of our families, we should view it as a mindful, working meditation. It is a blessing, an honor, and a gift to serve those we love! I think sometimes we take that for granted. Perception is everything, right?

I also learned at my first yoga retreat that three hours of yoga practice is a little much for me. I love yoga! Love it, love it, love it! I have been practicing for almost 20 years and I absolutely love it! An hour-and-a-half yoga class is no big deal. I love it. It is wonderful, invigorating, peaceful, calming, energizing, and such a combination o of so many wonderful things. At this retreat there were two or three sessions of three hours at a time. My mind is too busy for that. I just can’t do it. It was too much. I am super happy with an hour-and-a-half to two hours.

I was very proud of myself for my meditations, which I have also been practicing for about 20 years (more so, in the last 10.) It used to be near impossible to meditate for even five minutes, and I realized on this retreat that I can meditate for 45 minutes without a problem. It's like it went by in the blink of an eye. It's crazy how fast it goes when you build up that kind of tolerance. I Love It!

So,I learned during my yoga retreat, that I need to work on my OCD. I also really enjoyed the retreat, and I will absolutely be doing more! Have you been on a yoga retreat? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or message me.