The spring semester introduces many challenges for the modern University student; finding balance between studying, the ongoing job search, and maintaining a social life (as well as your sanity) can feel impossible to achieve all at once. When these expectations pile up, Spring Break offers a much-needed reprieve. But the question is, how should we spend it?
Having experienced several jam-packed girls’ trips in my own Spring Breaks’ past, I explored a new option this semester, one offering self-exploration, as well as restoration, for a break that felt as productive as it did relaxing. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining St Andrews’ YogiSoc for their first Spring Break retreat– an experience I’m grateful to have had the chance to participate in, and would highly encourage others to try in the future.
Why take a wellness retreat?
As travel begins to feel competitive in the online sphere, there’s pressure to go on the biggest and best vacation possible for your Spring Break. What location will provide the best footage for your social media feed? Where can a group go to maximize their time spent out at night? The questions feel daunting and contingent on maximizing your twenties in a way that often feels predatory, because what if the quintessential ‘Spring Breakers’ experience isn’t how you imagine spending your week away from class?
Enter the wellness retreat.
Wellness retreats are on the rise. Reportedly, just over a fifth of global travellers are currently travelling for health and wellness-related reasons, with suggestions that this figure is likely to grow further in the future. The ‘wellness’ space encompasses many things, from disconnecting from technology, reconnecting with loved ones, or strengthening a personal skill set. My Spring Break experience took the latter. Having taken the occasional yoga class with YogiSoc, I was excited about the opportunity to travel when I saw the advertisement on their Instagram page. I figured I wasn’t really great at yoga, but why not? And fully submitted to the experience. Reporting back after the trip: it was a risk I took, not knowing what to expect, but I am so glad I did!
Sharing love and light
Each morning we greeted the day with a morning flow lasting just under two hours. Together, we stretched and were guided through sun salutations as the instructors reinforced positive mantras. Sunlight bathed the converted farmhouse floor as we breathed deeply in unison. For someone who had rarely connected with the abstract concept of yoga teachings, these morning rituals helped me understand the idea of ‘sharing love and light’ as it’s often mentioned in instructor dialogue.
During our first morning session, we were each encouraged to explore new poses. I had no clue what this meant—because all of this was new to me—but my mouth dropped in awe as I looked left to find my neighbour seamlessly flowing from crow pose into a perfect headstand. It was so impressive that it hardly looked human. Across the room, another classmate tried the same pose. She hit the floor with a small thud, breaking the silence of morning practice and causing us all to laugh a little. Our silent reverence transformed into laughter and encouragement, prompting the more advanced students to get up and offer assistance to us, newbies. Supporting us both physically and emotionally, this reminded me of the privilege of learning from leaders who are not only knowledgeable but also compassionate and kind. Our departure from the normal yoga class structure generated positive energy that can only be described as ‘light,’ prompting me to cast aside nervousness as we all smiled, laughed, and learned new things together. The morning drew to a close as we lay under blankets in Shavasana, where I gave silent gratitude for the support I experienced from some of the kindest and most encouraging people I’ve met at Uni.
Wellness overall
One of the key contributors to the rise in wellness tourism is the desire for belonging and self-improvement. Those who partake in wellness tourism often focus on a key component of either physical, mental, spiritual, social, or environmental well-being. The YogiSoc retreat focused on the trifecta of physical, mental, and social, lending itself to personal betterment and strengthening ties among attendees. The workshops offered on the trip encapsulate this perfectly: one, a journaling exercise led by instructor Walsh Gobleck, the other, a deep dive into poetry and yoga led by fellow instructor Emma Reilly.
While the core activity of yoga strengthened our physical health on this trip, the exercises in these workshops also improved our mental and social health. One of these workshops was an evening session with cacao and candlelight, where Walsh led us through journal prompts on self-perception and womanhood. Between writing times, we were encouraged to speak on our journal entries, sharing reflections from the past and goals for the future, something that did not come as easily to me as I thought it might. I learned that much like those intimidating new poses in yoga class, it can be just as challenging to confront mental health as physical health, and in this workshop, I developed a clearer picture of where I see myself in the future. Squeezed together around the long kitchen table, this night is a cherished memory from the trip where we were able to share the thoughts that made us, us, and I feel all the richer for this experience.
Another trip highlight came during Emma’s final evening course, where we spent our last moments taking in Ross Gay’s poem, “Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude.” The poem explores gratitude for life and your place in it, and it’s explained with such depth that I can hardly do it justice (so give it a listen). Like all great instructors, Emma incorporates her personal style into each class she teaches, with lessons punctuated by hilarious anecdotes and a thoughtfully curated playlist. Though instructors don’t often have the chance to incorporate their degree into their work, this made her decision to share poetry with us during this time all the more personal. In a lovely closing to the week, we listened with closed eyes as we were reminded of the wonderful breadth of life for our communities and ourselves, leaving us to wonder how we might thank others for their place in it.
Thank you
Thank you to the wonderful women of YogiSoc who organized this trip and for allowing me to experience it with you. I’m grateful for this new version of Spring Break, where we can disconnect from the chaos of college life for a week and find a new perspective on wellness (both inside and out).