True Self Nurturing: Wellness Sabbatical Retreats

In my May blog “mothering ourselves” I stressed the tendency of society to applaud overworking and the high cost we pay when we live trying to meet the expectations of work and our relationships. According to recent research, most individuals in the USA work a minimum of 55 hours a week. And we need to consider that most also endure a long work commute before getting back home to continue working on household and family responsibilities.

Here are some interesting statistics regarding the impact of living up to others’ expectations in our lives. For instance, research has shown that working more than 55 hours a week can lead to increased risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and premature death. The mental health cost is even higher. According to a 2020 report from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, 1 in 4 Americans have a diagnosed mental health disorder.

Conversely, research has shown that people who take time off live longer, are happier and their work is more productive and of a higher quality. As health care costs increase exponentially, we are beginning to see a shift towards preventing ill-health.

Out of the need to balance the pursuit of wellness and the need to work, a new trend called wellness sabbatical retreats has been born. The modern use of the word “sabbatical” is used to describe time away from the traditional work environment that is used to recharge and pursue personal passions.

Initially, most sabbatical retreats were reserved for elite clientele, and now there are options to fit most budgets. A sabbatical wellness retreat is ideally a 21-day experience in the right environment that will help you to focus on nurturing yourself and finding balance for long enough to help you change your patterns.

What sabbatical retreats offer is a combination of some of the elements below, which have been proven to help restore your physical, mental and emotional balance and health:

• Returning to nature (retreats are most often conducted in beautiful natural settings)

• Movement and exercise options such as yoga

• Alternative healing methods such as Shamanic Healing

• Body massages

• Settings that induce healthy sleep

• Healthy food

• Meditation

My good friend Vivienne O’Keeffe created a self-directed wellness retreat, called Tofino Hummingbird Cottage, in the beautiful coastal marine landscape of Tofino, Canada. Tofino Hummingbird Cottage’s grounds are ideal for meditation, listening to the sound of the surf, the whisper of wind through the cedars and the sounds of eagles, ospreys, and songbirds.

The healing energies of Tofino Hummingbird Cottage are intensified by lapis lazuli and smoky quartz, which have been embedded into the foundation and interior walls, as they give off soothing, calming and rejuvenating energies. The bedrooms were designed with black-out draperies to support the body’s circadian rhythm in providing deep and restorative sleep. One of the bedrooms turns into a working office with excellent Wi-Fi.

Although Tofino Hummingbird Cottage does not directly provide wellness therapies, Vivienne sourced local talented service providers of traditional therapies such as massage therapy, yoga, meditation and hypnotherapy. These specialists’ contact information is provided to guests, so that services are just a phone call away.

Vivienne also procures nonconventional healing methods options for her guests. I provide online healing shamanic sessions and, if what you are looking for is a deep transformative experience, I will create a virtual individualized shamanic healing journey for us to work on together over three to seven days. I highly recommend a seven-day experience for you to have the full benefit.

For more information about Tofino Hummingbird Cottage https://tofinohummingbirdcottage.ca/ and for pricing and availability https://tofinohummingbirdcottage.ca/booking/

With my deepest love,

Elizabeth Alanis

Tofino Hummingbird Cottage, Tofino, BC.

Solsticio de Verano

El 20 de junio de 2021, celebramos el solsticio de verano en el hemisferio norte. Este es el día más largo y la noche más corta del año. El significado espiritual y energético del solsticio de verano es honrar y aprovechar las energías sagradas del Sol. Esas energías son fuego, luz, pasión y creatividad que nos ayudan a manifestar nuestros sueños.

Durante el Solsticio de Invierno hicimos un viaje interior para liberar, sanar y soñar con lo que queríamos crear en nuestro próximo ciclo de vida. Ahora las energías del Solsticio de Verano nos motivan a dar los pasos necesarios para manifestar los sueños que plantamos durante el solsticio de invierno.

Este es el momento para que nos alineemos con la naturaleza, que está nutriendo a su nueva descendencia, enfocándonos en los deseos y sueños más importantes y en lo que debemos hacer para darles vida. En este proceso, es importante que nuestra intensión no se genere desde el ego -energía masculina- para lograr metas, sino de nuestro corazón -una energía femenina- y sus deseos más profundos.

Cuando somos guiados desde nuestro corazón y nos atrevemos a soñar libremente lo que queremos llegar a ser y la vida que nuestro corazón desea vivir, toda la vida se beneficia por ello y experimentamos una profunda satisfacción. Cuando creamos a partir de la energía masculina para el logro de metas, podemos obtener lo que queremos, pero nos brindará una satisfacción de corta duración y a un gran costo para nuestra salud y nuestras relaciones.

Para recibir la ayuda máxima de las energías del Solsticio de Verano, es importante prepararnos con un deseo e intención claras que venga de nuestro corazón de lo nuevo que queremos crear.

Si no lo has hecho todavía, tómate un tiempo para estar en la naturaleza contigo mismo y pídele a tu corazón que sueñe el nuevo tú y tu nueva vida. Las siguientes preguntas pueden ayudarte:

• ¿Qué patrones quieres transformar?

• ¿Qué quieres experimentar en su lugar?

• ¿Cuáles son los sueños que tuviste cuando eras joven que dejaste a un lado por los aspectos prácticos de la vida?

Tómate el tiempo para soñar y visualizar lo que quieres y no permitas que el “cómo” limite tu visión. Escríbelo y pide que se le revelen los pasos. Lo más importante es que tengas un sueño o deseo claro en el que te concentrarás. Luego, realizar una ceremonia durante el solsticio de verano te ayudara a encender tu corazón con la pasión del fuego, a enfocar tu energía comprometiéndote con tu sueño más deseado, y abriendo el campo de ideas y pasos a seguir para su manifestación.

Ceremonia del Solsticio de Verano

Que necesitas:

• Tu sueño/deseo más deseado escrito en un hermoso papel

• Un altar sencillo, lo imprescindible son: una vela, un recipiente pequeño con agua, flores o plantas, y cualquier otro objeto que sea sagrado para ti.

• Una hoja de papel y bolígrafo o rotuladores, colores, etc.

Ceremonia del Solsticio de Verano

El día del Solsticio de Verano prepara tu altar, enciende tu vela y llama a las energías del Sagrado Sol a esta ceremonia. Honra estas energías reconociéndolas en tu vida y en el mundo. En una hoja de papel escribe hasta tres cosas que te comprometes a transformar en ti, para ser la persona que necesitas ser para experimentar la nueva vida que deseas. Un ejemplo podría ser que explorarás las verdaderas raíces de tu enojo y aprenderás formas de manejarla apropiadamente. Una vez que hayas escrito este compromiso, escribe hasta tres acciones que tomarás en esa dirección. Expresa estas intenciones en voz alta y pide las bendiciones del Espíritu del Sol y el apoyo que necesitas.

Cierra tu ceremonia dando gracias y toma los papeles con sus intenciones, las cosas que te comprometes a transformar, y las acciones que tomarás en el altar y exprésalas en voz alta al menos una vez al día hasta que se completen. Esta ceremonia simple pero poderosa del Solsticio de Verano que impulsará y mantendrá tu energía para crear la nueva vida que deseas.

Sería un gran placer escuchar tus experiencias con esta ceremonia y apoyarte en el proceso de creación de tu nueva vida. Por favor no dudes en contactarme: loveintowholeness@gmail.com

Con todo mi amor y mis mejores deseos,

Elizabeth Alanis

Summer Solstice

On June 20th, 2021, in the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrate the Summer Solstice. This is the longest day and shortest night of the year. The spiritual and energetic significance of the Summer Solstice is honoring and tapping into the energies of the Sacred Grandfather Sun. Those energies are fire, light, passion, and creativity which help us to manifest our dreams.

During the Winter Solstice, we traveled inwards working on releasing, healing and dreaming what we wanted to create in our next life cycle. Now the Summer Solstice energies motivate us to take the steps needed to manifest the dreams we planted as seeds during the Winter Solstice. This is the time for us to align with nature which is tending to the new offspring, by focusing on the most important desires and dreams and what we need to do to bring them to life.

In this process, it is important for us to not come from an ego-driven-masculine energy- to achieve goals, but rather from our heart -a feminine energy- and its deepest desires. When we are guided from our heart, our dreams of what we want to become, and the life our heart desires to live, all of life benefits from it and we experience deep satisfaction. When we create from the masculine goal achievement energy, we may obtain what we want but it will bring us short-lived satisfaction and at great cost to our health and relationships.

To receive the most help from the energies of the Summer Solstice, it is important to prepare ourselves with a clear desire and intention from our heart about the new we want to create. If you have not done so, take time to be in nature by yourself and ask your heart to dream the new you and the new life.

• What patterns are you wanting to transform?

• What do you want to experience instead?

• What are the dreams you had as a young person that were put aside for the practicalities of life?

Take time to dream and visualize what you want and don’t allow the how to limit your vision. Write it down and ask that the steps are revealed to you. The most important thing is that you have a clear dream or desire that you will focus on.

Then holding a ceremony during the Summer Solstice helps you ignite your heart with the passion of fire, to focus your energy by committing to your most desired dream, and with opening the field of ideas and steps to take for its manifestation.

Holding your Summer Solstice Ceremony

The day of the Summer Solstice set up your altar, light your candle and call the energies of the Sacred Grandfather Sun to this ceremony. Honor these energies by acknowledging them in your life and the world. On a piece of paper write up to three things that you are committing to transform in you, to the be the person you need to be to experience the new life you want. An example could be that you will explore the real roots of your anger and will learn ways to manage it appropriately. Once you have written this commitment, write up to three actions you will take in that direction.

Speak these intentions aloud and ask for the blessings of the Spirit of Grandfather Sun and the support that you need. Close your ceremony by giving gratitude and have the papers with your intentions, things you are committing to transform and actions you will take on the altar and speak them aloud at least once daily until they are completed.

This is a simple yet powerful Summer Solstice ceremony that will propel and sustain your energy in creating the new life you desire.

It would be a great pleasure to hear your experiences with this ceremony and to be of support to you in the process of creating your new life. Please feel free to contact me: loveintowholeness@gmail.com.

All my love and best wishes,

Elizabeth Alanis