Anurturing retreat from family stresses
Breathe, relax, eat, share, andfinda better version of herself atawomen’syogaretreat in idyllic Glenorchy.
Ispent my Friday night cleaning toilets and writing my husband an aisle-by-aisle grocery shopping list, to tick off the most important of my weekend duties. As much as I love my family (and I do), I was bursting with excitement at the idea of deserting them for a couple of days.
I’d been offered a spot on aNurture Me Women’s Wellness Retreat in Glenorchy. I didn’t think about it too deeply. Two days and a night at a luxury camping ground, with food cooked by professional chefs, alongside a bit of feel-good yoga and wandering in the mountains... it was everything I needed.
Wellness
Our group of 15, plus two teachers, were all clad in obligatory leisure gear when we met in a circle of yoga bolsters to introduce ourselves.
We were keen, we were nervous. Some were emotional, others were old hands. There were young mums and retired professionals, women who had joined with a friend and those who came independently.
Our teachers Emma Ferris and Sarsha Hope talked us through the weekend’s schedule.
We would be focusing on using our hearts – emotionally and physically.
The focus was on our overall wellness – thriving instead of just surviving.
I liked what they said. I bought into it. I wanted to attain their calmness. Iwas a little scared.
Yoga
Hope’s yoga session was first and I felt aweinspired and intimidated in equal measure.
Hope sits at the head and exudes tranquillity. She reminds me of a lioness, regally watching over her pride.
I’m not a complete beginner, I know my downward dog from my child’s pose. But I am thankful that Hope takes us quietly through a series of easy moves usually involving one limb at a time.
It is entirely possible (extremely likely) that I don’t look as graceful as I feel in the poses, but I will never know as I did most of them with my eyes closed, guided only by Hope’s gentle directions. More experienced yoga practitioners were able to flex their skill. I stayed with the basics.
The yoga sessions (three over the course of the weekend) were about more than just bending the body. Also a belief coach, Hope focused on opening the heart and encouraging women to be their feminine selves – soft and vulnerable.
The key mantra she repeated was ‘‘I am here’’, a startlingly effective way to remove distractions from the mind and focus on simply being present.
Ferris is the yang to Hope’s yin.
The physiotherapist, now a breath specialist, dishes the dirt on her own private battles before she lets her inner geek free to explain the fundamentals of good breathing alongside medical diagrams.
I’ve always known about the importance of diaphragmatic breathing, but have never been fantastic at practising it. I also know that as a consequence of a lifetime of desk work and deadlines, I have some pretty tight neck and back muscles causing my shoulders to sit considerably closer to my ears than they should, and retaining unnecessary tension.
Later we have some practical pilates, stretches
Camp Glenorchy’s interior is constructed so that guests appreciate the outdoor environment while indoors. and breath sessions with Ferris. We can lie down and think only about breathing, counting in our heads. Imay never have felt more relaxed, peaceful, whole, and complete as I did at this time.
There are few things that make me as happy as good food prepared by someone else, and I knew I was in for a treat at Camp Glenorchy, with meals designed to nourish the body in the most exquisite way.
Our first lunch included heavenly salmon encrusted in sun-dried tomatoes, quinoa, kale, and lots of the other green things one might expect on a health-focused getaway.
Throughout the weekend we ate soba noodles, eggplant and tofu in Japanese broth, raw cheesecake, charcoal-fired chermoula chicken, a bright yellow rice noodle salad, and a tomato salad with sumac onions and roasted nuts, which I think was my favourite.
Vegan options were available with all meals. Sunday’s breakfast included a green smoothie, homemade granola, coconut yoghurt, poached rhubarb, pumpkin seed bread, and chia and boysenberry jam. I didn’t need it, but I had two helpings of almost everything.
Since building the camp, American philanthropists Debbi and Paul Brainerd have gifted it to the community, with all profits going to the Glenorchy Community Trust.