The Ibrahim Jaffe Sufism retreat has been getting quite a bit of coverage in the press recently after the Independent newspaper did a feature on it and the conversation around retreats have been kicking off as a result. This is something which many of us have forgotten the importance of, yet in today’s fast paced, digital and information-packed world, the benefits of a retreat armor apparent than ever before. Dr Jaffe focuses his around sufism and those beliefs but no matter what it is that you believe, there is a great number of benefits which you can get from a retreat, and this why spending a weekend in a simple natural setting is going to be beneficial for your life.
Pressing Pause
We don’t always get a chance to hit the pause button in life and just take some time out. Many of us think that the vacations which we go on do this but in reality they too have stresses that come with them regarding the planning and the money which is involved, so you can never really switch off. A retreat is the perfect remedy to this problem and you can take yourself completely away from your life and spend some time just decompressing.
Natural Setting
The benefits fo being in nature is that your body is allowed to relax and it has been proven that being close to the natural environment is something which encourages the body to relax and settle more than any other. This is a chance for you to reconnect and truly unwind.
Reflections
This is not just about pressing pause on your life and then having fun or doing nothing, that pause button allows you to take a broad view of your own life and reflect on each aspect of it. During a retreat you are allowed to feel whatever you like and this is going to enable you to better analyze where you are, where you are going and what you would like to do about things that have been worrying you.
Guidance
Taking your own personal retreat has its benefits but taking an organized retreat will put you with like minded company and a guide who can talk you through any issues or concerns which you may have. You are likely to be far more open than usual because of the company that you are in and because you are in such a relaxed and non judgmental setting.
Process
Life moves very fast and often we don’t get as much time as we would like to process thoughts, events and emotions. A retreat gives you the perfect amount of time and space to do exactly that and you will come back a far more focused and centered person than you were before you left .
Why not try a retreat this year and see what benefits you can get out of this time away? I can assure you that you won’t regret it.