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Setting springtime intentions at Ibiza Retreats

The amazing spring sunshine in Ibiza is warming our hearts and minds, and we can feel excitement mounting as new spring energies invite us to “get going”, to become outdoors-active, to spring-clean and to creatively arise!  With the evenings getting longer, we turn towards the light, and it feels more important to spend some time preparing ourselves for the Summer and to cultivate balance in body, heart and mind. 

So how are you going to balance this new energy infusion?  How would you like to have the tools to ride the waves of new creative impulses, both personally AND professionally?

Here is a quick 5 step “spring energy assessment” to focus your wishes, intentions and actions into a simple-fun-for-life strategy:. 

(1) List YOUR top 5 intentions – or goals – for this spring-summer season, ensuring they are positively stated and in the present tense as if you are experiencing them right now.

i.e: “I am writing a blog about healthy eating and the way that it has changed my life.”

(2) Now write down the ENERGY benefits of each of these intentions/goals; what will be the benefits for you, your life, your loved ones and your family when you are creating / achieving all of these?

i.e.: ”From writing this blog I am feeling fulfilled and focussed, purposeful and I feel I am offering the world something with meaning. It is giving me more to talk about with friends and family and I am deepening my interest in nutrition and sharing my passion for this with all those around me, which I can see is inspiring them too.”

(3) Re-read the list – and place the one at the top that will GIVE YOU the most energy, and that will keep your batteries charged.

 i.e.: “I am taking 30 minutes every morning to walk/jog and do wild yoga stretches in the park” “this is giving me clarity, focus and energises me for the day, whilst being in nature gives me a feeling of being grounded, calm and in control.  I am less reactive and feel relaxed and able to surmount the challenges of the day. I am more patient with my children and kinder to myself.”

(4) Give each of these a colour and allocate the amount of time per DAY / WEEK you can realistically give to this – whether thinking about it, feeling it or taking action on it.

i.e. “Monday – 30 mins morning walk / 30 mins evening Blog research & writing whilst children are having bed-time story with daddy”

(5) Now COLOUR your diary with the days/dates/times when you will be giving your time & energy to these intentions and goals.  This engages your subconscious mind to “block” these times for your purpose. Take a step back and double-check this

The secret is to reflect each Sunday, before the week ahead begins and to double check, as you plan your YOU-time diary for the week ahead, that everything feels realistic and compelling. It should not feel stressful or overwhelming – if it does – do less, and “be” more.  Notice any patterns of self-pressure and keep doing less until you are on track to keep doing what your body-mind-heart desires. Remember – all of this is supposed to be FUN!

JOY is the highest energy vibration which feeds itself sustainably – so check in with how you feel when planning and progressing this springtime.  Be happy!

Enjoy holistic life and energy Coaching during our HARMONISE, NOURISH and GET GLOWING RETREATS. You can also book private sessions with Ibiza Retreats Founder and Co-Director Larah Davies via SKYPE. Email info@ibizaretreats.com for details. 

ibiza yoga retreat

Springtime energy at Ibiza Retreats!

As the spring energies softly flow in, have you shaken off the last of the winter blues? Are you ready to embrace the energy of the new spring sunshine?

If you are still feeling lethargic, blocked, or in any way “not quite there” then maybe your lifestyle needs some purifying – a detox – to create fresh space in your body, your home, your life.

Our minds are constantly filtering information from our environmental surrounds.   This over-engages what we call the monkey mind and can create those “niggling” blockages and “up at night” insomnia moments, unless we have a regular, purifying internal / external clear-out.  Whatever the “stuff” is that is stuffed into that drawer, whichever emails have been sitting, gathering dust at the back of your inbox and yes – those relationships where there are still things “left unsaid” or, if YOU are needing to create inner-space, to give yourself extra focus and love, all of these components that make your life YOURS need regular attention to keep them clean, flowing and pure.

So here is a 5 step guide to clarify which parts of your life, into which you have been focussing YOUR time and energy (yep even subconsciously – this still plays a weight on your mind-body system), are creating a “pain in your neck” causing your to “carry extra weight” or have been “draining your energy”:   

(1) Fridge & Cupboards

How do you feel when you look at what you see? If you imagine eating what you are looking at, do you feel like it will BOOST or DRAIN your energy?  Anything UNDER 7-10 for energy boosting needs to go.  Your physical response is your inner-truth, it may come through as a quiet voice, physical feeling or a subtle “sense”.  And the more practice… the more your inner-wisdom can flow.

(2) Emails & Social Media

Digital detox time! Unsubscribe from anything other than what enables you to feel 7-10 GOOD to read.  News as we know it, is scripted to create “reactions” which over-stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (which is what turns our system on to fight-flight-or-freeze, mode and activates our adrenals and stimulates the production of cortisol). So if you want more clarity and calm in your life – at every level – start to set the 7-10 FILTERS, opt-OUT and unsubscribe.  Choose happy information instead!

(3) Yoga, Exercise, Outdoors-in-nature appointments

How can you up your serotonin levels most easily? Get breathing, get moving, create inner-space and focus on nourishing your “whole self”.  Get into the magical OUTDOORS as often as you can, make “nature dates” to immerse yourself in OXYGEN and to re-ionise through walking on earth rather than concrete.  Yes, even in cities, get to the parks to embalm yourself with calming colour green from trees, lawns and beautiful beds of flowers to help you feel more serene.

(4) Wardrobe & Home

How many pieces of exquisite design have you picked up at sales that “don’t quite fit” or just simply don’t feel 100% right?  Apply the 7/10 rule – beginning with your wardrobe to declutter clothes, shoes and accessories and then continue throughout your home interiors.  keepsakes, and knick-knacks all take up head-space, albeit it subconsciously to ensure that everything that you surround yourself with is doing its job, to help you feel GOOD energetically and emotionally.

(5) Social relationships

Are your friendships bringing you the warmth, love and support that feels good for you this year? If there are any that are NOT, then for BOTH of your wellbeing, isn’t it better to be clear?  Choose to spend time with those with whom you can be yourself and truly shine.  Then you can be sustainable radiators for each other and enhance each others’ state of body, soul and mind!

So is it time to choose to step up and spring-clean your lifestyle? It is all about “tuning in” and checking in with how you “feel” on a scale of 1 – 10. It really is that simple… and fun once you have begun!  You can also invite a friend to come and help you keep reality-checked and the more your practice, the more slick and super-fun your life-flow will become.

Like this ? Want to experience more… join us on an inspiring, transformational retreat this spring-time in Ibiza and feel an amazing energy boost – we begin each retreat with holistic energy coaching to detox your lifestyle and encounter new and amazing ways to magically upgrade your newly re-energised-life!

vegan curry

Comfort food for the Heart and Soul

 

What do you think of when people talk about ‘comfort food?’

Is it a retro-type dish from your childhood, something like eggs, chips and beans, or a pile of buttery mash with sausages and gravy? Is it traditional fish and chips or a Sunday Roast? Or maybe something sweeter like sticky toffee pudding, or apple crumble and custard?

As people become ever more nutritionally aware and more in-tune with the benefits of healthy and balanced eating, then the concept of what constitutes ‘comfort food’ is also changing.

We’ve had a longer and harsher than usual Winter here in Ibiza, and cosy comfort food has been a hot topic of conversation! As more time has been spent curled up in front of fires, the desire for comfort food has been greater than ever, BUT – with the over-indulgent Christmas period a distant memory and Spring just around the corner, healthy eating is also back to the top of the agenda.

This gorgeous Vegan Balti recipe is a perfect example of healthy, hearty comfort eating, that will fuel your body, feed your soul and leave you feeling brimful of satisfaction.

With powerhouse spices, turmeric and cayenne pepper for added anti-oxidant goodness to help fight off Winter colds, and peppers, coriander, garam masala and cardamon for that authentic Balti flavour, this vegan curry hits all the right notes and is super-simple to make too!

vegan curry

This delicious recipe is from Lisa Strong, of Strong4Life Nutrition. Lisa is a Retreat chef and Nutritional Advisor from our very own Ibiza Retreats family.

Come and experience Lisa’s fabulous hearty and nourishing food on our Rejuvenate and Get Glowing retreats this Summer.

Check out our full Retreat Calendar here.

Lisa Strong’s Vegan Balti

2 teaspoons coconut oil

½ tsp turmeric

¼ Tsp cinnamon

½ Tsp sweet paprika

½ Tsp cayenne pepper

1 can of chopped tomatoes

Half a lime juiced

1 ½ cups water

¼ tsp Palm sugar

Handful coriander

Red pepper, sliced thinly

Green pepper, sliced thinly

Pack of Tempeh (or Tofu)

¼ Tsp Garam masala

½ Tsp Coriander seeds (or powder)

Seeds from 2 cardamon pods

1 red onion, diced

1 inch ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped

½ tsp salt

Heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat add peppers and cook for around 3-4 minutes, then remove & set aside. Add tempeh & garam masala to same pan cook for 3 -4 minutes and set aside.

Heat remaining oil add the seeds for 3 mins until fragrant then add onion, garlic, ginger & ¼ tsp salt. Cook until onion is translucent stir occasionally around 12 minutes. Then add turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne & tinned tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are slightly saucy around 3-4 mins.

Combine the onion tomato mixture in blender with ½ cup of the water with the lime juice and blend until smooth. Add the sauce, remaining water, palm sugar & salt to the pan with the tempeh and peppers and simmer down for around 20 minutes. Garnish with Coriander…. Tastes even better the day after.

I serve mine with quinoa.

Enjoy

Love Lise xx

 

 

 

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Retreat to Imagine your dreams into reality

 

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When you are amidst the challenges and responsibilities of daily life, how often to set aside “me time” to purely rest, be and dream?

Why is it that, so often, we put dreaming “last” on our to do lists?

As the medical world is beginning to recognise, due to all the functional illnesses presenting themselves, such as anxiety, insomnia and depression, these all have similar “symptoms” but no “root cause” that can be medically diagnosed.  Yet finally, modern medicine is beginning to hold hands with mental health professionals and yoga therapists who are collectively recognising that our over-active minds have been seriously stressing our holistic human systems.  From our schooling to parenting, to climbing the career ladder, we have been over-conditioned to “make things happen” and “get things done” – we have been programming ourselves to “succeed” materially, even if it pulls out of a positive life state, places pressure on our vital organs, sets our adrenals into overdrive.

 

We need to remember how to be like children more often… living from moment to moment, giving ourselves space to play, to have natural, stimulant free fun, which relaxes our whole system and creates the space for us to dream. Not only does this child-like space connect you to a higher-energetic frequency where you are feeling so good that you CAN you’re your mind and believe in new and better possibilities, this higher life state is one of infinite potential, connected to the third-eye and crown chakras, it also is the space of the “dreamer” within you who KNOWS that life can be colourful, magical and full of divine interventions.  It is in the dream-state that you are most open to the power of your heart’s intentions – to God or Spirit or Source guided INSPIRATION.

 

The value of dreaming (when you are awake!) is that it literally, opens your mind to allow your deeper desires and wishes to arise.  They may come as visions, inner-voices, or subtle senses of what you truly wish your life to be like.  And the caterpillar – chrysalis – butterfly metamorphosis demonstrates YOUR power to transform yourself and your life by dreaming:

 

The caterpillars new cells are called ‘imaginal cells.’ They resonate at a different frequency. They are so totally different from the caterpillar cells that his immune system thinks they are enemies…and gobbles them up–Chomp! Gulp! But these new imaginal cells continue to appear. More and more of them! Pretty soon, the caterpillar’s immune system cannot destroy them fast enough. More and more of the imaginal cells survive. And then an amazing thing happens! The little tiny lonely imaginal cells start to clump together, into friendly little groups. They all resonate together at the same frequency, passing information from one to another. Then, after awhile, another amazing thing happens! The clumps of imaginal cells start to cluster together!.., A long string of clumping and clustering imaginal cell, all resonating at the same frequency, all passing information from one to another there inside the chrysalis.”

 

“A wave of Good News travels throughout the system– Lurches and heaves…but not yet a butterfly.” Then at some point, the entire long string of imaginal cells suddenly realizes all together that it is Something Different from the caterpillar. Something New! Something Wonderfull!….and in that realisation is the shout of the birth of the butterfly!”                                              Happy Birthday Butterfly!!!

 

From Nora Huddles Book – BUTTERFLY

 

Dreaming is the secret to ongoing conscious transformation, to remaining connected to your  deeper wishes and soul-journey, to walking your true “path” in life, to giving space to allow your heart-felt needs to make themselves seen, sensed and heard. Dreaming for me, having just returned from a magical Ulpotha retreat, in emerald Sri Lankan nature, became as valuable as the yoga, the meditations, the kirtans, the incredible massages and ayurvedic treatments.   It unlocked my imagination. It reconnected me to the higher vibrations of truly believing (again) in my life as work of magical art – full of infinite creative possibility. I came away from the retreat ready to reconnect with my life in Ibiza, full of new energy and lightness. I felt like I was resonating with the beauty and open-ended possibilities of life. I felt excited about ALL that the future had in store – childlike, joyful and free.

 

So come on wonderful people, amidst these times of change and TRUMP, of Syria and the ongoing refugee crisis, this year, dare to spread your wings.

 

Put your dreams first! Life is calling you to live your TRUE colours more than ever before.

Become a butterfly in 2017….  Invoke your own IMAGINAL CELLS by joining us on retreat in Ibiza, nourishing your imaginal frequency by taking time OUT to tune in, rest, rejuvenate and dream!

ibiza yoga retreat

February is the new January!

 

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‘New Year – New You’. How many times have we heard or seen that phrase? The idea that once the clock strikes midnight, we don’t actually turn into a pumpkin, yet we do suddenly leave behind all our ‘bad’ habits and become a new person overnight…

Statistics show that 75% of people break their resolutions just one week into them. So, how about a different approach? Now January is over and many of us might feel like we’ve failed already, let’s start again. You can make positive changes at any time and it’s even easier when the pressure is off! February is the new January.

So as I’m on my own retreat and taking time to reflect on the year past – practising gratitude for all that I’ve learnt and how I’ve grown – and the many blessings in my life, I’m still making that resolution to make big changes. And I’ve been in this business a long time now! I know that setting huge, unrealistic goals is like setting ourselves up for failure. So this time, I’ve changed the way that I look at my resolutions / promises to myself / life commitments at the turn of this year. And here are some top tips I’ve learnt along the way from my own experience and also from some of the incredibly wise souls that I’m lucky enough to meet on my path.

  • Make your Resolutions En-JOY-able.
  • Avoid negative language like “Stop doing X” or “Don’t do Y”. Make your resolutions something you can look forward to doing – make them more positively focused, with the emphasis on the outcome.
  • Sleep More!
    Research shows that as a population, most of us don’t get enough sleep. And sleep is so important for not only our appearance, but also the regeneration of our organs, our memory and also our nervous system. So allow yourself to lie-in when you need to and don’t feel guilty about taking a nap!
  • Travel More!
    There is nothing more inspiring that taking a life adventure. New places, people and experiences can help us to get out of any ‘ruts’ that we’ve been sitting in, in ‘comfortable discomfort’. Feel rejuvenated and replenished by saving for, planning and going on a trip – discovery and learning is great for the mind, body and spirit!
  • A daily practise!
    This is probably the most important piece of post-retreat advice we give. Take time daily to connect to yourself. We are so quick to get up, pick up our phones or switch on the TV and get out of the door, that we forget the most important thing – a daily connection to ourselves and our body, mind and spirit. Just taking the time in the morning to sit, breath and listen to yourself can change you whole day. If you feel under particular stress, then take the time to acknowledge what’s making you feel stressed, tap into your intuition and then set your intention for the day ahead. Often just imagining yourself fully protected and safe, before you go and give your energy away to the outside world, can be incredibly powerful. Even better if you have time to do a yoga practise!
    (Psst! Watch out for our new February newsletter, where we will be including bite-sized yoga sequences and guided meditations and visualisations every week.)
  • Create a vision board!
    This is basically a great excuse to get a load of magazines, photos, words and colours that inspire you and to get the creative juices flowing. We like to use as much glitter and fairy dust as possible! If you’re inspired and would like more information on how to create your own vision board, then feel free to email us at info@ibizaretreats.com – or of course you could always join us for a retreat. You can see our full schedule here – https://www.ibizaretreats.com/retreat-calendar.

Gently does it, be kind and take it one day at a time. Happy New Year.

Namaste…

Susie x