Spirituality

7 amazing ways a silent retreat will change your life

By Nina Hansen

Has it ever struck you – how noisy your life is?

Digital, auditory and visual noise constantly bombards your senses. Television blaring, computers and phones shouting – city sounds of construction, traffic, trains, planes, sirens wailing and– music playing, people talking – billboards yelling about the latest and greatest – appealing to your deepest fears and desires. Noise, noise and more noise stealing your attention and energy everywhere!

Eventually everything within you is screaming out for a break. So much that restful, restoring holidays including silence was cited as one of the top wellness trends of 2017.

This brings us to the growing popularity for people to attend what yoga and meditation offers in this arena - silent retreats. There is an emerging feeling that the increasingly more demanding struggle for material success and comfort is not providing the feeling of inner contentment that such success is promising.

Spending time in silence was traditionally practiced at spiritual centres such as Buddhist centres and monasteries, but today it is also offered in a more contemporary form by yoga and meditation schools. The setting is usually in the stillness and harmony of nature away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. These retreats offer a rare opportunity to recharge your mind, body and spirit.

Holidays used to be about leaving your busy life behind, exploring somewhere new and having fun. The new trend is to seek out experiences that offer something more substantial for your holistic health and well-being. Silent retreats provide the space to discover and heal yourself, to escape the cult of busyness and become centred in your inner world.

Here are 7 amazing benefits a silent retreat will bring to your life.

1. Quieten the monkey mind.

With less social interaction in the form of small talk and conversations, a silent retreat allows your mind to slow down and become quiet. A still mind enables greater focus, concentration and for a shift from your mind processing streams of information to making conscious decisions of what you want to fill your mental landscape with.

2. Recharge your vitality

Modern life is characterised by a busy schedule filled with responsibilities and endless decisions, causing your mind to be super busy, with the outcome of draining your vitality.

At a silent retreat, you are released from all duties. There are no decisions to make and no responsibilities to adhere to. All you need to do is to relax, surrender to the schedule and show up by bringing your attention to your inner world and allow yourself to deeply rest and rejuvenate.

3. Improve your digestion and stop over eating

Practising stillness and mindfulness, literally improves your digestion.

Eating slowly and mindfully allows your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system also called the rest and digest system. From this space your body can produce the necessary digestive juices for a strong and healthy digestion. When eating slower, you are likely to eat less, as your stomach has the time to process the food and tell your mind when you’re full.

4. Gaining clarity of direction

When letting go of your busy every day routine you suddenly find room for considering what’s really important in life and what direction you would like to take in the future. The practise of meditation harmonises the conscious and subconscious mind, creating a brand new sense of clearness and clarity.

As your inner space becomes more at ease, you get a deeper understanding of what is going on in your life, which allows you to set your compass in the right direction.

5. Create space for new possibilities

Stress and tension manifest in the body. The yoga practice opens and energises the body by stretching, extending and releasing tension. Increasing body movement, and making the body more flexible is undoing stored knots and contractions. The conscious bodywork of yoga therefore harmonises body and mind by creating space and openness in your physical body – which then also flows into your mind.

This new mental space has room for fresh ideas, creativity and new possibilities –allowing you to bring the harmony and balance of yoga into every aspect of your life.

6. Learn to listen to your heart

When your mind becomes still your thoughts become clearer and you can perceive your inner being at a deeper more profound level. When you stop conversing with others you become aware of your own inner dialogue. This is where the journey of truly knowing yourself begins.

By observing and listening to you inner voice, you start to understand the beautiful wisdom of your heart, which is always guiding you with the best intentions.

7. Connect with your natural way of being

Imagine stripping away the conditioning from your childhood and the experiences of your life up until now.

Imagine that you release your being from all of the constraints that these layers of identity bring - and that underneath, you find your inner most nature in its purest essence. In this state, you experience a sense of complete freedom, deep inner peace and harmony – a feeling of being at ease and one with all that exists.

This is the doorway that a silent retreat ultimately opens for you. When taking time out from your everyday life, practising silence and letting go of your regular mental patterns connects you to your true natural state. A state of complete inner harmony is invited to emerge from within and transforms your entire being.

If this speaks to you, why not get out of your comfort zone, give yourself the gift of stillness and join us at Easter for our next silent retreat – Easter yoga & meditation retreat

About the author

Nina Hansen

Inspirational Speaker, Facilitator, Yoga & Meditation Teacher

Nina Hansen has walked the spiritual path for well over 20 years. Nina's profound wisdom and serenity captivates participants at the numerous workshops, retreats and courses that she leads. Nina's spiritual dedication and loving nature can be felt during the various teachings she offers that are flavoured by her gentle and soft teaching style. Compassion and tolerance are intrinsic components in her ability to convey the message of yoga and spirituality in a modern and contemporary approach.

Originally Norwegian, after studying and living in England and travelling extensively, Nina now calls Australia home and prefers the pristine beaches and warmer sub-tropical climate of the Sunshine Coast.

Nina has followed the Tantric path since 1999 and this focus is reflected in her teachings on Tantric sexuality, the awakening of the divine feminine and her skillful practice and transmission of the transforming practice of Tantric yoga. Nina’s path as a Tantric teacher is one of authenticity and integrity as she communicates this diverse and fulfilling path.

Nina embodies a sincere and mature attitude to genuine inner growth. This is reflected in her understanding that bringing spiritual practice into every moment of life by cultivating awareness is an essential quality to develop on the spiritual path. This ability to remain present is fundamental to expanding consciousness and is a constant reminder to embrace the journey of life and cherish each and every day.

As a truly gifted graphic designer, Nina runs her own thriving business – Nina Hansen Design where she uses her natural appreciation of aesthetics in a visual context. Nina has previously worked in some of the biggest and most successful design agencies around the world but now prefers the freedom and flexibility of her own business. Nina completed her studies in Visual Communications and the History of Art and Design in England. Nina is also an enthusiastic dancer and revels in the glitz, energy and flow of all things Latin dance.

It is perhaps fitting that her travels to India marked the beginning of Nina’s spiritual path. Nina was fascinated with the richness of Indian philosophy, specifically Tantra and quickly became absorbed by metaphysical and esoteric teachings. Her strong background in art, creativity and design gave Nina a deep appreciation of spiritual art, architecture and esoteric symbolism, all of which have an important role in the spiritual tradition of India.

Nina followed the calling of her soul to embark on the spiritual journey and search for happiness and true inner peace. After this beginning Nina spent extended periods in both India and Thailand practicing and studying this path of wisdom.

Nina has realised that the relentless pursuit of happiness was at the heart of human existence and yet this happiness is always within. The contentment we are all searching for is a deep inner peace and Nina lives each day through the understanding that happiness is a choice and we are the ones responsible for making that choice in each and every moment.