Review: Love, Peace and Stillness Meditation Retreat

I signed up to this Udemy course at half price as it was on special, and never regretted a moment of it. Created by Teagan Fea of the Bodhi Connection, these meditation exercises provide an easy, accessible introduction to meditation itself. And no, it does not cost $1500, unlike some other types of meditation courses.

Find this retreat here on Udemy 

What's great about this course?

The meditation audios can be downloaded to your computer as mp3s, which means they can be loaded onto a portable device, so you can meditate anywhere and anytime you desire! 

The content of the accompanying notes is great. I discovered that I have a blocked root chakra, and now am more mindful of this. These notes are concise, and full of good information. 

All of the audios last between 14-19 minutes, which means you do not have to sit for very long. Great for a meditation newbie! 

What's in the course? 

Without giving away too much, this course takes you through the basics of meditation, and then walks you through different types of meditation focuses, including chakra exploration, and connecting with the divine feminine and masculine. 

What could be better? 

Teagan speaks a little too slowly in the first few audios, which makes my mind wander sometimes, but the pace does pick up towards the end. A small thing really, and it helps me sharpen up my concentration skills.

All in all 

I really, really enjoyed this course. I've tried very hard to get into meditation and have had a difficult time, until I found this. It's not expensive, and you can listen to it as many times as you need. I still have much to improve on, so will be repeating this retreat a few more times. Every meditation session has made me feel calmer, clearer and more open. You should try it! 

Till Nov 23, Udemy is having a sale on ALL its courses. Use the redemption code BLACKFRIDAY. Savings drop 3% every day until Nov 23. 

The Yoga Retreat Closest to Home

I've been feeling like I needed to get away for awhile, and longed so much to go to a yoga retreat. I went once to the Ghost Hill Road Retreat on one of the yoga detox packages and it was ah-may-zing. Beautiful scenes, delicious catered vegetarian food every day, fresh breakfast using home grown vegies and herbs...

After wallowing in self-pity for a bit, I had the lightbulb moment:

The home yoga retreat! 

In fact, it's not hard to create a yoga retreat at home, particularly if you are someone who lives alone. It will cost about 10% of the cost of going to an actual retreat, and you can do it all year long!

Suggested home retreat ideas: 

• DIY pamper session once a week. Light some candles, dim the lights, and have a warm, relaxing bath. Follow it with indulgent body butters like the Natio Meditate range.
  
• Do a yoga session a day, even for 30 minutes. If you're familiar with yoga and can work your own routine, then do this. Otherwise, check out inspiration on The Yoga Journal or yoga videos. My current favourite is Kundalini Yoga with Maya Fiennes: A Journey Through the Seven Chakras.
  
• Squeeze in 30 minutes of meditation daily. It's really not a lot, and there are many kinds to be explored. I'm currently in the process of checking out the Transcendental Meditation method.
  
• Go for a walk 2-3 times a week. Take a new route to the supermarket, or drive to your nearest regional park. I'm lucky enough to live by the beach... once on my walks, I saw this and it made my day.
  Envious much? 
  
• No take out food, no junk food. Prepare all meals yourself and enjoy the process!

Hope you find some benefit to establishing your own yoga retreat. Any more ideas to add?