2012 during a particularly challenging period of life. Taking that time out of everyday life to step away from the daily stresses and allow my nervous system to slow down and rest was not only powerfully transformative but crucial for my mental health. I promised myself I would make space to go on retreat every year from then on.

Unfortunately, a few challenges arose in upholding that promise to myself. I found Melbourne lacking in local retreat options, and the extra costs and time required to travel interstate and overseas made taking a yearly retreat feel prohibitive. Add in the general busyness of life with kids, partner, work, pets… and failing to prioritise myself… and my ‘every year’ goal became more like, ‘every 3-4 years’. 🙃

Even though I haven’t always been successful at carving away time in schedule, I’ve taken smaller retreats - a day here, 3 days there… but I also carve out time for myself every single day in the form of meditation, journalling and mindful breathing. These tools have become my lifeline. They keep me grounded & anchored through life’s challenges and ups and downs. They help me to more proactively choose the life I want to lead, rather than life leading me.

If you can’t get away on a retreat in the near term, I encourage you to download my One-day retreat program and carve out some time in the near future to gift yourself the time. Taking time for yourself and gaining clarity around your values - and purpose of being - can be positively life altering; I know how powerful they’ve been in my own life and I would love to share them with you, too.