Have you ever been to a health retreat?
@RawBill1 (8531)
Gold Coast, Australia
April 19, 2011 4:57pm CST
This coming Saturday, I am off for a week long stay at a health retreat. So from Easter Saturday until the following Friday, you will not see me around these parts as I will be off relaxing! 
Well, I am not sure how relaxing it will be, but it should be a lot of fun. There will be a lot of mental work though as the retreat incorporates the Work of Byron Katie, which is a series of group workshops and one on one sessions aimed at getting rid of ones limiting beliefs. It is designed to question any negative thoughts that you have about anything and empower you to greatness! 
We will see!
It is a Raw Vegan retreat which is run by some American friends of ours, The Boutenko Family, so there will be green smoothies all week long designed to energise and detoxify the body.They run these retreats in the USA, but last year branched out into our part of the world by holding one in Thailand which my wife went to. This will be their first retreat in Australia and so far it is the most successful that they have organised as it is the first one to ever sell out! 
You can find out more about the retreat here. There is even a video which shows where I will be spending the next week. http://www.joyforliferetreat.com/Australia-2010.htm
So, have you ever been to a health retreat over any length of time?
Well, I am not sure how relaxing it will be, but it should be a lot of fun. There will be a lot of mental work though as the retreat incorporates the Work of Byron Katie, which is a series of group workshops and one on one sessions aimed at getting rid of ones limiting beliefs. It is designed to question any negative thoughts that you have about anything and empower you to greatness! We will see!
It is a Raw Vegan retreat which is run by some American friends of ours, The Boutenko Family, so there will be green smoothies all week long designed to energise and detoxify the body.They run these retreats in the USA, but last year branched out into our part of the world by holding one in Thailand which my wife went to. This will be their first retreat in Australia and so far it is the most successful that they have organised as it is the first one to ever sell out!
You can find out more about the retreat here. There is even a video which shows where I will be spending the next week. http://www.joyforliferetreat.com/Australia-2010.htm
So, have you ever been to a health retreat over any length of time?1 person likes this
12 responses
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
19 Apr 11
Did they used to be called Hippy Communes?
Haha! Only joking my friend and I hope you have a wonderful time.
Haha! Only joking my friend and I hope you have a wonderful time.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
No, just me. My wife and I were invited to their Thailand retreat for free last year, but it was going to be too expensive for us both to go, so she went alone. Now it is my turn to go to the Australian one. Not as exciting as going to Thailand, but at least I only have to drive an hour to this one!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
20 Apr 11
I'd love to go to Thailand, it sounds like a really beautiful place to visit.
The Maldives is top of my list though. Bag my own palm tree and that's me!
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
19 Apr 11
No, I've never been to one, but it sounds like a really good retreat. Most retreats I've been to is more of a spiritual retreat and not really on the physical health. I wish that concept would reach my country, too.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
I do not think that too much spirituality will come into this one. More healthy food and exercise with personal/mindset development work as well. A friend of ours went to a meditation retreat last year where she was not allowed to speak for the whole 10 days! She said it was amazing! 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
21 Apr 11
I was speaking to another friend of mine last night and he had done the same sort of thing and said it was really great! I think I could do it as I am fairly quiet anyway.
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
20 Apr 11
10 days. Not speaking. 
I don't think I could ever do that! 
I don't think I could ever do that! 
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
21 Apr 11
For someone who eats the bluntest of food and likes it thinking that she is doing good to her body, this sounds great. I haven't been on one though. Recently, my friend has been to one and came back rejuvenated. It was a holistic living workshop which also planned your diet for body and soul. Even though it was bit pricy, she loved it.
I am sure you will have great time as well and since you yourself are so much into this, it would be beneficial for others as well.
Good luck and keep us updated.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
21 Apr 11
I am hoping to come back rejuvenated as well. Your friends retreat sounds great. It is really good, even just for our mental health and stress relief to get away from normal life for a while. I am looking forward to it.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Apr 11
hi rawbill sounds healthy but just raw green stuff I would want tomatoes and carrots, beets andc lots of colorful veggies and some protein
but fish and chicken if they allowed that I would be happy. I am
in the Us and in this tiresome retirement center their idea of ve g g ies is two little heads of cawliflower and twosmall heads of broccoli I guess they do not want to go broke on healthy veggies so fill us up on rice.I have never b een on a health retreat but after having lived here for two years my body craves more fresh fruit and veggies.have a relaxing and wonderful healthy time.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
22 Apr 11
Hi Hatley, it is mainly a week of greens and fruits, lots of liquids for a bit of a detox to get the digestion in order, but there may be salads with vegetables in them, I am not sure. My wife said that they did not in Thailand, but it might be different here due to the different climate and produce. They source fresh local produce which gets delivered daily. I know they were after 10 boxes of bananas, but that is all I know.
It s unfortunate that they do not feed you enough fresh foods. There ought to be a law about that. Rice is cheap, filling and tasty, but too much of it will block up the bowels and add to the risk of cancer in that area. 
Anyway, I am leaving in less than 3 hours, so I should start to get ready. I will have a relaxing time, thanks. See you back here in a week.
Anyway, I am leaving in less than 3 hours, so I should start to get ready. I will have a relaxing time, thanks. See you back here in a week. 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
22 Apr 11
Hi Jen, yes, it will be great. I am really looking forward to it now as I will be there this time tomorrow! I will let everyone here know how it was upon my triumphant return!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
I have many ways to have good health on my own too, but we can always do with a break from normal routine and learn more new things to improve ourselves further.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
19 Apr 11
I hope u have a enjoyable relaxing time. No, i have never been to one.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
I will my friend. It is never too late to go on one!
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
19 Apr 11
It does sound like lots of "healthy" fun! I have never even heard of these before but if i had the money I might go since I think it would be beneficial. Even if I didn't want to live on a total vegan diet I could learn so much from others it would be great. Plus being in a super positive environment would be great too!Hope you have a great time with everyone!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
They are pretty flexible when it comes to the eating habits of people apparently. Some people that went on the Thailand one last year had some food while they were out that did not fit into the program that they were supposed to be on, but everyone was cool with that apparently. Being in a group of like minded people for a week and sharing amazing experiences is always good. One cannot help but be positive!
@lipstick2009 (1236)
• Philippines
20 Apr 11
To be honest, I have never been to a retreat in my entire life, and this has been one of my frustrations in life. I know it's my fault cause I am the only one who has full control of my time and my decision, I guess it is because I felt like I am always racing with time trying to do all things at the same time.
I wish I can have the chance, the budget and the time to join some retreat, be ever what is may serve, I am sure all of them will give my soul to pause for a while and appreciate the things that I do not see or feel because of being busy.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
"I am always racing with time trying to do all things at the same time."
That sounds a lot like me! I would never have taken the time to go to one if these guys had not organised one so close to me. When they live on the other side of the world and then invite me to attend this one so close, how can I refuse!
Things like this are good for me as I will not have to think about doing this or doing that. I will just be taking each day as it comes and going with the flow of it all.
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
19 Apr 11
All that My Lotting made you want to get back to nature, eh? Bill's going to be unstoppable when he gets back & posting at maybe ten times his usual rate. My wife has been to just about every vegan health retreat up your way over the course of the last fifteen years of her life. I think she just goes to work to save up for them! Sounds too expensive for me, Bill & no I haven't been on a health retreat as such, but I have been on a vegan meditation retreat over two weeks near Sydney in Easter 2003. I'm also a believer in "you get what you pay for", so it should be good & a good opportunity to network with other raw fooders.
Video looks good. I think my wife has heard of them before & even picked up some brochures about them recently. At $1295 per person, it's about $200 a day, which is on par with most of the vegan health retreats in the area.
Hope it all works out for you. Let us know how it goes!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
Two week meditation retreat! That would be pretty amazing! A friend of ours went to a meditation retreat last year up the Sunshine Coast where she was not allowed to speak for the whole ten days! 
It is being held at a retreat in Tyalgum which no doubt have run heaps of retreats for all sorts of companies over the years, so maybe your wife has been there? Luckily for us, we did not have to pay for the retreat. I am going for free as we were both invited for free last year to the Thailand one, but as I was going to Norfolk Island later in the year, my wife went alone. That way we also did not have to shut down the business or hire anyone and the kids did not have to be shipped off interstate.
We have helped promote these events a lot over the last few years and Victoria and Valya Boutenko actually came up with the idea for holding retreats on this side of the world while sitting at our dinner table when they were staying with us two years ago. We have had a good business relationship with the family, both organising speaking events and selling their products, so they decided that we could go for free!
It is being held at a retreat in Tyalgum which no doubt have run heaps of retreats for all sorts of companies over the years, so maybe your wife has been there? Luckily for us, we did not have to pay for the retreat. I am going for free as we were both invited for free last year to the Thailand one, but as I was going to Norfolk Island later in the year, my wife went alone. That way we also did not have to shut down the business or hire anyone and the kids did not have to be shipped off interstate.
We have helped promote these events a lot over the last few years and Victoria and Valya Boutenko actually came up with the idea for holding retreats on this side of the world while sitting at our dinner table when they were staying with us two years ago. We have had a good business relationship with the family, both organising speaking events and selling their products, so they decided that we could go for free! 
@changjiangzhibin89 (16560)
• China
20 Apr 11
I have never heard of it,much less have been to there.Any way it is a rare chance and will get your mind off your work.There are either a series of group workshops or green smoothies at health retreat,no doubt It is very good for you.I wonder what kind of business it is,whether health care organization or sanatorium?
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
20 Apr 11
You have never heard of any health retreats or just this particular one? Health retreats come in all sorts of forms. Some are businesses that do their own retreats at their own property. Others do different retreats and different venues all over the country or the world, which is what these guys do. They are health educators, who run the same retreat, but at different locations all over the world by renting out other health retreats or hotels in natural environments. They are also published authors and have made a few documentaries on health as well.
1 person likes this
