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Welcome to the Aligned Yogi podcast, the podcast where we explore how to create a life that feels deeply aligned, vibrant, and true to your soul's purpose.
Hey there friends and yogis, welcome back to the Aligned Yogi Podcast. I'm Autumn Adams, your host for today and the owner of Ambuja Yoga. Today I want to explore some of the more hidden, more nuanced benefits of yoga retreats. After leading retreats for over a decade, I have discovered that there are so many more benefits to attending a yoga retreat that extend beyond what happens on your mat.
So today I want to share some of the unexpected magic of yoga retreats. And how they really can transform your life in ways that you couldn't have even ever dreamt up yourself. So when you think of a yoga retreat, you probably picture peaceful mornings on the mat or time to relax in a beautiful location.
And yes, that is absolutely part of it. But what [00:01:00] if I told you that a retreat is like stepping into an alternate universe? You might not believe me right now, but hopefully by the end of this episode you will. When you're on a yoga retreat, it's like the universe begins to conspire in your favor. And what would feel like coincidences outside of a yoga retreat feel much more connected and intentional.
So in this episode, we are exploring the surprising transformative benefits of yoga retreat. How they connect you with others and yourself, help you build trust in yourself, and even rewire the way you experience time. By the end of this podcast, I hope you'll see how these moments of magic can lead to breakthroughs in ways you never expected.
So let's first talk about what happens when you leave your daily routine behind. And you claim some time for yourself and you finally step into a yoga retreat. When you join a yoga retreat, it's like entering a completely different universe. One where [00:02:00] extraordinary moments don't just happen. They feel like they were orchestrated just for you.
It's as if the world around you senses what you need and conspires to bring you magic. And that magic shows up in so many different ways. So take a moment to picture this. You are in the middle of your morning yoga practice, completely present, when a pair of toucans fly by and their vibrant colors remind you of the beauty that you've been too busy to notice.
Or imagine the stillness and the calm that settles in after a shared moment of belly laughter with strangers who already feel like family. It's not just the location or the wildlife, it's the energy of the retreat that makes you feel like you're part of something bigger. These moments are the kind of thing we often brush off as coincidence, but when you're on retreat, you've created the space to see more.
And it's not just about what [00:03:00] you physically see with your eyes or experience, it's really, it's about how it feels. The geese flying overhead aren't just geese. They're a sign that you're exactly where you're supposed to be. And that shift in perspective, it begins to change everything. This alternate universe isn't just a one time thing.
It's a reflection of what happens when you slow down, step away from the doing, and open yourself up to the present moment, right? When we lift our head up from our phones or step away from our computers. It's like the world The universe, God's source, wakes up with you, showing you how connected and alive everything really is.
I can remember one year I was hosting a retreat in Nicaragua and I had promised our guests, or nearly promised, that they would see howler monkeys during our retreat. And it wasn't until the very last morning, at probably, I don't know, maybe 4am, that [00:04:00] I mean huge, massive troop of howler monkeys came down through the forest and settled right on the retreat center.
And if you have ever been around howler monkeys, you know just how loud they can be. They absolutely made their presence known and it felt literally as if they were right on top of our retreat center. cabin. There was no way that any of us could sleep through it. So instead, we all went up to the yoga platform, brewed coffee, hung out with the howler monkeys.
And when the sun began to rise, we did our morning practice and the howler monkeys stayed with us. Through that entire practice, it was absolutely incredible. It's moments like those that really open you up to the magic, to the awe, to the wonder that is going on around us all the time. I love how moments like these help us see that we are exactly where we are meant to be.
There's that feeling [00:05:00] that settles in when you realize you are where you're meant to be, what you're doing, what you're meant to be doing. It's that sense of calm, that sense of lightness, that sense of knowing connection. This alternate universe isn't about escaping your life. It's about experiencing it in its rawest, truest, most beautiful form.
It's what happens when you finally press pause on the hustle. On the noise, on the doing, and allow yourself to simply be, to be open, aware, present. And that's where the magic lives. These moments aren't just memories you'll take home with you. They are reminders of what's possible. They're proof that the magic isn't gone.
It's just been waiting for you to see it. Attending a yoga retreat isn't about discovering a new version of yourself. It's about reconnecting with the part of you that already knows how to be [00:06:00] still. That already knows how to wonder. and how to see the beauty in the world again. I think of it as like seeing the world through a child's eyes, right?
So exciting to see the toucan and the trees. So exciting to see the school of fish swimming beneath the pier. It's incorporating more of that into your daily life. Another benefit to attending a yoga retreat, which maybe it's a little bit more obvious, is the idea of connection. Because the connection that happens on a yoga retreat is on a much deeper level than what we experience with say like our co workers and even some of our friends and with ourselves as well.
So let's talk about that connection because it's the type of connection that can be truly transformative. Yoga retreats have this way to opening the door To that deeper connection not just with others, but with yourself and it's the kind of [00:07:00] connection that makes you feel seen and understood and So deeply alive and once you experience it you realize how much you've been craving it I love to share this story from Jolie who's attended a couple of our retreats in Oregon And on the last retreat, many of the women were sharing that they were so happy to be experiencing community, sisterhood with other women without the cattiness and the other stuff that can come along with that.
And Jolie, when we were chatting at the end of the retreat, she was like, yeah, I didn't really crave that. that wasn't a reason for me to come on a retreat. That wasn't something I was seeking. By the end of the retreat, she felt so connected to the other women that were there that she had the realization that she didn't even know that that was missing.
So retreats have this way of giving you the medicine that you need [00:08:00] when you walk into a retreat. You're most likely stepping into a room full of strangers. That you're going to spend the next three, or five, or seven, eight days with. But they're all on the same journey. They're all there for the same reasons you are.
To deepen their yoga practice. To grow. To heal. To figure out something about themselves. There's the unspoken understanding right from the start that you don't have to be anyone but yourself on retreat. Nobody has any preconceived notions about you. They don't know anything about your past, aside from what you share on the retreat.
So you can show up. just as you are. There's no need to meet anybody else's expectations, or I should say maybe there's less desire to meet the expectations of others. And in that opening circle, You can literally feel the [00:09:00] tension and the relief leaving everyone's bodies, leaving the room, as everybody realizes that they get to show up just as they are.
And it's wild what happens when we show up just as we are, how quickly strangers can become friends. One moment, you're meeting for the first time and sharing your name and where you're from. And the next, you're sharing the kind of vulnerable stories you don't even tell the people back home. There's something about the retreat space, the retreat container, that makes it feel safe and sacred.
You're finally allowed to drop the mask and just be real. Just be you. And I think that is where the magic of connection begins. I've watched this happen so many times over the years. Someone shares a struggle. Something that they have been carrying alone. And someone else in the group says, yeah, me too.
I've experienced [00:10:00] something similar. That's when you see the shift. The shoulders, they drop. Their guard comes down and they realize that they're not alone in their pain and that realization is everything. To know that you have an ally, a support system, someone on your team that you can share it all with, or as much as you want to share with.
And I could keep talking about the connections you will build with others, but it's also about reconnecting with yourself, your true wants, your desires, your values. Really it's about accessing your inner voice. And there's something about the quiet moments at a retreat. Whether that's during meditation, or journaling, or watching the sun rise, or even lounging by the pool next to your new friend.
That lets you hear yourself again. And what you hear, that's the clarity seeping in. How often do [00:11:00] we ask ourselves, what do I want? What do I need? In my world, we ask this question a lot. But that may not be the case for you. Most of us don't even realize that we've been ignoring these questions until we're finally in a space where we can listen for the answers.
And that's what retreats do. They give you back to yourself. When you finally take the time to slow down and listen, you can make some pretty powerful discoveries about yourself. What makes you tick? What brings you joy? What feeds your soul? Where have you given away your power? The answers to these questions come forward more easily.
And then the rise of this internet and social media world, I feel like it's harder than ever and perhaps easier than ever to find real connection. And connection is what makes us human. On a retreat, it's Amplified in the most beautiful way because we are [00:12:00] all put together in this sacred space, this container.
Yoga is what brings us together, but we soon realize that we're all on a similar path. And you realize that the people around you, the other women attending the retreat, these once strangers who've quickly become family, are holding up a mirror. They remind you of your strength and your vulnerability, your humanity, and it's through these connections.
These little moments that you start to see yourself more clearly too. So whether it's finding community or finding your own Inner voice, that relationship with yourself, the connection you experience on a retreat stays with you, and it's what makes you realize that you're not alone, that you are enough, and that you have everything you need to keep growing, to live the life that you want, that you desire for yourself.
Another benefit of attending a yoga retreat that you may not have considered is [00:13:00] that it. can rewire your relationship with time. If I bring up the concept of time, Where does your mind immediately go? Probably to something along the lines of there's not enough, there's not enough time. So many of us live our days rushing.
Rushing from A to B. Constantly trying to fit more in. You're even probably listening to this podcast on a walk or driving your car. And we're constantly telling ourselves that if we just manage it better, if we become more efficient, we'll finally feel like we're in control. But that mindset just keeps us stuck in the never ending loop of rushing, trying to do more, trying to fit it all in.
And on a yoga retreat, you get the chance to flip that script, to flip that relationship with time. There's this magical thing that happens on retreat.
But there's this magical thing. Again, that happens when you go on retreat. As you arrive, there's a sense [00:14:00] of time slowing down. Even as soon as you beginning to unpack your bag, time slows down, becomes more spacious, and you realize, huh, I have way more time than I thought between trekking and opening circle.
And this experience of time slowing down continues for a couple of days. Depending on the length of the retreat. And then you experience a sense of time standing still, like this, I don't know, liminal space or like a slack tide that happens usually right around the middle of the retreat, maybe just past halfway, where you finally settled in.
Your nervous system has regulated, and then during the last couple days, usually time starts to. pick back up again. As you realize that there's all the things you want to do before you head home, right? You want to pick up some souvenirs. You want to go to that elephant sanctuary in Thailand [00:15:00] or go do that waterfall hike.
And even as you decide to go do these things, you're still carrying with you that sense of ease and Again, as if time has slowed down. So even though time's picked up, you're starting to do a little bit more. There's a flow to it. I think for a lot of us that when we think about our daily life, we spend a lot of time thinking about the doing, getting things done, checking things off the list.
We spend quite a lot of energy. Simply making decisions, deciding things, what to eat, where to go, what's next on the endless to do list, what gets priority, who's picking up who, and it's exhausting. And half the time we don't even realize that. That decision fatigue is weighing us down until it's gone.
When you're on a retreat, someone else is holding that space for you, right? That decision making for you. So you don't have to worry about it. The meals are planned. The schedule is [00:16:00] set. All you have to do is sit down. Show up and there's freedom in that. It's like a breath of fresh air It gives your mind the space to stop thinking about the small stuff and start focusing on the bigger questions.
What do I want? Where am I going? What's next for me? But it's not just that freedom from decision making. It's the slower pace of the retreat itself. There's no rushing from one thing to the next. We're not like hurry up and rush to yoga and rush to lunch and there's no need to keep checking the clock.
You just flow from one thing to the next. You enjoy your downtime. You flow through your day with intention and you start to notice the things that you've been too busy to see. Like the light filtering through the trees or the sound of your steady breath or the crunch of the path beneath your feet.
I recently had a participant tell me that she didn't even realize how much she needed it. a [00:17:00] retreat until she arrived and finally stopped rushing, stopped trying to fill her schedule. During the retreat, she shared that she has a tendency to fill her schedule from sunup to sundown. Every moment planned, every moment scheduled.
But what she came to realize is that she had tied her worth, her self worth, to her schedule. all of that doing. And during the retreat, when she had a chance to stop some of that doing, she was able to discover and reframe that belief. I realized that her worth has nothing to do with how much she achieves, how much she plans into each day.
And when you slow down like that, you start to notice how much of your life you've just been rushing through. Rushing from A to B. Head down. Blinders on. And on a retreat, that slower rhythm becomes your new normal. Even if it's just for a few days, that new rhythm is something that you can take with [00:18:00] you.
And you realize that it's not about managing your time better. It's about experiencing time differently. Because when you can let go of some of that need or desire to rush to fill the space, you create space for what really matters. For what's really important to you, for what really feeds your soul, what really lights you up.
And you give yourself permission to rest. We all need rest on such an immense level right now. You give yourself the time and the space to dream and to create and live. A life of intention. And that is the shift that you are going to carry with you long after the retreat ends. Alright, now I'd like to share another benefit.
And that is the deep healing that comes through play and joy. So when you think about healing, what comes to mind? [00:19:00] Likely it's Sitting in meditation deep reflection, and journaling, finding stillness, getting therapy. And these are really powerful tools. When we spend all of our time kind of stirring the pot, digging up the muck, which don't get me wrong, I love to do that.
But when we do that all the time, life can feel really heavy. Healing doesn't always come in those quiet moments. Or in those moments of stirring the pot, of digging up the muck. Sometimes it looks like dancing wildly under the moon, or laughing so hard your stomach and your cheeks hurt, or jumping off a boat.
into the water with no fear. On retreats, joy can become the doorway to your transformation. Transformation happens in so many different ways. Somebody tells you that the only way you are going to transform your life is by journaling and doing the reflection. Run. Don't listen to them. Because joy is one of the most beautiful surprises of attending a [00:20:00] retreat and a huge catalyst.
For the transformation that you want, we are all motivated by joy and by our desire by living a life that It feels fulfilling and fun and the thing about joy is that many of us are kind of missing it in our day to day lives, right? We wake up, we've got the kids ready for school, we go to work, work our nine to five, maybe we hit the gym or a yoga class afterward, go home, make dinner, maybe play with the kids for five minutes, put them to bed, do our chores.
We aren't making the time for joy, and we don't realize just how much we're missing it until we get that taste. I feel like on retreats, it doesn't just show up slyly sneaking in the door. It just bursts through the door sometime. There's that invitation to play. On so many occasions, I've watched women who were a bit more hesitant, a bit more reserved, or guarded on day one.
[00:21:00] Join a spontaneous dance party by day three. Laughing and moving like they haven't moved in years, maybe even decades. And when we experience joy like that, you can literally see the layers of tension peeling away. The stress that they didn't even know that they were carrying. Elise, you see their face soften.
I can remember a time At the Back to Nature retreat in Oregon, which we've actually done this a few times now, but where after our final evening ceremony, we've guided a spontaneous howl at the moon. And it's not about the howling, I mean, whatever, right? But it's about the letting go. It's about giving yourself permission to be silly and to be wild and free in a way that we just don't do in our everyday lives, right?
How often do you howl at the moon? But when we give ourselves that freedom to play, to be silly, to do something out of the ordinary, there's freedom [00:22:00] in that. There's healing in that. There's like deep cellular healing. Because joy isn't just an emotion.
It's medicine. Feeds your soul. And play reminds us of what it feels like to be alive. It reminds us of who we are beneath the surface. All the roles that we play, the stress and the responsibilities, there is a version of you that exists before the world told you to be serious, to have it all together.
And at a retreat you get to meet that version of yourself again. And on a retreat you get to meet that version of yourself again so often, maybe even more so as women, we feel like we need permission to let ourselves have fun. Permission to stop taking everything so seriously. But here's what I want you to hear.
Joy is your birthright. Play is your birthright. And when you allow yourself to embrace it, you'll open yourself up to healing [00:23:00] in ways that you never thought possible. It'll improve not only your relationship with yourself, but it'll also improve your relationships with others. I can recall back to one of the retreats in Greece and we were out on our boat trip and we had just pulled into, the first cove of the trip.
One of the women was like, can we jump off the boat? Do we have to take the ladder? It's like, of course you can jump off the boat. It's the best way to get in, right? You get that cold shock over. Real quick. Turned into just about everybody jumping off the boat, doing cannonballs, diving in, belly flopping in.
So much fun. The laughter. The cheering. Which helped everybody let down their guard. Really elevated the moment, the experience, the felt sense. But I want you to remember that joy is more than just a fleeting feeling. It's a way back to yourself. An honorary treat is not just something that you [00:24:00] experience.
It's something you reclaim. I want you to think about that. You reclaim your joy. So whether it is through dancing or laughing or jumping off of the boat or just letting yourself play to share stories, to share dad jokes, whatever it is, you're reminded of what it feels like to be fully alive. And in that aliveness, you find your healing, your vibrancy.
When you give yourself permission to feel joy, you're also giving yourself permission to. To let go. To heal and to grow. To let go of the seriousness. To let go of the pain. Some of the masks and the guarding and you open yourself up to that sense of lightness Acceptance and play so there's a benefit.
That's maybe a little Unexpected when it comes to attending yoga retreats because it doesn't necessarily have to do anything with yoga But it's that yoga retreats have the potential to unlock your creativity I think we get stuck in this idea that [00:25:00] Creativity is like a mystical gift bestowed on a chosen few That it's not for everybody, but creativity is your birthright.
It is the wild and untamed energy that lives inside every single one of us. Just waiting, always waiting to be invited out to play. Most of us have been taught to believe that we are not creative, right? I can't draw. I'm not artistic. I don't have rhythm. I don't have a musical bone in my body, or I don't have a creative Bone in my body.
We tell ourself things like I'm just not a creative person this might sound really familiar to you but these are stories stories that we've learned from our parents and from Society and like all stories they can be rewritten for many of us from a young age We're taught to fit inside a box At school, art [00:26:00] creativity is limited to the art class, if you're lucky enough to have art class.
It is limited to the music class, if you're lucky enough to have music class. But we aren't encouraged to be creative, to express ourselves freely. Instead, we're molded and shaped to fit in a box, and I want you to start to think of creativity as much more than simply producing art.
It's a way of moving through the world. It's how you solve problems, how you dream, how you connect. It's the spark of innovation that lives in your yoga practice, in your relationships, in the way you approach your most mundane daily tasks and the really challenging parts of life. It's that way of looking at the world and seeing the possibility of seeing what is possible for you.
I have watched women rediscover parts of themselves that [00:27:00] they thought were long lost, and that's not through painting or writing, because I don't necessarily teach either of those during our retreats, but it's through the way that they begin to see themselves and the world around them. Creativity is about your perspective, about being willing to see things differently.
I was working one on one with a corporate executive. She is the CEO of a pretty large company.
But what we discovered was that she hadn't picked up a creative pursuit since childhood. Her focus had solely been on achieving, building. She was really good at that.
But it was during one of our sessions, that something just cracked open within her and she started painting, not to create a masterpiece, [00:28:00] but simply to express, to get a little messy, to do something differently. And it was in that that she was able to reconnect with parts of herself that she'd completely abandoned ages ago.
I can remember. A few years ago, while guiding an intuitive dance, one of the ladies expressed that prior to that experience, that dance experience, that to her creativity was about making something perfect. It wasn't about the pure expression, the pure joy of expression. And she realized that through that creative, free flowing, intuitive movement, that creativity wasn't perfect. Just a skill to be mastered. It was a state of [00:29:00] being. A way of approaching life with curiosity, with openness, with wonder, with abandon.
In yoga philosophy, creativity is sacred. It's the manifestation of Shakti, the divine feminine energy of creation. When you tap into your creative flow, you're not just making something, you are participating in the fundamental energy of the universe. A retreat creates the conditions for this to happen, unplugged from constant demands.
Where suddenly creativity doesn't feel like another task to check off the list. It feels like breathing. It feels natural.
So how do you keep this creative spark alive? It's in the daily micro moment of presence. It's trying something new. Even if you're going to be [00:30:00] terrible at it, it's embracing imperfection as the birthplace of innovation. One of my teachers always says, imperfect action is perfect action, right?
It's taking the action. It's moving. It's doing the thing. Listen to your whispers of curiosity, flip your perspective treat creativity as a practice, not a performance. It's not something that you need to find. It's something you need to allow.
Creativity is about believing in the wisdom that lives inside you. It's about saying yes to the unknown, yes to possibility, yes to yourself, and knowing that your creative expression is worthy of being out in the world.
So how are you going to tap into your creativity this week? How are you going to bring it front and center?
All right, friends, I think I'm going to share just [00:31:00] one more hidden benefit of attending a yoga retreat.
And this benefit, I think, is probably the most powerful benefit. The most important benefit of attending a yoga retreat. And that is cultivating self trust. So I want to talk about self trust, but not in the way you might expect. This isn't about perfection or never feeling scared. It's about something a bit more radical, and it's learning to trust yourself exactly as you are with all your beautiful, messy humanity.
I'm sure like many of you, when I first started my yoga journey, I was the queen of second guessing myself. Every decision felt like walking a tightrope without a safety net. I'd spend hours overthinking, paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice. This even came up with [00:32:00] me creating this podcast.
So if any of this sounds familiar, know that most of us are carrying around this invisible weight of self doubt, and we don't even realize how heavy it's become.
Yoga retreats aren't just about finding peace on your mat. They're about finding peace within yourself. They're about trusting yourself.
So here's a truth that took me years to understand, and in some ways, I feel like I am still Learning the lesson, but it's that self trust as a practice. It's not a destination. It's built in every single moment. Moment by moment, breath by breath, situation by situation. Every time you show up on your mat, when your mind is telling you a thousand reasons why you can't, you're building that trust. Every time you breathe through a challenging pose, You're saying [00:33:00] to yourself, I can handle this. This is the same wisdom we can carry off of our mat. A story that I hear just about every single retreat is that these women are completely disconnected from themselves. They've spent years living according to everyone else's expectations, their own desires buried so deep that they've completely forgotten that they existed. They haven't given them any time or breath or air. And almost always by the end of the week, there's a little shift, sometimes a big shift. It's not about the yoga or the location. It's about creating a container where these women can hear their own voice again.
And that's the magic of a retreat. It's not about escaping your life. It's about remembering who you are when the noise [00:34:00] falls away. When you're not juggling a thousand responsibilities, when you're not constantly performing or proving something you get to just be.
Self trust isn't about guaranteeing perfect outcomes. None of us can do that. It's about knowing that no matter what happens, you have the resilience to navigate it.
It's understanding that your worth isn't determined by your productivity or your ability to meet external expectations. In our yoga practice, we learn this constantly. Some days your balance is perfect. Some days you fall out of every single pose. Some days the mind is calm. Other days it's like it's had 26 cups of coffee.
But the practice teaches us that neither defines you. What defines you is your willingness to keep showing up, to keep breathing, to keep witnessing yourself with compassion. A retreat creates this Extraordinary opportunity, a [00:35:00] pause button in a world that's always demanding you move faster, do more, be more. Here you learn that you are enough precisely as you are. You are capable of making the decisions you need to live a life of fulfillment.
Retreats have a way of stirring the pot. And another thing that tends to come up is fear of the unknown.
Most people arrive on retreat with fear A cocktail of excitement, fear, anxiety, curiosity, it's a perfect starting point for transformation and the magic that happens on retreat.
I think solo travel on any level, but especially on a retreat, it's like a masterclass in self trust. When you step out of your familiar environment, away from your support systems, your routine, your comfort zone, maybe the language you speak, even you're forced to rely on yourself in ways you [00:36:00] never have before. It's not just about navigating a new location. It's about navigating your inner landscape and doing the bold thing. I've watched so many participants arrive on retreat feeling small or a little uncertain, almost apologetic about taking up space, like not wanting to share too much. Let somebody else share because they don't want to take up too much space, too much time. Then there's something remarkable that happens a couple days in. They start to realize just how capable they truly are. They feel comfortable making decisions for themselves. They honor and recognize that they were able to solve unexpected challenges. They recognize their ability to choose their own adventure.
There's a profound difference between knowing you can do [00:37:00] something and actually proving it to yourself. Right? It's that knowing it in your head versus knowing it in your body. Solo travel does that. Miss a connection? You figure it out. Need to communicate in a place where you don't speak the language? You find a way, right? Use Google Translate. You ask for help. You find somebody that speaks your language. If you're feeling uncomfortable in a new situation, you learn to sit with that discomfort and move through it. One of my favorite yoga retreat attendees. Shared that her solo journey to our retreat was the very first time she'd ever traveled alone. She was terrified of everything, getting lost, looking stupid, not knowing what to do being taken advantage of. But by the end of the trip, she was Navigating foreign airports with confidence, striking up conversations with strangers, making spontaneous choices that surprised [00:38:00] even herself, booking little side trips. So cool. And this is the real gift of solo travel during a retreat. Because you get these moments of being pushed outside your comfort zone by yourself, knowing that you have this safe container that you'll be landing in.
What I love about solo travel during a retreat is that it's not about the destination. The destination could be anywhere, but it's about discovering your own resilience, your own capacity, your own voice. Every small victory from reading a map to trying a new food to navigating a new subway system to making a connection with a stranger is a love letter to yourself. It's a declaration that you've got your own back and that you are fully capable.
Alright, so you might be thinking, well that's great Autumn, how do I cultivate self trust outside of a retreat? Well, my advice is to start small. Listen to the [00:39:00] That quiet voice within you that gets drowned out by all the external noise. And begin by making one decision each day based on what you truly want, not what others expect.
Just doing that can help you cultivate, grow, and build your self trust. And then offer yourself radical, self compassion. Speak to yourself the way you'd speak to your best friend. And then remember that every time you honor your own intuition, you are building a muscle of self trust. And over time it gets easier and easier.
Self trust isn't about being fearless. It's about being afraid and showing up anyway, doing it anyway. It's about trusting that you have everything you need inside you right now. All right, friends, that brings us to the end of this podcast. We've [00:40:00] journeyed through some pretty incredible benefits of yoga retreats. And hopefully this podcast has inspired you to do something for yourself and take the leap. Because these trips, they're not just trips, not justifications. They're portals to an alternate universe of extraordinary moments, a universe where you can step beyond the boundaries of your everyday life, experience awe and wonder in each moment where you can connect with others and yourself on a level so deep, it feels sacred. Where you can heal through the pure uninhibited joy of play, dancing under the stars, swimming in the sea, laughing until your belly hurts. Where you can unlock creativity you didn't even know lived [00:41:00] inside you and where you rebuild trust in yourself, breath by breath, moment by moment.
Each of these hidden benefits is a doorway, a gateway, to a version of yourself that's been waiting quietly, patiently, to be rediscovered.
If this episode spoke to you on a deeper level, maybe you heard that quiet whisper of possibility. I want to support your journey. So I've created a free guide For you. It's called the perfect yoga retreat checklist, which will help you navigate your first retreat experience.
Think of it as a compass for your inner adventure. And the link is waiting for you in the show notes.
And I want you to remember that extraordinary isn't somewhere else. It's not waiting for you in some distant location. The extraordinary is already within you. It's vibrant. It's powerful. It's simply waiting to be [00:42:00] acknowledged. A retreat doesn't create magic.
They are magical, but it simply turns on the light so you can see the magic that's been there all along. And I cannot wait to hear how this journey unfolds for you
so again, you can download your free guide, the perfect yoga retreat checklist at autumnadamsyoga. com. Check out the podcast and you'll see it there in the show notes.
If you'd like to check out my retreat schedule, visit ambujayoga. com.
I can't wait until we meet again. Bye for now. [00:43:00]
