5 Surprising Things About Meditation Retreat

Updated: Jun 16, 2021

What comes into your mind when you think about meditation retreat? With a sudden hike of the yoga practitioners, you can see loads of people stretching their guts out. However, when things boil down to the true essence of yoga, the scenario changes completely.

Yoga gurus know how diligent and focused you need to be to go deeper within. Though the means are so many to practice meditation, the path is universal to attain the highest form of serenity. The moment you decide to march towards deepening your yoga practice, you come to realize that all that glitter from the far away was superficial, and not the true meaning of the yogic journey.

Here are a few surprising things about meditation retreat that you need to know to learn about the deeper functioning at a yoga retreat.

Surprising Things About Meditation Retreat

1. Solitude

If you think that yoga holidays are a place where chunks of people perform yoga poses in a huge gathering, you might have made a wrong perception about yoga practice. There is no doubt that you will be practicing under the eyes of certified yoga teachers, however, speculating otherwise might not be a complete truth.

You are all alone when you practice yoga. Meditation practices teach you to fight with your mind, thoughts, body, and even yourself. There won't be any external help involved except for the physical challenges.

2. Challenging

You get an opportunity to confront your mind without any distractions by your side. Therefore, sometimes it might get a little tough, discomforting, or challenging for you to look in the eyes of the hidden demons or pre-constructed notions about life.

However, you can rest assured that over time, you learn to accept yourself, you attain the patience to not push things, and to let things move at their natural pace and flow. Controlling the bouncy thoughts in your head is a very challenging and tiring job but once you master your mind, you become a new being.

Also read: Tips to Prepare For 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course

3. Sitting Still

As the saying goes that sitting still is the hardest thing that a man can do. While you are on a meditation retreat, you find it hard to sit for hours. The ultimate aim is to make your body relaxed and in a calm state. With a relaxed body, you can slow your mental activity to experience a state of bliss and calmness.

Walking now and then help you to stretch your body, to unfold it, and to limber up your muscles so that you set back on track to go deeper with your meditation practice. Stillness is a quality that every yoga practitioner needs to learn.

4. Nutritional Change

You get an opportunity to include healthy eating habits in your routine when you start your yogic journey. Rather than stuffing yourself with junk food, you nourish your body and mind with vegetarian, wholesome, and well-balanced food.

When you fill your gut with something that takes very long to digest, your body is busy digesting the food rather than more important issues at hand. Therefore, Satvik food is easy to digest that gives your body rest, and it focuses on better control over other senses.

Also read: Yoga Teacher training in India

5. Returning Overwhelmed

Change is very difficult when you are accustomed to a set routine. Therefore, you might find it a little hard to adjust at first since the mind revolts to get back to the old routine. However, when the days pass, you feel tuned to higher frequencies and a sense of connection emerges with your newer surroundings.

Moreover, returning to your old routine might look absurd. With all the newly attained wisdom and link to your higher self, you feel overwhelmed to return home. However, the feelings of joy, stillness, happiness, cheerfulness, calmness, and much more positive emotions makes way for you in the world.

Thus, going on a meditation retreat challenges you, put you through hardships, so that, you can grow and propel towards becoming one with your higher self.