Finding Connection in the Hills of Southern Spain
I’ve recently come back from a short retreat in a beautiful location among the hills of Southern Spain. From the peaceful cortijo of the main building of this hotel de campo the view opens onto a valley that gently leads the eyes to the sea. Getting out of the car, slightly sick as I always get, I breathe in the vibrant quiet of this cool spring about to blossom. For the few days I am here, I will feel the company of the many birds and insects, the gentle tapping of the rain, the steps of someone in the hall, the pebbles under my shoes as I venture down a winding path.
Most of all though, I am here with other people. Many, unknown to me. Yet.
If I close my eyes now, a few days after returning to my routine, apparently inconsequential moments come into focus. A chat on opposing benches, under a grey sky, chatting about life decisions and the desire to give space to loved ones while holding them close. The morning I stepped out of my bedroom still half asleep and was welcomed by a whispered unexpected compliment of someone walking to the first class with me. The minutes basking in the sun after hearing a softly spoken confession followed by a dense silence. And I realise that one of the most precious gifts that Gem and Will have given me is space and time to connect with strangers and experience our shared sense of humanity.
And they do this with the rare talent of people who take what they do very seriously without taking themselves too seriously. It’s admirable and it’s inspiring.
People come to the retreat for a variety of reasons, all equally valid and absolutely important. Some want a respite from the responsibilities of busy lives, others need space to process grief (and gosh there are so many types of grief!). Some have a chance to spend time with their best friend, their daughter, their partner. Some want the luxury of spending time alone.
My Why is complex and simple. I see this retreat as food for the life I want to live - becoming a better version of myself, wiser, calmer, more generous but also more determined, stronger, braver. My nerdy brain yearns to learn more, enjoys being challenged, my wandering soul searches for peace in the discomfort and discomfort in the peace.
When I stretch into yoga poses I am exploring new parts of myself, the body and the mind both engaged. I am allowing myself to expand, develop, dare but also to struggle, fail, give up. When I make space for genuine relaxation and focus on the present, a lot of thoughts come to the surface, sometimes bringing unexpected pains, other times profound, almost unknown, joys.
And even if what happens on the mat appears to be just my individual journey, the conversations around and away from it prove the contrary.
While Gem and Will manage to create such a space, there is nothing enforced, nothing prescribed.
Most people open these retreats stating they are there for themselves, all close them celebrating meeting others.
And this is why I keep coming back."