In the past year, there has been a surge in popularity in wellness retreats, and it’s with no surprise that people are taking their health and wellbeing into their own hands. The pandemic has given people more time and space to reflect on how they show up for themselves and what areas could use some attention to achieve a better quality of life. Many have begun looking at a more holistic approach to their daily wellbeing and how they can build their body’s natural immune system without traditional Western medicine and synthetic drugs.
Sattva Soul Retreats, ‘Sattva,’ meaning Balance in Sanskrit, is a transformational women’s retreat company, est. 2018 that is now offering a new approach to health retreats. They are hosting some of NZ’s first Yoga and Ayurvedic retreats with a fresh perspective. Some intimate women’s retreats that offer holistic Ayurvedic and Mindfulness workshops to help their guests leave a different person with a bag full of tools they can use when needed, and if ever a time was needed, that time is now.
Celine, the founder of Sattva Soul Retreats and Sattva Soul Supplements, an organic Ayurvedic supplement brand, says her intention to create an Ayurvedic retreat was to host a beautiful group of women to feel expansive, supported, and indulged while being removed from the noise of everyday life.
“We’re often told if we’re sick to go to the doctor, but with the Western medicine system, you only have 15 minutes with a doctor, and legally, they have to prescribe you some synthetic drugs to help you. Fifteen minutes isn’t enough time to get to the root of the cause, so most of the time, we have people band-aiding symptoms but not dealing with the root of their illness. This is why we live in an anxiety-induced culture, numbed out on anti-depressants and sleeping pills for people looking to just get through the day. It’s no way to live. In this hectic modern society, we need to offer women intuitive healing methods to understand their own bodies, minds, and spirits. That way, they can prevent themselves from causing future illness if they have the tools to self-regulate their nervous system and know when they are aggravating their bodies or when they need balancing.”
The retreats are built around the principles of Ayurvedic medicine, along with Yoga and Meditation, and supported with Ayurvedic Coaching. Ayurvedic medicine is a 5,000-year-old Indian holistic healing system that focuses on preventive medicine. It is known as the mother of all healing systems because it predates all other healing therapies and natural medicines. The philosophy of Ayurveda is centered around three primary energies, known in Sanskrit as doshas. These three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha – regulate every physiological and psychological characteristic, from circulation to digestion, our nervous system function, our muscular systems, and beyond. It’s a complete knowledge of life that teaches us how to live in tune with nature and elevate ourselves into higher realms of happiness – which is the ultimate goal in life, right?
For Celine, she had begun her own health journey as a result of burnout, and after Western medicine failed to look at a whole-body healing system, she went on her own healing journey to live in the Himalayas and Sri Lanka, studying as an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga Therapist.
“My mission is to help women balance their nervous systems and live within the laws of nature before they have to have a rock bottom moment. It’s so important that in our hectic modern society, we can intuitively know how to support our bodies from a mental, physical and spiritual body perspective, which will prevent them from illness and burnout altogether.”
On an Ayurvedic retreat, guests are supported with one-on-one consultations, Ayurvedic massage, daily yoga for their dosha, customized daily meditation, and breath practices. As well as wellness talks, time in nature, like exploring natural thermal pools, and Ayurvedic seasonal foods to support their experience and help them integrate this new way of life.
”Guests wake each morning with a chakra balancing yoga practice and breathwork, followed by a nourishing breakfast. After this, they take part in a nature walk or mindfulness practice, then return to the lodge for a warming plant-based lunch nestled by the fire. Afternoons involve one-on-one Ayurvedic consultations or Dinaycharya workshops, Ayurvedic daily rituals, followed by discussing doshas and seasonal foods while sipping on Turmeric lattes. Then no retreat day is complete without massages, spa time, and a yin or restorative class, all allowing downtime and held in the evenings, followed by warm communal gatherings to connect and share experiences.”
Her next Sattva Soul Ayurvedic and Yoga Retreat is coming up at Maruia River Retreat on Oct 28th- 31st for four days of hibernation in paradise to balance the mind, body, and soul.