Bernard Warnars
Entrepreneur, Warnars Art Dealers

While meditating in nature along the river or sitting on a rim of a glen, you can’t escape the stillness clearing your mind.

About 4 years ago for the first time in my life I booked a retreat. “Have you ever been on a retreat?” was the question asked by my future girlfriend. I had no clue what to expect but the perspective of an adventurous week together in the mountains near Rome sounded promising! Back then, I must admit, my primary goal was quite literally more about to-get-her.  However, now I can tell you that I ended up becoming a true believer of a retreat as a gift to yourself and visited a retreat every year since then. Yoga and meditation combined with healthy food, especially in nature, has improved both my physical as well as my mental health!

 

Physical Effect 

During meditation and yoga it soon became clear that I was not breathing in the right way. It took me a while and a lot of exercise to breathe more consciously and thus enlarging my lung capacity and gaining more control. As a long time asthma patient I have benefited from that change immensely.

I still use a medicine daily even though the necessary doses has decreased to 25% of the original doses. I may even get to the point that I can do without medicine completely. Besides that my blood pressure is now within standards whereas it regularly used to fluctuate beyond that. I can maintain and hopefully further improve my current health status by doing yoga and meditation regularly during the rest of the year. In my daily life I combine yoga with exercising in the gym at least once a week. That ensures that I stay more energetic physically and feel as revitalized as if I just returned from a retreat!

 

Mental Impact

The retreat in the Highlands of Scotland particularly had a special mental effect on me. The raw and hugely impressive nature of this 100 square kilometers of the wilderness reserve made me feel humble and it eased down my overactive mind. I must admit that Ingrid, founder of the power of time off, really knows to impress her retreat attendees by selecting the best European locations in nature. While meditating in nature along the river or sitting on a rim of a glen, you can’t escape from the stillness clearing your mind, a great and relieving experience. Whilst being in the process of setting up a new business I felt caught in thoughts and could not calm my mind, that was the reason I booked this retreat. The pictures of the solitude and stillness appealed to me. Now I know why, it was because I mentally needed it. During the week I regained my focus, straightened my priorities and was able to concentrate again. My mind was clear again…..

In fact it feels like returning to default setting. The only difference is that the default setting improves with every retreat. More inner peace, more energy, more joy of life. Just like a personal development or process that keeps getting, and particularly FEELING, better! I am still thankful my girlfriend asked me …

 

Bernard Warnars
Designer | Art Dealer | Entrepreneur
Rewild Yourself retreat attendee, June 2019

 

 

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