Reflecting back on my Te Atawhai wellness retreat, the quote “you can’t change what’s going on around you until you start changing what is going on inside you” feels so much more poignant to me now.

Life is life and as creatures of habit, we all surge forward from one situation to the next without much pause for thought and a retreat becomes that opportunity to escape and seek refuge from the daily routine. It’s a chance to gain a fresh perspective on life and that’s exactly what Te Atawhai did for me. At first glance four days did not appear to be enough time for any sort of seismic shift to occur but that’s exactly what it did. Te Atawhai refocused my complete outlook on life using three core principles; Nuture, Nourish and Thrive.

Here’s how….

Nurture
That time away, that long walk, reflection, yoga stretches, spiritual mindfulness and a resistance training class was all part of the mix.  I am now focused on including at least one of these elements in my daily life.  I’ve  re-introduced the fact that I am not an “also ran”, I am important.   Nurturing myself can and does make me a better person across all the varied facets of my life – mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and digital marketing business owner.  Can this be seen by others after 6 weeks?  Yes! I have been visiting a NSP practitioner for many years and she noticed the shift immediately, although was unaware that I had attended a wellness retreat.  Her comments were “You are grounded and centred in the present – there is a definite change at many levels. What have you done?”

Nourish
Feed yourself, enjoy the experience of nourishing your body but don’t sweat the small stuff, apply the 80 20 rule.  It sounds so simple but it works and guess what, there is some weight loss as well (whoo hoo).  I am using my cooking as a “post work”therapy.  Instead of grabbing a prepared tinned sauce, I now have a thriving herb garden.  I buy whole foods and prepare from scratch.  Does it take longer to cook?  Maybe a little but I am nourishing myself and my family for a better future.  My children are delighted and think I should return to Te Atawhai for more “cooking lessons”!! 6 weeks on, I am being asked about what I have done to myself as my skin has changed.
Nourishing yourself from within is a blessing and the external results are a bonus!

Thrive
6 weeks on.  As the wheel of life turns and changes on a daily basis, I am refreshed, regenerated and refuelled ready to embark on new daily life adventures.
A huge thank you to Rebecca and Sherryll for kick-starting this life shift and to Annah for encouraging me (perhaps encouraging isn’t quite the word) to give it a go.  The Journey has been liberating!

– Cathy Mellett.