There are times in your life where you just know that you’re experiencing something that is positively life changing.
You get a feeling in your soul that what you’re experiencing is going to be a turning point for you, and lead you in a fresh, new and much needed direction.
My recent trip to Bali gave me this exact feeling.
Last week I travelled to Bali solo for the Remarkability Retreat with Lorraine Murphy.
Lorraine is a thoughtleader in entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, organisation, marketing and social media.
She started her first business The Remarkables Group in her spare bedroom. The business went on to secure over $1m in revenue in its first 12 months and is seen as a best practice case study in entrepreneurship.
In December 2017, Lorraine sold the The Remarkables Group in order to focus on her “soul on fire stuff” – writing, speaking and mentoring.
She is someone that I follow very closely and really do look up to.
Earlier in the year, Lorraine announced that in November she would be hosting a wellness, business and spiritual retreat in Bali.
Prior to Lorraine announcing the retreat, I had visited a psychic medium who told me that later on in the year I would go to Bali on a self development retreat. At the time I didn’t think much of it until the opportunity with Lorraine popped up and there was one spot left!
Little did I know how life changing and beneficial this trip would be for me.
I’ve visited Bali once before with my Mum (read about it here), and we spent the majority of time in Seminyak, and had an incredible experience. I used to have this thought that Bali was reserved for the party scene, but both of my trips there have been fantastic. It’s all about ensuring you know where to go to get the best experience!
This trip was very different – and was JUST what I needed at this time in my career.
Lorraine and her team had organised the retreat so that it was the perfect mix of business, wellness and spiritual experiences, and I seriously couldn’t fault it one bit.
There were nine women on the trip. Seven from different parts of Australia, and two from overseas. None of us knew each other, and only two of the retreat members had met Lorraine before. Safe to say, at first we were all wondering how this was going to go.
Believe me when I say that the retreat group was the perfect mix of women. There was a vast mix of ages, business levels, and we were all at different stages of life. One thing we had in common though was that we were all there because we wanted to work on ourselves – whether that be in a business, wellness or spiritual sense.
The retreat all up went for seven days, and was planned perfectly. There were days where we would have business mentoring sessions with Lorraine for half the day, and then “Go Inwards Time” in the afternoon (free time), and other days we would have more time on our own, or we could venture out and do day trips.
What I loved most though was that we started every morning together as a group for Miracle Mornings, and then gathered together in the evenings for Evening Circle and a group dinner.
This trip to Bali was an incredible adventure, and there is so much I want to share with you all about it, so here are the best bits…
Miracle Mornings
When I was looking over the retreat itinerary on the night that I arrived (which was actually 2am as my flight was heavily delayed), I saw that at 6am every morning we would be partaking in this thing called “Miracle Morning”.
It was a foreign concept to me, but I set my alarm and woke up each morning at 5.45am. Let’s just get this clear, I normally wouldn’t wake up until around 6.30am on a weekday, so this was a big deal!
On our first morning as a group, Lorraine explained that our miracle mornings would centre around the concept written in the book “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod.
Based on the premise that how you start your day largely determines the quality of your day, your work, and your life, The Miracle Morning gives you the ultimate morning ritual and teaches night owls how to beat the snooze button, even if you’ve never been a morning person.
It’s the idea that you start your day off the right way, by either practising yoga, mindfulness, meditation, journaling etc.
For us on this retreat, it meant starting every day with a yoga session lead by Brodie from Temple Retreats (who was absolutely incredible). I’ve always loved yoga, but haven’t made enough time for it recently, so I was actually thrilled to hear that this would be part of our morning routine.
After our yoga sessions each morning we were taken through guided meditation exercises, Oracle Card reading (we were each gifted a set of our own), and then enjoyed a glass of hot water with lime. The miracle morning routine quickly became one of my favourite parts of the retreat.
And you know what? I’ve stuck to a similar sort of routine now that I’m home! It’s safe to say that practising this slower start to the morning on retreat showed me that I needed to integrate it into my life back home.
Normally, I would wake up, quickly check my phone and then rush out the door to the gym. This was actually making me feel anxious first thing in the morning. Now, I’m actually waking up half an hour earlier than normal, doing a few stretches and meditation, reading my oracle cards, and then making my way to the gym.
These small adjustments to my morning routine have actually been SO beneficial for me, and I thank Lorraine and Brodie for this, because they showed me just how important it is to have your mornings set up right.
My Session With A Healer
Oh gosh, where do I begin with this one?
When Lorraine was in Bali earlier this year, she visited Jimmy Doyle, and Australian healer based in Bali. I remember her talking about her experience with Jimmy on her Instagram and thinking that next time I go to Bali I wanted to see him.
On the first full day on the retreat, we all got to have a one hour session with Jimmy.
I actually had no idea what to expect from seeing Jimmy. I’ve seen many psychics before, but never a healer so wasn’t too sure what he was going to focus on. Sure enough – as soon as I sat down on the chair in the room, he picked up that I had anxiety and knew exactly where (without even coming near me) I stored all my anxious energy.
Jimmy is very relaxed and discreet, and truly has a gift for eliminating blocked areas of the body. He explained in our session that different sides of our body are related to feminine and masculine energy, and during the session, he rebalances your energy, and pinpoints different areas and presses on them to relieve pain. He would press on parts of my body that I have never felt pain before, but then I would suddenly feel it, like it was underlining pain that I had stored in there for years!
Mantras are part of the session with Jimmy and he would ask me to repeat mantras after him so that I could heal myself too.
I was really surprised at what Jimmy focused on during my session, but it all made sense to me a few days later as I was immersing myself further into the retreat.
If you’re looking to see him next time you’re in Bali, prepare to be surprised. He will often focus on something that’s significant, but you might be reluctant to address, such as moving into a new chapter of life, letting go of the past, or negative preconceptions about yourself.
Yoga Barn
If you’re a yogi, or even non yogi in Bali – you must visit Yoga Barn and do a class!
This was part of one of the day trips during the retreat, where we could venture out and go wherever we wanted to! Myself a three of the other ladies on the retreat were really keen to visit Yoga Barn in Ubud, and my oh my did we have the time of our lives.
Yoga Barn is an indigenous, rustic, spiritual space, set amidst terraced rice paddies, nestled in the bustling mountain village of Ubud, Bali. They have created an inviting, spirit-inspired environment, with their main focus on teacher and student-guest needs.
We decided to partake in a Yin class.
Previous to Bali, I was never a Yin fan. I looooooove Power yoga where you work up a sweat, but since doing this Yin class I’ve changed my mind!
For those unaware, a Yin yoga class usually consists of a series of long-held, passive floor poses that mainly work the lower part of the body – the hips, pelvis, inner thighs, lower spine. These areas are especially rich in connective tissues. The poses are held for up to five minutes, sometimes longer.
This is honestly the class that I needed.
Picture yourself in a massive upstairs loft, with a beautiful breeze coming through the open windows, lying down stretching out parts of your body that haven’t been stretched for months and are super tight. All the while, listening to the soothing sounds around you – and a yoga teacher that seriously has some sort of magic powers!
All I can say is get yourself to Yoga Barn and do the Yin class..then come back to me and we can discuss!
Ayurvedic Doctor
As part of the wellness and spiritual element to the retreat, we were treated to a visit from an Ayurvedic Doctor, who spoke to us all about Ayurvedic medicine (“Ayurveda” for short), which is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India.
It’s based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Its main goal is to promote good health, not fight disease. But treatments may be geared toward specific health problems.
He worked with us on finding out our life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. They are Vata dosha (space and air); Pitta dosha (fire and water); and Kapha dosha (water and earth).
Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas, but one is usually stronger than the others. Each one controls a different body function. It’s believed that your chances of getting sick, and the health issues you develop, are linked to the balance of your doshas.
I was classified as a Vata Dosha. Whilst there was a lot to digest from the session with the Doctor, there is so much that I want to research and learn about how I can balance my dosha’s – expect more on this to come once I’ve worked it all out!
Prana Spa
Wow what an experience this was.
After learning all about the Ayurvedic way of living, one of the ladies on the retreat discovered a day spa in Seminyak that specialised in Ayurvedic treatments. Of course, most of us were keen to visit, so we all visited Prana Spa on our last full day in Bali.
One of the largest spas on the island of Bali, Prana, unlike any other, has been designed with a strong influence of Indian & Middle Eastern exotic architecture.
The interior and exterior of this spa was absolutely breathtaking. I absolutely loved the Indian and Middle Eastern influence on the design, and it’s one of those spa’s where you have to see it to truly believe how incredible it is.
I opted for the Shirodhara treatment (which also included a one hour massage and foot scrub). Shirodhara literally meaning “head flow” is one of the most desired Ayurvedic treatments. Beginning with a head, scalp, neck and shoulder massage, the treatment is focused on calming the wandering mind.
Then, a slow pouring of medicinal oils cascades over your sixth chakra on your forehead, stimulating your third eye and window to the soul. Recommended for calming the nervous system, this was a fantastic experience and something I am so glad that I did.
At first I was a little worried about how I would feel having oil poured over my forehead for half an hour, but I actually fell into a deep meditative state, and then eventually fell asleep! Safe to say I woke up feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I had never had so much clarity!
Sessions with Lorraine
Now onto one of my favourite parts of the retreat – the group mentoring and one-on-one sessions with Lorraine.
I knew going into this retreat that I needed to gain more clarity and answers surrounding my business and where I see it heading into the future – but I didn’t expect to come out of the retreat having all the answers.
And that’s exactly what happened! I am now home and have never felt so clear on where I want my business to go.
Lorraine’s sessions focused a lot on what the group wanted to know about business, and she catered to everyones needs, no matter where we were at in our careers. I focused with her a lot on business growth and development, and how I could expand my business to the next level (or Dak & Co version 2.0 as we referred to it!).
What I also loved about Lorraine’s approach to the mentoring, is that she just knew the right questions to ask about your business, and made you seriously and strategically think about the answers. There were SO MANY “Aha” moments thoughout both the group sessions and individual session with her, and so many times where I was frantically writing notes in my notebook!
I learnt so much from her that I needed to hear, and I honestly feel like I have come back with a massive (but amazing) to-do list of all the things I want to achieve and focus on with my business.
Let’s just say that there has been ALOT of mind mapping and thought processing since I’ve been back, and I can’t wait to put it all together for 2019.
As well as all of this, we were treated to daily massages, incredibly delicious and nutritious food, amazing service from the Villa staff, as well as the opportunity to meet so many likeminded women, all in one place.
This trip was truly life changing and soul filling.
If you’re thinking that you need to take some time out for you, then I would highly recommend a solo trip on a retreat.
At first I was a little worried about traveling on my own with eight other strangers, but once I got there I just knew that it was an experience I needed to do on my own, and I’m SO very glad that I did.
I feel like I have come back home having become a better business owner, daughter, friend and person, and I have Lorraine and her team to thank for that.
You can learn more about Lorraine here. As far as I know she is looking to hold another retreat in 2019, but I call dibs on the first spot that is available!!
If you are interested in learning more about any part of the retreat, please contact me either via email (jmrdak@outlook.com) or Instagram private message (@astylishmoment)!
