A message from Greta - why I love what I do.
I’m really passionate about ways in which we can be more skilful in preserving a sense of wellbeing; to function better, feel better, make space for ourselves and generally live a healthier, happier life.
We are all of us under constant siege; the general hustle and bustle of life, work, family dynamics the bombardment of news and that feeling that we can never BE or Do quite enough. Exhausting.
Sadly it is all too easy to put ourselves at the bottom of the dreaded to-do list, if we get on it at all! We can even feel a tinge of guilt at the thought of taking ourselves off life’s conveyor belt even for an hour or two, let alone a weekend.
Booking yourself on a retreat may seem like an indulgence, but for me it is a necessity and has become a treasured tradition. A retreat allows me to re-set – invite a bit more blue sky and feel that I’m not powerless to make a change. I’m a better teacher for retreating and crucially my family all feel the benefit – so they tell me!
It is the kind of concentrated experience that leaves you glowing and rejuvenated far beyond the sum total of the days you are away. This was a mind-blowing discovery for me. I first took myself off a decade ago, on my own, at a particularly tumultuous time in my life when I had lost all sense of myself.
I was a little scared – out of my comfort zone, but I felt secure in my yoga teacher and the destination and was not too far from home. What was sure, was I really needed to meet myself, reflect and disconnect from a life that had started to feel joyless. My wheels were seriously starting to fall off.
Since that time, I haven’t looked back, I still know in every cell of my body the value of that first retreat– where I had space held for ME – where there were fewer distractions so that I could reflect and ultimately begin the process of editing a life that was more nourishing and less depleting.
It was a bonus to meet like-minded people, to laugh, share stories to engage with good habits and ultimately re-cover a sunnier perspective, to feel healthy and strong again.
Since that first retreat I have become braver adding exciting far-flung destinations – a little winter Indian sun is always welcome, but that first little weekend retreat was in truth no less powerful.
At the time, it felt like the best kind of medicine. disconnecting from what felt like a slightly broken life – to feel held by people skilled in holding space.
Nourishing body and mind should be everyone’s priority, it is quite simply the antidote to the stresses and distractions of our modern life, if keeps us safe and it allows us to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs.
So here I am, some years later, having now held the space for many people on their own retreat experiences, people from all walks of life, ages, life journeys, but all with one thing in common, that they have taken the step to invite a quality window of time into their lives.
A little time to immerse in wellbeing practices, in nature and to connect with other like-minded people. It’s an essential step in the ‘light’ direction when you ring-fence some proper time to yourself.
As I treasure my own time to nourish myself, I also treasure the times when I can now hold space for those wanting to recover a little of themselves. There’s nothing more hear-warming than seeing the transformative effects of a retreat un-folding right in front of you. The shine in everyone’s eyes by the end is almost dazzling.
It’s one of the reasons I love what I do.
Greta x
Greta co-hosts with Lucy at the Flow annual UK weekend retreats:
Summer Jam - 28 - 30 June 2024
Yoga Jam - 24 -26 January 2025
She also runs regular immersive workshops throughout the year. See Experiences for details.
Greta teaches weekly classes in London at Triyoga and other studios.
You can discover more about Greta here - Greta on Insta!
