Selfcare in Ibiza
I know. You read that and thought Charlotte has finally lost her marbles. Trust me. That’s what everyone thought when I told them that I was going to Ibiza in March for a yoga retreat. I’ll break it down for you if you’re reading this and thinking what is she on about?
Ibiza is a party island. Brits mainly go there and get terribly trashed and then come back home and they need a holiday from their holiday. All this takes place in the summer. So really March is right in the middle of the low season where you’ll only find the locals here. I mean even many of the shops in the airport were closed. Now you see why this would have raised a few eyebrows, but it was without a doubt the best thing I had ever done for myself. I left J at home and made friends with four other wonderful women who had come along on this journey, each one seeking something different from the experience. Sanchia Legister, a yoga teacher, based in London was going to be hosting this along with her friend Diana Booty who would supercharge our workouts so that we can support our yoga practice and take the asana (physical) part of the practice deeper. We were also extremely privileged to have Analisa who made extremely nutritious, plant-based meals during our stay.
Our home was a beautiful villa which Diana and her partner had renovated and opened up for the use of retreats - if you can take some friends there. I totally recommend it. It’s in a quiet part of the island, but the place is incredible.
Every morning began with a journalling session which Sanchia called “Morning papers” which was an excellent opportunity to get those initial thoughts out of our minds and onto paper. Making space for new ideas. I’ve always been big on journaling, so I really enjoyed those moments as they allowed me to start putting pen to paper on the different things that I want to manifest in my life. It was an excellent opportunity to disconnect from the world even for a moment and start to look into ourselves for the things that we are before allowing the world to determine this for us.
We signed this all off with a yoga practice and a workout which focused on different parts of the body, but ultimately everything worked together to build our practice.
My favourite part of the trip were the moments when we got explored the island a little bit. I loved that Diana made time to show us some famous places like Es Vedra, which is the second most magnetic place in the world following the North and South Poles, which makes it very mystical. A lot of people that are into energies might enjoy being close to Es Vedra for these reasons. It definitely makes a significant backdrop for pictures :)
We visited Calla Bassa beach, which is beautiful. There are no houses or villas in the area apart from Naomi Campbell’s which from where we were standing looked incredible. Maybe one year I might get an invite (a girl can only wish).
The highlight for me was hiking on Atlantis mountain. Again a bit like Es Vedra there are a lot of myths surrounding it. I think the fact that you can’t find it on a map - yet it’s directly in front of Es Vedra makes it even more of a mystical place. We thought we were going for a small walk and then we got to the top of the mountain and Diana with a big smile announced that we were going to hike down and then back up again.
In the middle is actually where we were before
I genuinely thought that she was joking. I don’t do well hiking down mountains or hills. You just need to read about my encounter with Skiddaw to know how well that went so I really wasn’t up for it. But because everyone was going to do it, I didn’t want to be the odd one out, so I put all my fears behind me and made the walk down.
When I made it to the bottom, I realised the power of the mind. As I made my way down, I believed in myself, wholeheartedly and that proved very helpful because I made it. We all made it and we enjoyed the view in front of us. It was definitely worth the stress.
All in all, I really enjoyed the entire experience. The balance between yoga practice, strength training and exploration of the local town, which I absolutely loved. Although the retreat was advertised as being able to cater for 13 people, there were only 5 of us, and I feel that was really the perfect amount because we got to know each other and we had genuine conversations. I believe that was the most significant part of our trip and what made this a success. If you’re looking for a fantastic yoga retreat, can I suggest jumping on the Sanchia bandwagon. As a yoga teacher, I love her because she isn’t fussed about the shapes that you can make with your body but how it feels to you. Diana will make you work, she will push you, but it’s all good. And I’ll be honest, Ibiza, at least the non-party parts which I saw were stunning and peaceful.
The best crew !!