Narrative Writing Retreat

As I tip toed into the Muskoka Yoga and Wellness Retreat on the early morning of July third, my mind began racing frantically with doubts on this upcoming endeavour I was entering into. I had been feeling anxious and detached from my friends and family the weeks prior to finding the advertisement for the retreat at my local yoga studio one night. The words relaxation, recover and renewal were bolded on the sign, which immediately grasped my attention. It was fate. This discovery could not have shown itself at a better moment in my life. I took one of the flyers home that night and hung it on my bedroom wall. As the days passed, and the sign continued to stare me in the face, the more I was tempted to register. Reflecting on my negative outlook …show more content…
I placed all my belongings in the space beside my bed and got dressed for the day’s activities. Day one consisted of many introductions. All of the people participating in the retreat, along with the four retreat leaders gathered in the woods for a welcome meeting. Out of the ten participants, six women and three men, I was the youngest of the group. Normally a situation like this would intimidate me, but their selflessness and openness to the possibilities that this retreat could offer only made me feel more secure. All the participants were from Ontario, which brought about a communal sense of connection. The reasons for attending the retreat varied amongst all of us. Some came to seek tools on how to improve their physical health, some wanted to learn different meditation tools to cope with stress in their personal life, and some simply came to share their passion for Yoga practice. This intrigued me, as I felt I was here to accomplish all three of those outcomes together. With the automatic motivation and inspiration from the people I was surrounded by, I believed I could most definitely accomplish everything I wanted to and more. Motivation and inspiration were two things I was definitely lacking prior to this retreat. With the frequent stress from school and dance, I was having trouble finding those qualities. This frightened me, as locating those qualities had been so easy for me