After Mom died at the end of February, I felt like I needed a reset. The last couple of years have been difficult. Though I was not the primary caregiver for either my mother or Aunt Clair, I was very involved in their medical decision-making. I visited them and tried to provide comfort. It was a painful process watching them deteriorate and being powerless to change the inevitable.
Not to mention the grief I felt and feel when they were gone. I also faced my own abdominal surgery to remove what turned out to be a benign cyst — it was actually my left adrenal gland that had hemorrhaged.
The recovery was uneventful, but not without its discomforts. All of the stress involved in these circumstances left me drained. I was not taking good care of myself. There is a long tradition in my family of seeking comfort in food and I succumbed to that impulse too many times. I thought it would be helpful if I could go someplace and gather my thoughts, get into a better rhythm. I have never gone on a retreat before, but the idea appealed to me. I was imagining some yoga, healthy food, a walk in the woods.
I looked them up online and read what they offered. Kripalu seemed closest to what I was looking for. I talked to Gary about it and he was fully supportive. I signed myself up for three days of retreat and renewal. I wanted more flexibility. Fortunately they offered that option too. Kripalu offers different levels of accommodations which are priced accordingly.
I chose a private, dorm-style room where the bathroom would be on the hall. As I anticipated my time away, I was a bit nervous. I had not done yoga in years. There was a time, about a decade ago, where I was doing it regularly but I was never a serious student of it.
