The Company you keep
I have been traveling for the past 10 days, through Greece and now Amsterdam. My trip to Greece was to attend a yoga retreat with my favorite yoga studio, Zenver. Our fearless leaders, Ali and Kali, organized a life altering experience to the island of Lesbos at the peaceful Milelja Retreat Center. Our theme for the week was embracing simplicity. My trip to Amsterdam was to see a close friend I haven’t seen in several years, our first hug when I landed there was full of love and longing as we have really, really, missed each other. I will be returning home with a heart overflowing with love and joy (along with some Greek honey, pistachio butter, and of course, ouzo)!
As an introvert with extroverted tendencies, I enjoy socializing with friends and connecting with new people, yet the process of socializing is one I often find exhausting. I am keenly aware of the impact that social groups, as well as our environment, have on our mental wellbeing. Too much socialization for me and I am drained, grouchy, and I end up retreating like a turtle into it’s shell. Not enough interactions with others and I can feel isolated and lonely. One or two cloudy days and I can rest, too many cloudy days I start to feel depressed and I need sunshine, and so on. I was hesitant to embark on this retreat out of fear I would be stuck with a group of strangers, making forced conversation, and going to bed with cheeks that ached from fake smiling. I am in awe of the narrative my brain creates whenever it starts to feel anxious or overwhelmed in anticipation of something new. As always, I am pleasantly surprised when my brain is proven wrong. I found myself reconnecting with my meditation and yoga practice, just like others on the retreat who have fallen out of sync with their own practices. I sat with a different group of people each day, over many meals because I was intrigued by their stories; what brought them to the retreat, what did they hope to get from their experience, what were their struggles that brought them to this place, in this moment. I felt so incredibly fortunate to have spent this time abroad with an incredible group of strangers, who after a few short days together are now my forever friends. I went to bed each night with cheeks that ached from rich, organic laughter.
My mother always said, “you are the company you keep”, she referenced this when I was in high school to remind me not to associate with the riffraff out of fear their poor behavior would rub off on me. As mother’s often are, she was right. However in this case, the riffraff was an amazing group of yoga practitioners who shared a joy for the practice of yoga asanas and meditation, who joined in spiritual conversations about life and its many transitions, beautiful people who were all searching for something meaningful in Greece and I think we all left, having found it. Beginning each day with meditation and a deep yoga flow, spending time in nature and in quite solicitude, or in town along the coastline sharing gelato (ok, many gelatos) with new friends, wading in the crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea, exploring new foods and flavors, and taking in the simplistic nature of Greek island life allowed me to let go of the many fears and roadblocks that seem to have been holding me back over the past few months. I was flooded with support, encouragement, love, and compliments each day from these incredible individuals that I was privileged to spend time with.
When I have the opportunity to travel, I find it to be a life changing experience every time. It reminds me of the connections we all share as humans, that we all suffer, we all struggle, and we all need a shared and loving community who has our back as we navigate life. Some may find all the love and support they need in their families, some with a partner, many will find acceptance and love amongst their selected friend group, and for me this past week I received all I needed from the Island of Lesbos, from the generosity of our hosts at the retreat center, from the friendly and accepting community in the town of Molyvos, and most of all from a group of like minded, open hearted, funny, sensitive, and loving yogis.
I left the island feeling loved, connected with the earth, and further along the path of healing and caring for my mental wellbeing. My heart is still in Greece, but my mind is open and present and ready for today.
