Readers, I am in a zen place – on ‘Yoga and Wellbeing’ retreat – and therefore bringing this to you from the present tense.
One of the intentions I set myself in the wee notebook I got given at the start of the week is, “to be more present”.
So here I am at The Affairs in Foz Do Arelho, Portugal, zenned out my nut and stealing some pre-breakfast time alone to type this to you.
I am trying to notice and savour everything in the here and now. So, what is this sensory feast I’m having here?
Well, it’s very quiet. All I can hear is me sipping coffee and slurping the thick breakfast smoothie I just pinched from the fridge.
I want to say that I’m smelling the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans but, not wanting to switch the coffee machine on and wake the whole house, I’ve opted for Nescafe instant.
The stolen smoothie, however, is a burst of fruity viscous deliciousness – the more delicious, perhaps, for being half-inched.
Yoga instructor’s delay was less than zen
And as I take in this gorgeous moment, in this beautiful place, I can feel a florid flourish coming on…
Through the glass doors in front of me and window to my right I can see, in the butter haze of a dewy sunrise, cascades of fuchsia flowers forelocking walls and flirting with the pergola on the porch.
A skinny tan and black speckled cat is jimmying up a tree. Said cat just fell out of said tree. But it’s fine. Soft landing, no limping. It’s a cat. And now it’s back up the tree – success.
We’re all fine here at the villa of zen – all present, bendy, full-body-breathing and at one with the world.
I might try jimmying up that tree myself in a minute.
But first, let me briefly reflect on the week just past – reflection is also a zen thing.
Less zen was losing our yoga instructor at the start of the week to air traffic control chaos, which left her stranded in Gatwick for most of a day and then unable to get booked onto another flight.
As you can imagine, for a yoga and wellbeing retreat, this was a bit of a setback. Luckily for us though, one of the guests on the retreat is also a yoga instructor, and was persuaded, at extremely short notice, to lead all our yoga sessions.
Bless her, she has done a wonderful job.
The Affairs Retreats is a family affair
I should point out that for me this is not just a yoga and wellbeing retreat, but also a chance to hang out in Portugal with my big sister, Nichola, who runs the retreat, and my mum, Sandra, her resident sidekick and massage therapist.
Nichola has been preparing delicious, fresh, nutritious meals for us, leading group HIIT and breathwork sessions, and taking one-to-one sessions with guests on everything from nutrition and fitness to menopause wellbeing.
We’ve all been doing yoga in the garden and on the beach, getting daily massages from ‘Magic Hands’ Sandra, and dipping every morning in a gorgeous, glassy, blue-green ocean lagoon. It is pure bliss.
And if I sound unbearably smug about all this, it’s because I am. It’s been a sickeningly healthy, restorative week.
And now, I’m going to make like a cat and jimmy up that tree…
