It’s been a cold second since my last retreat. 2 years in a row it was cancelled due to Covid. Usually, I do one of these longer type camping retreats every year because I know how valuable they are, and I just enjoy them. I already spend more time in nature than the average person, but being totally immersed in it for a longer period of time is so beneficial on your health, wellbeing, and growth.
Usually, in these longer trips I have some major focus. Like one year I ate just ate bananas for the entirety of the trip (just to see the role of food in my life). Another trip, I meditated for close to 7/8 hours a day. On this trip I decided to be free to just be.
Being was the main focus, not doing. The phone was turned to airplane mode, I would not use it at all, but once in a while I like to take some photos and that’s my camera.
So why being?
We are always doing. I wrote about this in my book in the realization section, called do do head. Basically, if you take a look at your own life, much of the time your mind is making you do something, because it’s uncomfortable doing nothing. Even if you go on vacation, you have to go and do stuff, or you feel like your missing out and wasting time. It’s why people even work on vacation, those people are so consumed by their mind and they don’t know how to just be.
Have you ever watched a sunrise or sunset? this is super apparent then because non stop the mind is saying we have to capture the perfect picture of this moment, so it makes you take pictures rather then just be there with this beautiful phenomenon.
I’m not saying doing is a bad thing btw, but when the doing is not connected to a deeper dimension, the doing is mostly operated by the mind and the substance of that doing isn’t that great. It’s mostly done to help propagate your ego, not to help consciousness evolve and benefit life itself.
This trip I didn’t really formally meditate, I didn’t journal, and only did a little bit of yoga. Mostly, I just connected to the elements. When you have a direct connection to all the elements, the alignment with life is beautiful. Walking barefoot on the earth, swimming in the water, watching the fire, hearing all the sounds from the woods, and sitting on the beach at night and starring into space, all just have major transformative powers. Just think of how little time you spend doing any of these on a regular basis. Hmm, then we wonder why we are feeling out of balance in our life.
I strongly recommend doing something like this for yourself once a year if you value your health and wellbeing, and are seeking growth and connection in your life. Many people are too afraid or uncomfortable to do something like on their own, but you can always start by going with a buddy and familiarize yourself with a place, so that you are comfortable and feel safe if you ever decide to go alone. At the end of the day though, anyone of us can be dead in a blink of an eye, so you coming up with all sorts of what if scenarios in your head of all the dangers that can occur, are mostly just fantasies that will keep you from living your best life.
Photos from my trip
-I brought a hammock this year and it was fantastic. So relaxing and cozy to hangout in there. I also brought my gymnastic rings which I use to workout a bit and just for hanging. If you never tried hanging, it’s challenging at first, but feels so good!
-haha no I don’t just throw stuff on the floor. This was my raccoon buddies being savage. I decided to leave my garbage on the tree one of the nights and this was the result. Was kind of fun watching from the tent as they went at it. In their defense, if I was a raccoon with easy access to food, I would probably do the same.
-I got to try out my inflatable paddleboard for the first time during this trip and the quality of it was really good. It’s nice to have the ability to travel on the water because there are so many hidden gems that you can find.