Life can be a bit of a slog sometimes. We can find ourselves on the Hamster Wheel Of Life, or just facing the daily grind without really thinking about what we are doing or where we are going. Sewing for yourself or anyone else for that matter just gets pushed out of the picture or put on the back burner until you have “more time”.

Sometimes we just have to stop and temporarily move away from life. Take a side step or just retreat from the coal face – just for a day or so.

I did this recently with my good pal Claire- Louise, also known as @thriftysticher on social media, complete sewing guru and all round fabulous person. She had told me about a Yoga retreat she was going to in Cornwall and did I want to come along. My first thought was ‘well yes it would be lovely but I have so much on my plate a the moment … blah blah blah’ and I didn’t really give it much thought.

Several weeks later even busier and with yet more ‘stuff on my plate’ I realised that I had to take a step back, or retreat from my life temporarily as I had lost sight of where I was going and beginning to feel that mild panic that can swiftly build into overwhelm. So I booked and managed to grab the last place on the retreat.

The weekend was a truly magical one in the most beautiful of settings. We were totally off grid and the wonderful Jules @pureplantnutrition (on instagram) cooked all our delicious meals for us. Amy from @nextwave_yoga lead the yoga sessions for us in the morning as the sun peeped through the trees and in the afternoons with the sun full on our faces.  Evenings were spent chatting around the campfire swapping stories and experiences.

We even went wild swimming in a freshwater lake with water so clean and clear you could drink it – literally, once you’d caught your breath back from the shock of the freezing cold water of course!

There was no mobile signal and that meant freedom from outside intervention or work as most people call it. It was just time to think about and focus on what’s really important and how I can put those things to the front of my life and move towards them.  It also made me realise how un-bendy I am and that I really need to do some more exercise.

Apart from that particular fact I have also been able to take away several key things from that wonderful weekend.

ONE        I need to book time off  – Time off is not some random idea that happens to other people. I can have space away too and it makes me a better person for it.

TWO       Meditation really does calm the soul – I had forgotten this and was overjoyed to have rediscovered it.

THREE    Having a change really is as good as having a rest. It was actually quite hard work for me to do nothing. But changing where you do stuff can be just as beneficial.

FOUR      I need to hang out with my mates more. All work and no play makes Jules a dull girl and laughter IS the best medicine.

So where do you retreat to to help you find the clarity and focus you need? Is it just into the garden for a long G & T or for a walk in the woods early evening? Or maybe you just bugger off with some friends for a night out? Do let me know as I’m always looking for more ideas for ways to re-charge.

You can join Claire-Louise and me for our next Sewing Retreat if you fancy a bit of a chill and some sewing space just for you. Our expert tuition will see you sewing as you’ve never sewn before!

See you soon.

Jules x