- How is an online retreat different from an in-person retreat?
Like an in-person retreat, an online retreat gives you that wonderful immersive experience with a range of coaches, learning about personal growth mindset and empowering you with a new sense of purpose and discernment so you have greater clarity into the life you want to live. This is what makes online retreats so incredibly powerful, addictive and totally life-changing.
The best part of an online retreat is that you don’t have to travel anywhere. You can stay incognito in your retreat with no need for a webcam or microphone so if you aren’t great at yoga, tend to fidget through meditation or need a quick bathroom break, you can take a pause without worrying about what anyone else thinks. We even provide you with a list of nutritious whole-food recipes with an accompanying shopping list to help you feed your body like you were on a retreat but with the added bonus that you can tailor it to your specific requirements.
Online retreats are more cost effective when compared to in-person retreats. Without travel, accommodation and chef-prepared food costs, you can get the same immersive experience and quality learning at a fraction of the price. Then, if you really love the coaches, you can choose to enrol into one of their personalised courses so you can become more proficient in your favourite wellbeing practices! It’s the best of both worlds… an immersive experience that is affordable and non-confrontational.
We love in-person retreats and we encourage Questers to participate in them whenever possible, however with the recent travel challenges we understand that it’s not always affordable or possible.
Especially for first timers, an online retreat is a great way to test the waters, see what a retreat is like from the comfort of your own home and then decide if an in-person retreat is the next step. For seasoned ‘retreaters’, being able to complete immersive learning on a more regular basis is the best way to solidify your knowledge and refine your personal practice.
- How do I achieve the best results?
Our goal is to help you achieve improved wellbeing by learning new skills to assist in your Quest for self-growth and increased potential. As part of this experience, repeating lessons can help you better integrate your new knowledge into your current lifestyle with greater ability to change your habits permanently. Then as you improve your skills and hone your interests you can immerse yourself further into courses specific to your needs.
If you want to improve mobility, health, overall wellbeing or clarity of mind and reduce stress, then a variety of our retreats and courses will help you achieve this. If participating in retreats on a regular basis is something you can achieve, this will help reinforce any new lifestyle habits. The one thing we do know is that change takes consistent effort over a period of time, there is no shortcut to changing behaviours and adopting a new lifestyle. If your goal is to make big changes, then you will need to commit to a regular routine of participating in the areas you want to improve.
Healthy change does not require someone to flip their routine completely upside down. Change needs to be achievable and realistic, it needs to allow you to maintain your commitment to your work, family and life commitments to be sustainable. We recommend you commit to your goals for at least 90 days to see the results. At this point, if you have been consistent with your new routine, you should see real change.
As an example, implementing 20 minutes of mindful movement and activity per day may be a great start. This may be a blend of exercise, journaling, meditation, goal writing, reviewing your progress for the week, looking at a healthy meal plan for the coming week and even just taking time out for yourself to sit and reflect on the wonderful commitment you are making to yourself.
If finding time to continue practising your new learnings is challenging, going to bed a little earlier and setting the alarm clock to wake 30 minutes earlier are simple tricks to help you start implementing your new routine. Consistency is the key, participating in your new found skills and continuing to practise them over time will help achieve the desired outcome.
- Top tips for having a positive mindset for your Quest
Here are our top tips for setting the best mindset for your Quest and really giving yourself time to absorb the teachings -
- If you are new to Mindful Movement training, take it easy, give yourself time to see results and do not judge yourself if you are not at the level you want to be.
- Be kind to yourself, do not push your limits especially if you have any past injuries or have not participated in Mindful Movement training previously.
- Give yourself time and don’t set expectations about how you should feel or what you need to get out of it. You're doing this for your own self transformation and healing so be kind to yourself if you are not at the level you want to be.
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Have an open minded approach with the mindset to allow yourself to discover where you are at on this Quest. Be prepared to have moments of awe and wonder, have fun with it so you can see what sticks. This will help you apply the teachings into your life.
- Ah-ha moments may take time to land. If you don’t have any major revelations straight away, that is perfectly fine. You may find it unravels for you further over the coming days or weeks and when it does provide clarity you will get the full benefit out of the practice.
- Don’t take it too seriously. We are on a journey of growth and transformation and the more you can play with the content the better you understand it.
- Listen to your body during all active Quests, take your time and really feel how your body reacts to certain postures to reduce the possibility of injury.
- Reduce distractions by switching mobile phones and smart watches to ‘airplane mode’ od ‘do not disturb/silent’ mode and quit out of any email browsers or notification software on your computer prior to commencing your Quest.
- Take time after your class to really absorb the teachings and sit with how it feels within your heart, mind and body.
- We recommend you listen to the Quest the first time without taking notes so the new information really washes over you and you get a great understanding of the teachings. Go back after you have completed the course and rewatch to take notes on key take-ways and talk to family and friends about what you have learnt. This will help to really cement your understanding, retain the teachings and incorporate it into a regular practice.
- If you're not really understanding a practice, or feel like you are stuck in your monkey mind, don’t put pressure on yourself. You are where you are and that’s perfect for you right now. You may need to explore this content further after you have had time to digest it and feel more connected to the concepts, when you are in a clearer state of mind.
- Don’t forget that these Quests will help you have more skills in your toolbox to deal with negativity, instability, trauma and overwhelm. The more you repeat these practises the more automated and competent you become at meeting life’s challenges with a positive behavioural response instead of falling back into old patterns of being unconsciously triggered.
- What expectations should I have about my retreat?
Try not to put pressure on your performance, expectations on how you should feel, or fixate on the outcome of the retreat. Instead, be open to new ideas, try-on new concepts and be prepared to look at life in new and inspiring ways, and we hope you will walk away with more self knowledge, love and insight than you had before you commenced.
The optimal goal is that at the conclusion of the retreat, you are inspired and truly committed to your new journey, ready to embody a new lifestyle, improve your wellness habits and strive for an open mindset.
We hope this will be one of many retreats, courses and steps that you take in your personal transformation and we hope to be part of your continued life-long learning.
- How should I prepare for my retreat?
To get the most from your retreat we will provide you with a list of helpful tips and tricks, including:
- Use our supplied meal recipes and suggestions to help cleanse the body and pre-plan your meals.
- Consider what clothing helps you stay flexible for your movements.
- Tell friends, family or housemates that you need some space and quiet time while you are attending your retreat.
- Clear your schedule to limit distractions like calls, emails and messages.
- Use props for your practise -
- Prepare your quiet retreat space and setup your room to maximise a flow state with -
- Incense, diffuser, candles or an oil burner
- A notebook or device to take notes
- A comfortable seat
- Headphones or earbuds for a more immersive experience
- A bottle of water
- Switch phone to sleep or airplane mode and or turn off all notifications
- Test your device prior to your retreat start.
- Take the time to reconnect and ground yourself in your breaks.
- Don't set performance expectations, keep an open mind and be prepared to try something new.
- Re-watch sessions you loved to help embody your learnings and change habits.
- ollow up in-depth courses from any of the coaches that you loved learning from.
- How long do I have to complete my retreat?
We want you to get the very best experience at your retreat and to learn, thrive and explore new concepts and teachings. Each of the quests you undertake have a start date and time to help step you through your retreat experience and give you that drip feed, immersive experience. If for some reason you aren’t able to watch one of your quests at the scheduled time, don’t worry because once the start time has passed you can come back and watch it again at any time within 30 days.
We know that sometimes life gets in the way and there are unexpected responsibilities that come up, which is why we give you 30 days from the time your retreat starts to re-watch any of the Quests you loved, and really get the most out of your learning. And let's face it, the more you re-watch the Quests, the more likely you are to make new neural pathway connections and habit changing behaviours on your path to transformation.
- What if I can’t attend the whole retreat? Can I re-watch it later?
We know that sometimes life gets in the way and there are unexpected responsibilities that come up, which is why we give you 30 days from the time your retreat starts to re-watch any of the Quests you loved and really get the most out of your learning. So, if you can’t attend the whole retreat, need to start late, duck out to pick up the kids or can’t sit still for that long it’s no problem. Take it one step at a time and come back to finish off your learning within the 90 days whenever it suits your schedule.
- What does a typical retreat day look like?
Retreats run for around 5-6 hours per day with classes focused on a range of activities such as yoga, meditation, philosophy, breathing techniques, mindfulness, health, nutrition, wellbeing, wellness and spirituality. All retreats are different and depending on your selection, they will have more focus on specific ‘wellness’ areas but with a good mix of topics to help you unlock your full potential. We schedule lots of breaks so you can replenish yourself, eat a nutritious meal, make a cup of tea, have a glass of water and take a walk outside. This gives you time to really absorb what you have learnt and clear your mind ready for your next class.
- How much downtime will I get in my retreat?
As much as we would love to fill your retreat with endless learnings, it simply isn’t practical for you to be overloaded with training and sessions.
During your breaks, plan to do some mindful activities for yourself, or things you love doing but you never make the time for. It may be reading a book, having a cup of tea and putting your feet up, taking a nap, writing in a journal or reflecting on what you have learnt. Going outside and sitting on the grass or taking your shoes off to connect with the earth is a great way to ground yourself and reconnect to who you are, and can be a good way to reset before your next class.
- How can I limit distractions for my retreat?
Being 100% committed to your journey is an important first step in achieving your goals and changing your life. Telling someone you trust that you have signed up for a retreat can also be a powerful motivator as it helps you articulate your commitment to self-learning and dedication to complete your quest.
If you are living with other people (friends, family, partner or children), it would be beneficial to give them as much notice as possible that you are starting your retreat in the event they can organise an outdoor activity to give you some quiet time. If leaving the home is not an option, let them know that you would appreciate no interruptions while you are participating in your session.
Turn your phone to airplane mode (or offline mode), put on ‘do not disturb’, and turn your phone on silent. The fewer distractions you have, the more chance you have of being able to totally focus on yourself, reflect on the sessions and enjoy the experience of your retreat.
If you are taking the time to dive into a retreat, then make the most of it and limit distractions as much as possible. Many live, in-person retreats have strict rules around electronic devices so pretend you have no internet for your journey and you will get much more out of your immersive experience.
Once your day is done, try to stay in the moment, reflect on what you have learnt and experienced. Avoid turning the phone back on or dropping into your ‘normal’ evening routine. Change requires action, intent and discipline, if that is what you are seeking, then do the right thing by yourself and commit to your retreat experience as best you can.
- How do I connect with other students that have attended a retreat?
Learning in a group environment is a great way to really motivate you and learn from other people's successes and achievements. We really want you to share those great ‘ah-ha’ moments with others too as it helps to reinforce your new habits, behaviours and how you identify yourself which is the key to personal growth.
So we have a wonderful Facebook group caller ‘Questers’ that you are welcome to join, to connect with other like-minded yogis, spiritual seekers and fitness fanatics that have a love of learning and transformation like you.