We asked first-time retreat attendee Lucy Doherty to write a review of the Wellbeing for Changemakers retreat she did with us and this is her full account…
Lucy's Retreat
I haven’t done anything like this before. Retreats or creativity workshops. Before I would have found the idea quite frightening. But I had to do something to get me out of the rut I was in. We had just moved from The Netherlands back to England and I was struggling. I was slouched on the couch for days on end, doom-scrolling and feeling really sad and flat. I had no purpose, no direction and no motivation.
Melissa, the founder of The Academy of Wide-Hearted Living, suggested I give their Wellbeing for Changemakers retreat a go, to try and get me out of my fug. I was reluctant. The idea of spending a few days away from the safety of my sofa with people I didn’t know was a bit overwhelming. But something had to happen so I booked my spot.
What even is a ‘Changemaker’?
As a couch potato, a mum and part-time gardener I am not what you might call a changemaker. Changemakers are people who work tirelessly to make positive change in the world and in their communities. Changemakers work for charities, the NHS, in care homes. But maybe I could be the change I needed in my life and that was enough for now.
As I drove down to Devon I tried to keep an open mind and open heart. There’s always that little bit of dread about introducing yourself, doing those getting to know you activities, and sharing the bits of yourself that you think people will find very boring and mundane. I needn’t have worried. The group of people I met were some of the kindest, nicest people I have ever met and they all had their own reasons for being on the retreat; grief, looking for connection, addressing stress, self-care.
Drawing is my Nemesis
It was a creativity-based retreat with a mix of creative activities. But as soon as someone says we’re doing a drawing task, I immediately start to panic. I cannot draw. But that’s not the point. No one cares. I realised it was about being in the moment, enjoying what you’re doing, having fun and letting go of everything else.
The Activities
Activities across the 2 days included writing, poetry, walking, drawing, chatting, meditating and just being. And when you shut out the voices in your head that tell you ‘you can’t draw’ or ‘that’s rubbish’ then you can truly unlock something inside yourself. And what made me relax the most was that I didn’t have to share anything I didn’t want to. Or do an activity I didn’t fancy. But quite the opposite happened – I wanted to do all the activities and in the end I did share and I even enjoyed it.
I hadn’t really meditated much before but I found myself meeting the others at 7am on both the mornings we were there for a silent meditation. I thought it might feel weird being in a room with strangers, just lying there hoping my tummy didn’t gurgle too loudly. But it turns out that meditation is the single most productive thing I have done in a long time. And the energy that comes from being in a room with kind people is quite something.
The evenings were spent together, cooking together, cleaning up after, chatting and telling stories around the fire. I did a lot of laughing and some crying and realised that I had a lot of things that I had been squashing down for a long time.
After the Retreat
As I said goodbye to everyone to come home I realised something has shifted. I sang all the way home. I went to work the next day and my friends commented on how different I seemed. Lighter, happier and more positive. They were right. This 2.5 days in Devon had changed me. It had unblocked me and I felt like I was back in the land of the living. Since the retreat I have done a creative writing workshop, a beginners drawing course and bought myself some beginners cross stitch. And by just doing those small things and being outside and taking notice of the things around me, I have improved my mental health and wellbeing, 100%. And no more negative self-talk, which is huge for me. When work or life get too much, reaching for something that you can lose yourself in for an hour is one of the easiest ways to find a bit of joy and peace. Can’t wait to do more.
