Tag Archive for: Life Change Retreats

Do Your Fears of Travelling, Stop you in Your Tracks?

What is the mind chatter that goes through your head, when you think of taking a trip? Do you find the prospect of travel exciting or frightening!  Is your inner talk ‘fear-based’ or ‘your imagination running wild with excitement?’ Do you think thoughts like: What if I will get lost? What if I can’t understand the locals? How will their food taste? Will I enjoy it, or will it make me sick?

Do thoughts like these stop you from booking your dream holiday?  Or even simply putting travel off…. till its safer, or you have more friends to go with.

Or are you quite the opposite: Your insides ‘bubbling” and you can’t wait to get on the plane! You look up photos of places you will see, googling the food, the people, everything looks so different and exciting!

Our world is an amazing place, filled with wonderful places to visit, historical sights and full of people, just like you, who live the same as we do, just ‘doing life’ in their own way! Every culture has similarities but it is the differences that are so intriguing!

Here are some simple travel tips to overcome your concerns……

No: 1 – PLAN…

You have to know where you are going. Do some research! You don’t need to have a very detailed plan.. But knowing where you are going and a couple of ‘check-in points’ are common sense.Plan your Trip

THINK about: How long will you travel for.. WHAT do you want to see? WHY are you going to ‘that’ place? What do I want to see, do and experience?
ASK Yourself: How can I add value to the people I get to meet?

WHO will I travel with? Myself, with a friend/partner; in a group, or self-managed?
Where we go and what we want to experience plays a big part in this step in the planning.
RESEARCH… What are the highlights?
Does it fulfill any dreams or goals? Is there any safety concerns? can I do and see what I want to do? SECURITY! Travel partners- big or small group! Ages!
Be consciously aware of the possible hazards you may encounter and be prepared.
a. Food – chances of getting ‘runny tummy’…. anywhere in Asia/South America… the chances are pretty good.

No 2: PACK a medical kit – just in case stuff!

No3: TRAVEL with a friend.

Travel safely in a group

Having a buddy when you travel to look after you (and you look after them) is smart when traveling in a foreign country. Especially on your first trip and essential if you know no-one there.

No 4: Get insurance.

Travel insurance is a good investment. Buy an Annual policy it’s way better value for money. Shop around but check the benefits.  You are buying ‘Peace of Mind’  reducing the fears of travelling.

Take a small step. Go somewhere close for your first trip. Then, take a bigger step!
Get inspired, have a vision board where you want to go or have a diary..

How Do I Plan My Travel?

I have a Dream book where I paste amazing places I would like to visit, so does my husband.  We plan to have a ‘break’ or holiday once every year.  So we need to decide where to go … so this is how we do it!

We have a Joint Bucket list. It has three columns:

a: Places we want to see/ things we want to do.

b. How long do we need to spend travelling?  (Length of holiday)

c.  Can we combine a few things or places?

d. How much it will cost to travel there for that period, to do those things?

When we plan a holiday we go to the list…. and match up time and money and …. when we match up….    we are done and ready to go!

This process allows us to advance plan our trips.  This builds up anticipation and builds up excitement, sometimes years in advance…. and

Solomon Islands

Go Slow in Solomon Islands

we almost ‘know’ the destination by the time we get there as we have researched so much. You can do the same whether it is for a 10 day break or moving countries…. we have done both many times…. the process is the same! Know where you are going, what is there, the things to see, things to be aware of and fear is no longer in your way!

Do you have fears of travelling? How do you overcome them?

Why Do We Choose Bali for our Retreats?

Everyone knows Bali is the Islands of the Gods.  Bali has beautiful beaches, amazing spots to surf!  It also, has the best ‘pampering relaxation packages’ from the basic and affordable to the most decadent, lavish and expensive!  And then, there is the local people and the amazing energy which surounds the Balinese people!  But, there are also lots of other reasons we have chosen Bali for out signature Retreat destination, most of which you have never really thought about!

Here is a Blog from our Ground Management team, who makes sure all our guests enjoy every moment of their Retreat with Lie Change Retreats.     Have a read…. this is why we choose Bali Bui Retreat Company to look after you!  Their knowledge, experience and wisdom is the best available in Bali.

 

Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean a short flight from India.  The main export is tea.  But Sri Lanka is more than just tea.  Sri Lanka is Bali 50 years ago…. But with far more archaeological importance than you could ever imagine!

UNESCO Heritage Sites

Sri Lanka is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites and it houses more archaeological wonders than most tourists ever expect.  It is a small country where both Hinduism and Islam have both had a huge influence.  There are mosques and temple complexes found everywhere throughout the country, however it is Buddhism that really underpins the Sri Lankan Culture.

Sigiriya

No journey to Sri Lanka would be complete without a trip to the 1600 year old Sigiriya Citadel Rock, a 200 metres high mountain of rock standing large and tall over the plains of Dambulla.  The summit can be reached by visitors by climbing 1200 steep, well-worn steps and twisting ladders to the first plateau where we catch our first real ‘breath-taking’ view of the surrounding countryside.  It is amazing.  Those with some strength left, it is up another 200 steps or so to the summit and the ancient citadel and elaborate Buddhist city of Alakamanda,  and home of a former royal palace, dating back to the 10th Century.  There are only ruins remaining but use your imagination to picture the magnificent structure, some 7 stories high, housing some 1000 chambers and inhabited by the Kings family, servants and palace aides.

Simple Sri Lanka

The climb to the summit is not for the fainthearted but it is worth every ‘out of breathe’ step.  You pass murals and frescoes of nymphs and Buddha statues of Gal Vihara and the ancient relic shrine of Hatadage.  #One wall is so highly polished, yes even after all these centuries, that it still reflects sunlight to light up a frescoes you would otherwise not see.

The trip down Sigiriya is quicker but the views and artifacts you pass by are just as fascinating.

History

Sri Lanka is a tropical Island with two main climate zones.  There is a wet zone, covering the south-east quarter and a dry zone covering the rest of the country.  The island contains no natural lakes except a few small flood plain lakes but has hundred of man made reservoirs.  The earliest of these built over 2500 years ago, the more recent… 800 years ago.  How forward thinking were the Sri Lankan people.  They still today have no issues with water.  The irrigation canals and drains to move water from the mountains to the plains pre-date Christ and most were built in 6 to 3 BC!   Just imagine that…. Triangular drainage canals, that still work to this day, built BC.

During  the period 1984 to 1986 three lakes were built, mainly for hydroelectric purposes.  These were Lakes Kotmalé, Victoria and Randenigala and were built by impounding the River Mahaweli and were deliberately constructed at different elevations.  The water is collected and then moved to where it is needed for farming purposes (and to generate electricity) via drainage canals similar to those constructed centuries earlier.    It is amazing system and the Gardens below Sigiriya shows them canals and drainage systems in operation.

People

The people are friendly and welcoming.  The food delightful, nothing like Indian which was a surprise.   You will see kids playing cricket everywhere, fishermen on poles and bargaining in the markets.  It is vibrant, colorful and your senses will be overpowered by the smells and sights.  It is delightful!  Amazingly, not too crowded, which was a surprise.

When people told me that Sri Lanka was how Bali was, before tourists, I was skeptical… but they are right.  You move back in time in a good way, when you visit Sri Lanka.

No matter where you go in Sri Lanka you will constantly be reminded, there is way more than ‘tea’  to see here.

When you are feeling Stuck, bored, depressed or even feeling as it life is not worth living, it is time for you to change your life.  Routine is boring.  Habits keep us in our comfort zone. Variety is the spice of life… so if you are feeling stagnant, it is time to do something different!

1.Change your routine.

Your reality is created by the ‘routine’ of the things you do daily.  If you want your life to change you need to ‘shake it up a bit’. Change the Routine!Change Your Life

Add an activity or delegate a task you normally do.  Start going for a walk; join the gym; eat breakfast for dinner!  It doesn’t really matter what you do, so long as you break your boring habits.  Your Life can’t change unless you do something different!

2. Examine your Goals.

Do they align with your values?  Do you even know what your Values are?  If you align your goals with your values you will instantly change your life and your energy.

What are your passions, your interests, and your priorities?  What sort of legacy you want to leave behind.  This question applies not only to your career, but to your relationships, to your finances, your health principles.

How do you want to be remembered by your family, friends and associates?

3. Improve Your Relationships

Regardless of how much money you make or how great your successes are, if you have no one to share the experiences with, you will not fully enjoy the achievements.

Work on the relationships you already have.  Spend quality time with your loved ones.  Learn to compromise!  Admit you are wrong when you make mistakes. Nurture your relationships.  They are precious!  You will never realise how valuable, until you lose them.

Make new meaningful connections with others.  If you are feeling lonely, you must take matters into your own hands, get proactive.  Put yourself in social situations.  Attend meetings or functions.  Set a goal to make connect with one person at least per day, or at least per week.  Strike up conversations. Put a smile on your face and say hello, it is the best way to make a new friend!  A new friend will change your life.

4. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone!

Humans need variety to be happy.  You can’t have variety if you are stuck doing the ‘same old, same old’ routine every day.

Try to do something new every day!  Go to different shopping centre; talk to stranger; eat something new.  Use your non-dominant hand to clean your teeth.  Anything, to break the comfort of routine!!!

Start a new hobby or travel to a new place.  If you go to the gym, use different equipment!  If you run, take a different route and push yourself to run a little further each day.  Set a new goal.

Find ways to meet new people.  Join a club, go to the theatre, the ballet, the movies.   Anything that will create interest and variety in your life and breaks your routine, takes you out of your comfort zone will change your life.  It will, or may, bring up a bit of fear, just “Do it Anyway”  there is no point in living if you are not ‘alive’ while you are doing it!

Travel is in our blood and in yours too if you are visiting our Blogs but, I’m pretty sure, before you travel with us, you are looking to get a proper feel for who we are.

Our Background

Joslyn was born in New Zealand and Steve in Zimbabwe.  We met, as you do, in the Solomon Islands whilst working on International Aid Projects.  Both of us, involved in teaching and mentoring local people to be and do more than they believed they could.  Our love of travel and new experiences ensured we became firm friends.  We played squash, golf and scuba dived together.  Steve took off a couple of years from his career as a Crop Scientist to become a salvage diver.  During this time, we hosted groups from Australia and America on scuba diving tours of the fantastic diving spots in the Solomon Islands.

Fast forward a few years and we married in 1986 and moved to and lived in South Africa for 13 years.  We had an opportunity to change countries again and so have been residing in Australia for the past 21 years.

How Often Do We Travel?

We both love travel and exploring new countries, cultures and tasting the different cuisines.  To date, we have travelled to about 73 countries and many destinations and one thing we have learnt is that it is much more fun to travel with like minded people.  So, Life Change Retreats and Journeys was created to enable us to travel with people whose company we would like to enjoy.  Yes, the Retreats have a little ‘work’ involved, but the focus is on ‘you’ and on relaxing, taking the time to look at your life and compare what works and to change what doesn’t work.

Our Journeys are about new experiences.  Even if you have been to the countries we visit, we can guarantee that, in most cases, our trips will be different.  We have (and will continue to) source experts who local knowledge, that can show us the ‘tourist sights’ but also the ‘behind the scenes’ local true flavour and real life of the people and the foods.  And all with your safety and comfort in mind.

Our Life Change Retreats are for you if:Travel makes the Heart Sing

  • You would like to expand your Mind to see your opportunities
  • If you want to reconnect with your resilience and sense of self?
  • It’s time for you to reflect on your current life circumstance and compare what’s working and what’s not
  • You know it is time to start valuing yourself
  • You want to learn how to live life on Purpose and hence find out what that Purpose actually is.

Our Life Change Retreats and our Journeys are for you if:

  • Feeling safe and included when you travel overseas
  • You want to experience and connect with different cultures & spiritual practices
  • You want to open your heart to new experiences and opportunities
  • To make new friends
  • To have fun in a small group with other like-minded people.

Our Retreats and Journey’s are for everyone!  We host Women Only Retreats;  Men’s Retreats; Women & Men’s only Journeys and COMBINED Journeys.  (Combined = singles, friends, partners, couples)

If you are ready to Press Pause on Life,  join us on a trip.   We will leave from an airport near you!