Sun, wind and rain – 3 Good things!

Last Sunday was our first 3 Good Things Day Retreat where a wonderful group of like-minded people came together to connect with themselves, each other and the great outdoors. The elements played a big part throughout the day, not only due to our open-air riverside locations, but because of the changeable British summer weather. We had glorious moments of sunshine whilst resting in savasana, invigorating sudden showers that had us running for cover and huddling under trees, and hilarious gusts of wind that mischievously played with our yoga mats and even sent some of our socks off to start their own adventures downstream. The group was brought together by these memorable moments and revelled in nature’s way of keeping us bathing in the present.

The mindful walk between the parks allowed for more acknowledgement of our green and pleasant surroundings, admiring the plentiful allotments and creative garden features. Chatting over the picnic got people realising the things they had in common – families, teaching, gardening, Eastern European languages were just some of the topics that came up. Gratitude journaling, whilst literally digesting our meal, gave us a chance to figuratively digest and reflect individually on the day, our week and life in general.

In the afternoon we got even more well acquainted with some playful partner yoga and relaxing shiatsu massage in the bandstand. It was lovely to see both mother and daughter, and mother and son, pairings choosing to take part in this retreat with one another – getting to spend quality time together and interact in physical ways they might not have done much since becoming adults. We finished by sharing some of our thoughts on the day and things in our lives we felt grateful for – our health, families and food were common themes. The sense of achievement for having stepped out of comfort zones in order to attend the retreat, gratitude for the time spent away from the digital world and the daily grind, and the feeling of being provided for and valued were both heart-warming to hear and apt; I also felt I had stepped out of my comfort zone to lead the retreat, had enjoyed a Sunday mostly away from my phone (apart from snapping the odd photo) and other work preparations, and felt so valued as a teacher and facilitator as participants followed my instructions so intently and with such openness to new experiences and acceptance of the changing weather. We parted ways after a wonderful day together and the heavens opened once more – I felt like dancing in the rain!