Retreat Yourself

Making quality time for self-care is important – and a retreat is the perfect way to disconnect fully from our daily routine and reconnect with ourselves. Find out more about retreats and self-care with Swedish wellbeing expert Elin Lundblad.

What exactly is self-care?
For me, self-care is about being fully in touch with your personal mental state and actively working to keep it in good balance. It’s about treating yourself with love: being a bit selfish really – but in the best possible way.

I first became aware of the importance of self-care and personal development when I was about 15 and having a hard time at school. From that moment it has played a huge part in my life. As a true emotional being, those early years were a lot about surviving crisis situations, but today it’s proactive. I constantly work on my own self-care, being aware and taking responsibility for myself. I also coach others to find their personal way to balance.

Why are retreats beneficial?
In today’s society our brains work overtime trying to keep up with family life, careers and the constant digital information flow. Switching all of that off completely – detaching from all that stimulus – really allows us to zoom in on ourselves.

I’ve been on lots of different yoga retreats but also retreats and courses which are about pure personal development – that’s what’s works for me so naturally it’s what I want to share with others. But I want to stress here that a retreat isn’t about doing yoga in a cabana above an exotic beach – far from it. If you want to do yoga, think of the planet and find a retreat close to home. Yoga is just a tool – self connection is the key.

A retreat doesn’t even have to be about yoga – it can be anything that takes you outside of the pressures of life, even for a short while. It could be a moment of inner connection: as simple as finding an hour to sit in a quiet place with a good book, or a walk in the forest. Even 10 minutes of stillness with a coffee can be a retreat.

Who is a retreat good for?
Everyone! Absolutely everyone. It’s about getting to know yourself and taking responsibility for your life and health. Once you’re fully aligned and in love with yourself it spreads around you. That’s why being a bit selfish – in the best way possible – can make you a better wife, mother, businesswoman – whatever. It’s empowering.