Retreat vs. Vacation — What’s the difference?

The most frequently asked question about the Yoga, Meditation and chanting retreat in Soglio Switzerland is “what is the difference between a retreat and a vacation?”  With three years of Soglio retreats, we now respond to that question with quotes from our retreat participants…

  “We came home from the Soglio retreat feeling strong and fit — better than ever before,” and

  “Because of your retreat in Soglio, we took home a new set of skills that improved our daily life,  personally and professionally.” 

 How many times have you come home from a vacation, needing a vacation?  You tried to squeeze everything in, and didn’t want to miss anything.  It actually happened to us one too many times.  We saw all the sights, drank the wine, shipped the purchases home, gained weight and were so wound up, that, back home, it took us several days to recover.  What we thought was going to provide the window of time to catch our breath that we so desperately needed, instead, brought us home even more revved up and worn thread bare.  So,  

Before planning our next time away, we gave a lot of thought to what we wanted – actually needed – to experience, in order to come home feeling inspired, refreshed, renewed and strong.  Listed below is our 10 musts.  Because, after a long search, we weren’t able to find anything on offer that met all 10 – we decided to create just such a respite, five years ago…thus the 4^th annual Soglio yoga, meditation, chanting and hiking retreat.

1)     Surrounded by pristine beauty of nature

2)     Sound interrupting silence rather than silence interrupting sound

3)     Away from the beaten path – non-glitz, non-touristy, non-grabbing

4)     An opportunity to learn tools and lifestyle skills to take back home

5)     A connection with the local people – to feel part of rather than separate

6)     Delicious healthy, organic food, representative of the region

7)     Many forms of exercise, to include breathing, stretching, hiking, swimming

8)   Non-stressed adventures into gardens,  village markets, cafes and architecture

9)     A daily rhythm that balances down time, time alone & connecting

10)  Relaxed, awestruck and filled with gratitude to the Source of each breath  

 The essence of this Soglio retreat is – putting humpty dumpty back together again.  We actually come home fitter, weighing quite a bit less (despite eating alot) and with a whole new expanded family from around the globe.  Each year we hear the most amazing stories and jokes, we exchange favorite recipes, quotes, songs – we open our hearts to each other and the experience.  The last day, we part, with promises of keeping in touch – and we do. 

And, instead of going home feeling exhausted from the frantic pace, and discouraged by the bursting seams, and dreading our first day back at work —  we go home from the Soglio retreat rested, full of vigor and inspired to bring our best, most balanced self and offering to our family, friends and colleagues.

 Early bird discount will save you $50 off the cost of the retreat if you register no later than May 15, 2009  Registration is easy at www.shapingsound.com

  We’re interested to hear your take on retreat vs vacation?  What ten ingrediants are top priority for you?

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