Note: In this blog, I write about how I had a wonderful and special week with Ramona and Fraukje Jasmine, who organize the Happy Life Retreats. Also, I want to share my notes that have helped me with a piece of personal growth.
How It Began
Last month my dear friend Stephanie called and said they had a last-minute spot open for a very special coaching retreat. She called on Thursday, and it would start that upcoming Saturday. I was lucky enough to already be in Ibiza, so of course, I said, “Yes, yes, I want to!” Since we have organized retreats ourselves with Stephanie in the past, I already knew that you get pampered immensely, and everything is organized down to the last detail. And not to forget, all the delicious vegan food (prepared three times!) a day by the lovely Remko from Healthychefs.
This time, the retreat was organized by Ramona and Fraukje Jasmine. Ramona called me that Thursday, and I was immediately happy to have her on the phone. Ramona (a coach herself) asked me what my goal was with the retreat and told me the program’s structure. Ramona’s main goal is to empower people. By means of finding inner peace and breaking patterns.
I had just fled to Ibiza to find myself
I had just fled to Ibiza at that moment to take it easy and find myself, which I couldn’t really do because there was always another fun dinner or party to which I was invited. So I thought this came as a perfect opportunity!
Saturday at 2:00 pm, I arrived at the retreat, and half of the women participating were already there. I always find it quite exciting to meet a new group of people, but you quickly notice that everyone feels the same because everyone comes alone. Ramona was also there to welcome everyone. She explained how we would return to basics during the week and do assignments that would reconnect us with our feelings. This would allow us to consciously guide our lives in a direction that really suits us. After the welcome talk, we were all assigned a beautiful room and allowed to settle in. All rooms have a very large window with a beautiful view of a rock and the sea where you can look endlessly.
Coaching Retreat in Ibiza
The retreat lasted from Saturday to Friday and had a very nice structure. The first day there was an opening ceremony, and we got to know the group. We each got to write our intention for the week on a wooden heart. I chose calm.
On our bed lay a beautiful blue folder, along with incense and a natural salt spray deodorant. That blue folder is your personal bible for the week, and each day you go through the folder with a coaching session. The structure of the program was as follows:
- Where do you come from.
- Where do you want to go.
- Who are you / what suits you.
- Self-love.
- Create an action plan and mood board.
As a continuous assignment for the week, we had to write down three things we were grateful for every morning and evening. During every coaching session, I took notes, and I would love to share these with you.
How to deal with pain and emotions
I can’t imagine there’s anyone reading this who hasn’t experienced pain and difficult situations during their life. I can say that my life towards 30 years has been quite bumpy, and a lot has happened, but I am the type who always puts on a smile and acts as if nothing’s wrong and just keeps going. These tips I received during the retreat were truly an eye-opener for me.
# Feel your emotions
Don’t be afraid to feel emotions that may not be pleasant. Feel them and embrace them, and they will naturally become less intense. I always prefer to run away from sad feelings and suppress them. Ramona learned that pain and emotions move in a wave, when you think it couldn’t possibly get more intense, it always subsides again. It goes in a curve. Pain-avoiding behavior is not healthy behavior. You can live and feel your pain when you allow it. The charge around it naturally disappears when you allow it, and that is healing. Crying is actually fantastic. By crying, you basically empty your reservoir.
# Process trauma energy
It’s important to process trauma energy from intense past events. Trauma behavior is the sum of what other people have done to us, and it is not your energy; therefore, it’s important to send it back to where it belongs. Because unprocessed energy lingers around you. They are unprocessed emotions. If you don’t process this, you might unknowingly suffer from it on various levels and project it onto others without realizing it.
# Overeating or shopping too much
When you overeat and keep stuffing yourself or start throwing money around, these are often cover-ups. Just like other forms of ‘addiction.’ We often do this because we don’t want to feel emotions. (Unfortunately, quite relatable for me, as I used to be an emotional eater and now can impulsively buy something when I’m not feeling well.)
# Be respectful to yourself
How can you truly connect with your own ‘self’? How do you connect with friends? By investing time in each other, by doing and experiencing new things together, but also by listening to the other. You can do the same with yourself. Be respectful of yourself. Invest in the bond with yourself. The relationship with ourselves is the foundation for the relationships we have with others. Only when you stand firm can an extra layer be built. How can you better hear yourself? By being quiet, experiencing more peace and silence. In silence, all answers come from within you. Go for a walk, exercise, do yoga, cook, craft, etc. everyone has something different that brings them peace.
# Why focus is important
‘The extent to which we, as humans, are able to direct our thoughts determines the quality of our lives.’ Successful entrepreneurs and successful people have one thing in common, and that is focus. When you concentrate on one thing (read; ‘project your energy’), you get things done. Through focus, we direct our thoughts and determine what they are about. Fortunately, you can train your ability to focus very well by meditating and visualizing. We practiced this during the retreat as well.
# You have the choice of which energy you carry with you.
People feel each other’s energy. As a mother, you can pass on the energy to your children when you’re in a bad mood. The opposite is also true. You have the choice to carry a high positive energy. Do you also notice that when you have a bad day, everything goes wrong that day? When I notice this in myself, I suddenly think, hey, Meer, turn your energy around, and everything goes much smoother, and I can laugh about it. Note: I do know that you can’t always be happy, sometimes really intense things happen and then you can certainly be grumpy and sad.
How can you take better care of yourself?
I took these tips home:
- Turn off your phone more often when you have a deadline. Answer your private messages twice a day. For instance, in the morning and evening. And no, not first thing when you wake up. 😉 Turn off your blue check marks, so you can read the messages but don’t have to respond immediately.
- Turn off your screen an hour (preferably 2 hours) before you go to sleep. Your screen emits radiation. It activates your brain. It does the opposite of Yoga Nidra to your brain. During Yoga Nidra, you’re in a state between waking and sleeping and reach the deeper layers of your subconscious.
- Do Yoga Nidra before you go to sleep. You don’t need to go to a yoga or gym class for this. You can do it through YouTube or an app. Do it for 15 minutes before you sleep. It’s great if you worry a lot. You can then set aside your worries, completely relax at a deep level, and sleep very well.
- Take a nice shower with a lovely (natural) shower gel. Preferably not too long, of course, to prevent water waste. I always feel that by taking a shower, I can let go of the day and rinse off everything that has happened.
- Write down 3 things you were grateful for that day. By creating a gratitude energy around you, you attract more things to be grateful for and always fall asleep with a positive thought!
Would you like this too?
During this retreat, you work on yourself in a group in a beautiful and inspiring environment. Through yoga, meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and coaching, you reconnect with yourself. In addition, during this fully catered 7-day retreat, you visit the most unique places on the island, have fun, and meet interesting people. In short, the ideal combination of substance and ambiance. Would you like to make a valuable investment in yourself? You, too, can go here! The next one is from July 18 to 24, 2020, in Ibiza, and there are still a few spots available. Want to experience what mindfulness can do for you sooner? Happy Life Retreat also organizes an inspiring One-Day-Retreat on December 1 in Rotterdam.
Want to attend one of The Green Happiness retreats in Ibiza? Find more information here.