Antidotes to our world
Ways to retreat in your head & home when you can’t or don’t feel like getting away
While many of us grew up being encouraged to select just one career to pursue, increasing numbers of people are taking on second jobs in the wellbeing sphere to earn extra pennies and help them flourish as individuals. One of these is portrait artist Susie Hampshire, who also works as a holistic massage therapist in [...]
On this damp Thursday afternoon I am overwhelmed by how quickly time passes – it feels like there’s too many things going on, too little time to reflect, too much to share, and all the while the clock keeps ticking. Not to worry – I’m confident I’ll feel differently tomorrow, for as Buddhism teaches us, [...]
Jubilant at having free time at Exeter airport enroute to a retreat recently I decided to try my very first fish pedicure with Tootsies, a man-and-wife team based at the airport. Apparently the Garra Rufa fish they use are found in Turkish hot springs and have suction−cup mouths that gently lift away dry skin without [...]
I read in The Week recently that a ‘good samaritan’ has been giving envelopes full of cash to the needy in the German city of Braunschweig. So far, the anonymous donor has given 190,000 euros to individuals and organisations, including a hospice, a robbery victim and a vicar – the money often comes wrapped in a cutting [...]
Apparently you have 7-15 seconds to make an impression when you meet someone for the first time, and only about 10% of the impression you make has to do with what you say. A scary thought, but one easily dealt with. Sorting out what you wear is all part of the retreat-at-home process, a way to [...]
I have been living most of my daily life in yoga clothes for quite some time now. Possibly years. It isn’t just because I practice yoga and they feel so damn comfortable, but also because for an even longer time I haven’t really known what ‘normal’, day-to-day clothes do and don’t suit me. I know [...]
For those looking for ways to retreat at home, imagine three packing boxes. One is small and labelled Beautiful Things. The second is a fair size and labelled Useful Things. The third is absolutely huge, and it’s labelled Crap. Sadly, it’s the box of crap we carry with us most of the time. Time to [...]
Most of us know a sustainable sense of wellbeing stems from having a nutritious diet, plenty of down time, regular exercise, balanced relationships, a job you enjoy and a well designed home in an environment that you love. Sounds superb, but the daily toll of a busy life and the general struggle of being human [...]
Healthy chef Gerry Carless has created this recipe just for Queen of Retreats readers – thank you Gerry! She helps cook the meals on retreats run by Reclaim Your Self, who take great care in creating their menus, so you can trust this will taste good. It’s easy to make (very important) and uses fresh seasonal [...]
Sara Campbell runs yoga & meditation classes, bespoke yoga retreats and freediving workshops in Dahab, Egypt. I met her for a chat last year… I clenched my toes watching world champion freediver Sara Campbell on TV being profiled by Kevin Fong on the BBC’s To Boldly Go. Watching her beautifully arched body as she went deeper and deeper [...]
