Breathing, boundaries and bowls - tales from a Loving Kindness retreat
This week I hosted my first ever Loving Kindness retreat in Denmark at The Floating Forest. I have to say it exceeded my expectations. The location was a dream, the group of women were inspiring and the lessons learned were heartfelt. I’ve already booked the location for next year, so please get in touch if you are interested.
The theme for the retreat was “Loving Kindness.” It’s a practice rooted in Buddhist tradition that focuses on cultivating unconditional love and compassion towards oneself and others. This powerful technique can help transform our inner world, leading to greater peace, happiness, and emotional resilience.
A typical day on the retreat went like this:
Wake up to the sounds of birds and trees. Most people had their own chalets and could make the most of a slow, quiet morning.
At 8.30 we’d gather for a walk amongst the trees.
Then at 10.30 we’d meet in the main house for Loving Kindness meditation, a discussion and morning tea.
After some rest time we’d meet again for lunch. I did all the cooking and prepared these delicious nourish bowls.
Then more downtime followed by an afternoon group activity with afternoon tea.
Finally we’d meet for dinner and have deep conversations with a lot of laughter (and a few tears).
I know it sounds simple, but it was magic.
We finished the retreat by having lunch at a winery in Denmark and I asked everyone what they would take away with them from the retreat. A couple of people said they would create some better boundaries in their life. More than one person said they want to carve time out like this for themselves regularly. A few people said they wanted to practice breath work to keep themselves calm. And a few of us (me included) said we wanted to eat more nourish bowls!
While we were away I saw this post on Instagram and it sums up what true rest is.
I think we all need more rest than we currently get, and I have witnessed more than once the power of switching off completely on retreat. When I got back I spoke to one of my Bali retreat guests and she said even 2 months later she still feels more relaxed than normal.
I have many types of retreats available from the 1-day experience, to the 3 night Denmark retreat, to 7 nights in Bali. As you start to think about 2025, perhaps it’s the year you’ll finally take time out for yourself? All my current retreat info is here, in case you need some inspo!
Free Menopause Health talk
Friday was World Menopause Day and I was asked to present a talk about menopause health for a large organisation in town.
It went so well that I decided I’d like to offer it to the general public.
This free talk is on Saturday 16th November at 11.30am at the Albany Public Library. Spots are limited so please book in today if you are interested. Click here to get one of the tickets.
Yoga
Most of my yoga classes are sold out for term 4 but there are still spots in my Wednesday class starting on the 23rd October.
This class in term 4 is so beautiful because there is an amazing view of the harbour and Albany as the sun sets.
You can book your spot at emmapolette.com/classes
Pause - one day yoga retreat
Excited to say I’ve got one more one-day retreat in the diary for 2024. This one is dedicated to anyone going through the menopause transition.
People who are worried about what perimenopause may bring
People suffering from symptoms like hot flushes and brain fog
People who are post-menopausal and want to learn to take care of themselves in this new phase of life
This retreat will include yoga, meditation and some mini-workshops about managing menopause. Lunch & afternoon tea is supplied.
When: Sunday 1st December 10 - 4
Where: King River Hall
Tickets: 6 spots - $185