This is a story about the what, the how and the why of our retreats. We share our vision, how we wish to attain our vision, and why we are creating these retreats. It’s the tip of the iceberg of the start of our new blog series: the 4 pillars in our retreats. Curious what’s the story behind Eden? Then get your cup of coffee and read along!
Our vision
We aim to inspire everyone who sets foot at Eden to live a happier, healthier and more conscious life. Our guests are guided to be clear on what kind of person they want to be and to create the life they want to live. We have succeeded when our guests feel inspired to live their true potential and to change their lifestyle for the better. All this in an environment amongst nature where deep connections are made with like minded people.
Our four pillars in our retreats:
1. Personal growth
We encourage people to write their own story. To create the life we want to live we need to ask ourselves: ‘What kind of person do we need to be to live that kind of life?’ If I want to be healthy and strong, I need to be that person who lives a healthy lifestyle. If I want to have a loving relationship I need to be that person who is loving, supportive, reliable. If I want to be a successful entrepreneur we need to be visionary, self-driven, resilient. You get the point.
To be clear on what kind of person we would like to be, we ask ourselves what our most important values are. Values that we can live up to everyday that will be our steering wheel to grow into the best version of ourselves. If we can live up to our core values, every day can be a success, despite the circumstances. You would be in charge to be the best version of yourself. We strongly believe that the human soul strives to learn, develop and expand in any possible way and that this is an important factor in living a happy and fulfilling life.
2. Healthy Food
Our intake is our fuel for the body and what we eat has a big influence on how we feel. Our main focus in our yoga retreats is that we serve meals that are high in nutrients, low in sugar, very well balanced and extremely tasty. We get our food from the local market or from our own garden. Out of concern for the environment all of our meals are vegetarian and dairy free and inspired by different cuisines from around the world. Guests experience our breakfast, lunch and dinner as one of their highlights in their day. Our meals are a feast for the eye and our taste buds. It’s also a moment to connect with likeminded people as we eat our meals together as one big family dining out in a luxury restaurant. Imagine dining out among fairy lights, the sounds of the jungle enjoying a 3-course meal and having deep conversations about your journey.
3. Mindfulness
Through yoga, meditation and breathwork classes we practice mindfulness. In our yoga classes we are raising our body awareness and balancing the body. The beauty of yoga is that it gives us exactly what we need. If we are naturally strong, we will get more flexible. If we are naturally flexible we will get stronger. We start the day with an energized flow and end the day in a sunset yin or restorative class, guided by our very experienced yoga teachers. During these classes we also introduce you to the wisdom of yoga philosophy which you can bring into your daily lives.
In our breathwork classes we teach you different techniques to lower stress levels, release emotions, raise our immune system, feel more energized and how we should breathe in general. Our breath is such a powerful tool which is often underestimated. Through our meditations we encourage you to use the power of the mind to your advantage instead of a distraction. We use the power of the mind to calm us down, to focus and to visualize our potential to manifest the life you want to live.
4. Connect with nature
Eden is a place which blends amongst the beauty of nature. Usually a very different setting than back home. When we are living our lives, going through our same routines, it can be difficult to retreat and zoom out. We stay in our unconscious patterns and stay in our comfort zone. Even if that means that it is not healthy for us, we are kind of addicted to our familiar selves. Even the feeling of stress can be highly addictive. For a lot of our guests it takes a couple of days to arrive and to get used to a more balanced flow through the day. Nature has a very powerful influence on us. Nature always looks for balance and harmony, it follows its own natural cycle and instinctively knows what is good to survive. When there is a storm, it knows how to grow back. Nature can be one of our biggest teachers if we take time to observe it, feel it, be it. At Eden we thrive to flow with the rhythm of nature, finding this rhythm within our bodies, listening to its higher intelligence, so we can take that home to whatever that may be.
Why do we run retreats?
To create the life we want to live and to be the person we want to be is something Remy and I are constantly striving for. As long as we can remember we have been trying to be the best version of ourselves, mentally and physically as we both had professional tennis careers. We love to be fit and healthy and in tune with our bodies. To consciously live the life you want to live is something that comes very natural to Remy, but for me it started 8 years ago, when we quit our jobs to go on a world trip for over a year. Now this is a drastic change to step out of your comfort zone and zoom out and it’s not necessary, unless it is your dream to travel. For us it was both. We consciously wrote down our vision in all areas of our lives. We wrote down our vision for our health, our family life, our spiritual life, our financial life etc. We call it our life book. A lot of what we have written down became reality. Working on our life vision is something we are constantly working on. Was it easy to follow our dream? Absolutely not. Did we have doubts along the way? Yes. Did we have setbacks starting a retreat center in a new country? A lot! Would we do it again? Absolutely. All of our adversities along the way has enriched us and made us grown as a person in so many ways. At the end of our journey we are able to say, we have lived life to the fullest. It is our true passion to inspire others to live their best life, to follow their own path and to live their true potential.
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