We’re not the same…
I’ve been seeing a few reels lately that follow the trend of explaining how they’re different by ending with “we’re not the same”.
“You don’t get your nails done because you can’t afford it. I don’t get my nails done because they get in the way of using my hunting gun. We’re not the same” (for example).
I didn’t like this at first. It feels like it’s giving the sense of separateness which is already so woven into how we live today, or a sense of unnecessary competition, but perhaps that was just my lens. Perhaps it’s actually ok to highlight difference and realise that we’re all great and unique and fulfilling a role in life’s fabric. So I decided to jump on the trend! I think all yoga retreats have their place. Some of them are for a gentle getaway with mocktails and massages… but you guessed it… we’re not the same ;).
I think most people who have put the time, energy and effort into curating retreats have great intentions. They might want to spread ideas about how they view the world, or encourage “healing” in whatever modality they have adopted. Many people really need that fun and relaxing Bali retreat for 2 days of yoga and photos, and that’s fine! It’s all needed! But then why is Active Rest Retreats here?
Elise & Sarah, co-founders of Active Rest Retreats.
When there are already THOUSANDS of retreats around the world, what made us believe we could bring something different, helpful, or new to the space? So glad you asked!
We put First Nations Cultures Front and Centre. You can’t connect with place properly without acknowledging what has come before, and what continues. On our Wilpena Women’s Weekend this looks like being Welcomed onto Adnyamathanha Country by a local First Nations guide and being lead through Yura Mulka’s ancient rock art walls by a local Yura guide. On the Fleurieu Retreat, this looks like sitting down on the first night in a round circle yarn with Iteka, Aboriginal Cultural educator from Kumarninthi, to acknowledge Ngarrindjeri Country, and to listen and learn from her first-hand experiences and stories, and feeling into connecting with the ancestors during meditation to really embody acknowledging Country. You’ll feel safe on Country by feeling the presence of the ancestors with you first, and you’ll walk away with a better understanding, a broader perspective, or at least a planted seed to want to learn more, decolonise yourself, or foster reconciliation in your circles.
Our practices are backed by science. No shame here on the “woo-woo” side of spirituality and retreats, as there are plenty of phenomena in this world that science can’t yet explain, but for now, the practices we teach on retreat are already supported by science as tools for improving your health and wellbeing. Elise has a bachelor of Health Science, majoring in Physical Education, and Sarah has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology, and a Bachelor of Psychology, so it’s kind of important for us that our practices are aligned with what the science tells us can help calm your nervous system, improve your sleep, improve your mental and physical health and ultimately help you live well and long. We don’t just want you to experience wellness for the duration of your stay, we want to help you create lasting change and embody these tools, which is why we have a workshop focus to explain not just the “how”, but also the “why” behind what we teach.
Your safety is prioritised. Sometimes retreats are lead by gurus who might not believe it’s necessary to assess the risks of their experiences, as they aren’t calling in any bad energy to the retreat. While this intention is important, at Active Rest Retreats we ALSO believe it’s vital to create a space that is physically and psychologically safe at our retreats, which is why Elise is qualified as a bushwalking leader through bushwalking leadership SA, why Sarah is qualified in Vinyasa Flow and Pranayama, and why both of us are up-skilling in the area of trauma-informed practice. We collect your confidential medical disclosure before retreat, we create a risk assessment matrix for each retreat, we adapt our practices to suit your needs, we carry first aid supplies and a satellite phone, and we remain in contact with you for support pre and post retreat if you need to reach out or need to be connected with health professionals to further your physical or psychological healing.
We’ve got the balance just right. The yin and the yang. The active and the rest. the movement and the stillness. The connection and the solitude. Have you ever been away on a retreat but felt totally burnt-out afterwards from all the social time? Or perhaps you had the opposite problem, where there was too much zen and you were carrying around pent-up energy to burn! So on OUR retreats, you can enjoy the stillness of meditation, the early nights in a luxurious bed, the calming breathwork and the mindful solo time for journaling and solitude, then you can pour from your over-flowing cup on guided bushwalks, shared meals, and yoga classes. At Active Rest Retreats, we like to think we’ve got the balance pretty right when it comes to giving you time to both actively rest and then to be restfully active.
As I said…. we’re not the same ;)
Join us for the Wilpena Women’s Weekend in 2024 on May 16 - 19 or October 4 - 7. Early Bird finishes Feb 26th. Secure your own personal glamping tent with a $500 deposit now, and pay the rest by mid April. Spaces limited.
Spaces still available for our Fleurieu Retreat on March 22 - 24 & Oct 18 - 20.
