Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Time Away

Last weekend I actually got a mini 4 day vacation without my kids and or my hubby. I wasn’t sure it was going to be possible at the first of the year but I pulled it off. I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to spend 24 hours with a dear friend and her family and then 3 days at Renee Trudeau’s Refresh, Renew and Re-balance retreat at Kripalu. It was absolutely heavenly but as I headed out on Thursday morning, I found myself full of mixed emotions. It was the first time I’d ever left my 14 month old and as most moms do, I felt guilty about leaving her and her brother who I knew would be fine but I still worried would she be okay without me…which is comical now as I don’t think she missed a beat. But in that moment, I must admit it was a little tough to leave which is so not like me.

And while I had my heart strings tugging when I pulled away, I was also extremely excited to finally have a few days of freedom!!!. My husband and I have always tried to take at least one trip a year without our kids but we didn’t get to do it last year with a new born, breastfeeding, etc. And I haven’t been away with girlfriends or on a retreat in years so this time was really special to me. And while I knew I needed some overdue rest and time to unplug, I had no idea how tired (literally exhausted and worn out) I really was. And when I arrived at Kripalu with excitement and anticipation….I’d never been there before and a deep desire to slow down, take in all the beautiful landscapes it provides being tucked into the Berkshire mountains and most importantly just rest and relax I had to make some conscious choices to do just that. The messages and the exercises at the retreat helped me and supported me in listening to my body and taking care of me. It provided opportunities to reflect, dream and just enjoy the moments of stillness and quiet. It provided new opportunities like Yoga Dance which I had never heard of but absolutely loved, I explored nature and went on hikes with some of the moms I met and also alone. As a true extrovert, I found it interesting that I really craved a lot of alone time. I guess with giving so much to my children and all that I do with clients, friends, family, etc……I just needed some downtime too.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and very much needed and deserved. And with being away, it reminded me once again the importance of time for ourselves and how it truly does help shift my perspective and re-energize me. Not only has it helped me be more patient, more understanding and more loving towards everyone in my family, I’ve found myself saying more I “CAN” do things I want to do vs. being bummed because I “can't”. And while a weekend away was great, and I highly recommend it if you can, I’m also looking to incorporate just a few hours a week where I get time alone to do something I want and enjoy. Maybe it’s more walks/runs outside or making my exercise a priority every day, maybe it means hiring a baby sitter to go to dinner with friends or taking a book and reading outside or at a coffee shop but definitely making an effort to take a break from the norm and re-energize.

How about you, do you ever get time away? Do you make it a priority or find excuses why it can’t happen? Want to join me in being creative on how we CAN give ourselves time away, even if briefly more often?

Let me know how I can help…..I truly believe if there is a will there is a way and You can do it too!

Cheers,
Angela

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