Feedback and reflection from a guest after returning home after experiencing our Self Love Journey Retreat in May.
The Self Love Journey & Retreat
Learn to love yourself, rebalance, re-energise and understand yourself on a deeper level with a transformative Self-Love Retreat at Aleenta Phuket Spa Resort.
Learn to love yourself unconditionally through wellness, self-inquiry and personal transformation under the mindful guidance of the wellness experts at Ayurah. Experience a luxurious stay in tranquil surroundings, with healing massages that soothe away stress, allowing the body and mind to reset. Overcome limitations through personal coaching, guided meditation, learning about your inner energy, and physical movements.
The Aleenta Self-Love Retreats are private, tailored to each participant’s needs (3, 5 or 7 nights), and include private accommodation, full board as well as all services.
Guests Reflection & Feedback of Retreat
Feedback and questionnaire from guest.
Happiness – What does this word mean to you?
Happiness is an overall positive emotional state that I feel by loving myself and expressing gratitude for my life, all of its experiences, and my relationships.
We may notice ourselves feeling happiness through specific small moments and details in our daily life (such as a smile from a stranger, watching the sunrise, or seeing a bird hatch from an egg), however when happiness is active, it gently envelops our entire being and connects us with all of our infinite daily interactions and experiences, whether big and small, conscious or unnoticed.
On a deeper, more conscious level, the Self Love Retreat showed me that happiness is experienced naturally when all of the body’s seven energy centers and the body’s energy flows are in balance, and when I am self aware of that energy balance. Energetically, happiness is felt as a result of high-frequency energy currents radiating and flowing freely throughout the body, coming directly from my Soul.
High frequency energies are projected through life’s daily experiences when (1) I engage and choose to act with intention from the Love (or Loving) based part of my personality** and (2) consciously release myself of any fears and traumas which emit negative energy, low-frequency currents (e.g. interpreting a particular life event through the lens of regret, judgment, feeling inferior, or believing that I am a victim).
**The Love based (high frequency) part of my personality is engaged when I practice self-love, gratitude, appreciation, patience, forgiveness, kindness, reverence for Life and compassion for myself and others when they interact with me through fear.
To be happy and joyful (and to feel true personal power), I believe that we must always consciously choose to act from Love, no matter what the nature of the circumstance, its origin or its outcome. This is particularly true when others interact with us through the Fear-based parts of their personality (e.g. people who judge, accuse, threaten, or act superior towards us) because I know that I cannot control what other people say, think and do.
How do you achieve happiness?
Happiness starts with Self-Love. Without practicing Self-Love first, we are not able to truly provide Love to others. This requires first having compassion for yourself, not taking life too seriously or being too hard on yourself because of perceived flaws or inadequacies because of where I may be on my journey of growth and learning. Only when you truly feel compassion for yourself first, are you then able to feel compassion for others and to give Love to others.
Along with Self-Love, to achieve happiness this retreat taught me the concept of having Reverence for all Life. Reverence for Life helps us realize that all that exists in Nature has been created for a divine reason, from the Universe (the Divine Source), and from Mother Earth (Gaia). All life on Earth has a reason, has a purpose, and has value. Recognising this fact is Reverence. Reverence also means recognising that there is a dynamic relationship between the Earth, nature and human beings, because we draw our inner energy from the Earth and from nature all around us.
Through practicing Reverence, we become conscious of why we are feeling happy (as opposed to unconsciously just feeling “good” but not understanding why). This is because we begin to realize that all of our inner energy that sustains us comes directly from the Divine and the Earth which is there to serve and nourish us, so long as we practice Reverence.
The concept of Reverence and how that relates to our inner energy, has made clear for me the fact that as human beings we are much more than just cellular beings of flesh and blood with brains and personalities – we each have a Soul which was created by the Universe/Divine source. Our existence on the Earth (and our personalities) is a particular incarnation of our Soul on the Earth in a particular time frame. We feel happy when we understand our Soul’s purpose and begin to align our personality and actions consciously towards fulfilling our Soul’s purpose.
Our Soul is connected energetically to the Earth and the Universe. The Soul is therefore the store-house of all of our life force energy, and it is the essence of being human. Happiness comes from the Soul. Our Soul interacts with the world through our personalities, which have components based in Love and in Fear.
When we become conscious of our Soul’s existence, then through Self-Love, happiness is achieved when we recognise within ourselves (and have compassion towards ourselves) that as human beings, we all are imperfect with fears and inadequacies and traumas personal to us, and that we are here on Earth to grow, learn and to heal, consciously discovering what our Soul’s purpose is along the way, and moving towards it, guided by our intuition.
Happiness requires us, through Self-Love, compassion and gratitude, to choose to live through and interpret our experiences in the world consciously guided by Love (high frequency energies), and not by unconscious reactions to Fear (low frequency energies). When we allow Fear to determine our responses to our experiences (e.g through the emotions of anger, jealousy, inferiority, trauma) we disempower ourselves. Feeling compassion for ourselves in the face of our Fears, allows us to release the negative frequencies of Fear from us, and draw high frequencies to us from the Divine, from Mother Earth, and allows us to consciously act from a place of Love.
Living consciously guided by Love is the source of ultimate personal empowerment, and true happiness springs from feeling empowered through living a conscious life guided by Love.
When we learn to release the control that our Fears have over us and embrace the positive, light-filled and high frequency energies of Love, we achieve happiness.
The Retreat has taught me that a consequence of proper Self-Love is that it releases Fear’s control over us.
To really do this properly requires deep, conscious self-awareness of our emotional states and the state of our energies and chakras inside us. Practices like Yoga, Qi Gong, Mindful Breathing (the most powerful detoxifying tool we have, and the bringer of life force to our bodies), Meditation and Martial Arts (Muay Thai) this past week have all helped me to achieve a healthy energy balance/flow, to release negative energy stagnation and pent up emotions, and to balance the Yin and Yang energies within me, which has furthered my conscious self-awareness.
From this state of self-awareness, I feel that I am more able to consciously choose to set my intention to live with Love and compassion and respond to my experiences (and the experiences of others) with Love and without Fear (judgment), so that I can achieve happiness.
What did you learn in the self-love retreat that helped improve you happiness?
I learned during this Retreat that you cannot “pour from an empty cup”. In order to be happy and to improve happiness, I have learned that you must first empower and energize yourself through Self-Love. Only then can you freely give, show compassion, and express gratitude and love to others in a healthy way that does not leave you feeling depleted.
I have learned that Self-Love means releasing yourself from negative energy flows and patterns, appreciating that you are a work in progress, on a continual journey of learning and growth as we learn to be more connected to our Souls and our Soul’s purpose. It means showing gratitude and compassion for yourself first, and not allowing Fears (like self-doubt) to be a barrier to your growth.
Self-Love is not selfishness, or vanity, or narcissism. It is an essential precondition to living a fulfilled life of purpose, of Reverence, and for having healthy, long-term and mutually supportive relationships.
Achieving happiness can be improved through the balancing of Yin and Yang energy in the body so that Yin energy (which originates in Love) can act freely to let you express your creativity and emit high frequency energy. I have learned on the Retreat that overactive Yang energy levels can impede happiness because this can release negative low frequency currents (such as a desire to control, dominate, over-reliance on the intellect) and block the expression of creativity.
This is why, for example, by pairing disciplines like Muay Thai (Yang) with Yoga and QiGong (Yin), one can achieve more balanced inner energy levels, allowing Love and creativity to be more freely expressed through Yin whilst still having healthy Yang levels to provide the impetus to take action, set and achieve meaningful goals, and create results in the world for yourself.
Energy balance is also achieved through understanding and being aware of our Seven Chakras and taking steps to nourish them and to ensure they are balanced. From a more balanced emotional state, we can then fully embrace Self-Love which is fuelled by the limitless energy potential we draw from the Divine and the Earth into our Chakras, through humility and Reverence.
The disciplines of Yoga, Mindful Breathing, QiGong, Meditation, Chakra Balancing Therapies, Journaling and Muay Thai have all been very helpful during the Retreat to balance my emotional state and energies, through which I have been able to feel deeper Self-Love and consequently achieve a greater state of happiness.
Relationships – Do yours bring you joy or stress?
Over the last few years, I have become aware that many relationships in my life have brought me stress. Some others, on the other hand, have brought me joy. But many crucial (especially family, close friend and professional) relationships have for a long time been a source of deep stress for me.
Can you identify behaviours that attract or repel you to other people?
Repelling Behaviours – excessive complaining, lack of consideration, selfishness, bitterness, anger, emotional turbulence and instability, jealousy, anger, sarcasm, acting superior, feeling inferior, making me feel guilty.
Attractive Behaviours – Humility, appreciation, gratitude, patience, caring, supportiveness, reverence, compassion, gratitude, selflessness.
Have you developed / learned how to strengthen ‘positive’ relationships and remove yourself from ’negative’ relationships?
Yes. I now deal with negative relationships by firstly not taking negative behaviours / experiences caused by others personally or reacting to those experiences from the Fear based part of my personality. I look upon such people / relationships with compassion. When negative experiences come towards me from other people, I do not react to them instantaneously with a mirror of negativity projected back towards them (e.g. feeling frustrated, losing my temper, or arguing back). I pause, and then respond with compassion because I realize that I do not know everything about that person and all of their life’s details and experiences.
I also do not know what that person may themselves be struggling with, what traumas may be controlling them unconsciously, or what stage they may be in on their personal spiritual growth journey which may have caused them to act that way unintentionally. This is where compassion is absolutely critical to preserving my peace and happiness, to helping others to grow, and in preventing myself from becoming adversely impacted by negative people and energies which I come into contact with regularly.
I recognise that these people are also in need of healing and that they are on their own journey to overcome Fears and traumas which are controlling them. I also protect myself now by staying away from, and saying no to, negative relationships where the other person is not yet ready to receive compassion and love from me.
I have learned that to strengthen positive relationships, this first requires Self Love. The law of attraction means that like-minded souls which emit similar energy frequencies and who radiate joy will naturally come together and be drawn to each other. It is the same with negative frequency emitting people (e.g. people who love to complain band together, or seek to be around people who will agree with and reinforce their points of view).
By eliminating negative frequencies from myself and from affecting me through the actions of others, this naturally is picked up by others, and I find myself drawn closer to those who have a positive effect on me.
By practicing Self Love, I have noticed that this also inspires others who are struggling with releasing their Fears to become more self-aware and to make better progress along their journey to achieving Self-Love and lasting happiness for themselves.
Inspiration – What moves you to action? not from a feeling of ‘I need to do this’ but from the burning desire of ‘I want to do this!’
The impetus to take action comes when my personality is aligned with the high frequency energies within me that are born from Love through the connectedness of my Soul’s energy to the Universe.
These energy levels rise when my Chakras are in balance, when I feel that I love myself. I feel ready to act when I am self-aware enough to choose Love as my intention to create positive consequences (generating positive karma) for my life that are deliberate, and not unconscious reactions to Fear.
The strongest call to action comes from feeling in tune with my Soul and its purpose, which come from reverence and Love.
How do you clear your mind to allow inspirations to come in and take root?
Allowing myself to be in nature, appreciating and everything nature, taking actions to balance and restore my energy levels and expressing my creativity helps me to clear my mind and unlocks my inspiration.
This includes things like having a good sleep, nourishing my body with healthy food, vigorous exercise (yoga, gym, muay thai), consuming enough water, practicing mindful breathing, actively nurturing my closest relationships, reading, traveling and listening to music help me to gain clarity for inspiration to form.
Also, consciously abstaining from negative experiences, consumptions and negative people/energies is equally important in feeling inspired.
Are there certain places, people, or settings that ignite your inspiration spark?
Being in the deep wilderness (forests, nature reserves). Natai beach in Phuket. Driving along coastlines, taking hikes on hills and mountains. Spending quality time with my partner. Spending time with our dog. Going for walks with them in the park. Going to music festivals, concerts and listening to amazing music. Appreciating nature.
Traveling to foreign undiscovered lands I have never been to. Learning new things, especially creative activities and foreign languages. Reading books that provide timeless wisdom and that tell amazing stories. Working up a sweat through exercise and sports. Being with my close friends, loved ones and family in comfortable settings like at home. Seeing my friends and loved ones succeed and achieve what they most deeply desire in life.
Energy – How do you re-charge?
Expressing gratitude. Through exercise, proper sleep, nutrition, through dis-connecting from the internet and digital devices. Similar response to immediately above.
Are there certain settings, scenarios, activities or people which ‘give’ you energy?
Aleenta 🙂
I get energy from being around happy people, mainly extroverts, and creative, compassionate, supportive, giving people.
Is there anything that quickly drains your energy and makes you want to crawl under the covers? If yes, are you able to avoid the energy draining trigger(s)?
Being around people who excessively complain, and who blame everything that is happening to them on something/someone else. Where their sharing serves no purpose other than just indulging / reacting to their fears and who are merely seeking agreement with their point of view, with no self-awareness or intention to address the underlying cause of what it is that they are complaining about.
Self Love – What does self love mean to you?
I think that I have answered this in the sections above.
Can you describe any positive outcomes that are a result of you adopting a self love practice?
Increased emotional self-awareness, positive and balanced energy levels, a sense of emotional, mental, physical balance, renewed confidence to express myself, to set and achieve meaningful goals, an increased sense of reverence for life, a will and desire to live my life with integrity, and an increased capacity to give joy to others. Overall, I am simply happy and joyful.
Who would you suggest sign up for our self love retreat and why?
My Mother, Brother, my Partner and a few of my close friends. I would suggest this because they all are still growing on their personal journeys towards deeper self-awareness, spirituality, loving themselves, addressing their fears, traumas and any feelings of uncertainty in their lives. Most of all, I care for them and want them to live happy, joyful and fulfilled lives every day.
Other Feedback
Wonderfully balanced itinerary and breadth of practices / activities which were customised beautifully to my individual needs, and which was further customised after I arrived based on my initial wellness assessment. I have definitely achieved above and beyond my personal goals, expectations and desired outcomes for this Retreat. It was so brilliant!
Wonderful setting at Aleenta, wonderful and outstanding hosting and daily guidance by Alisa. Thank you Alisa and Khun Lak for facilitating this amazing experience for me and the lifetime lessons learned.
Excellent retreat facilities
Excellent food and drink (vegan poke bowl, keto unai, steamed seabass, grilled salmon, gazpacho, and all the juices)
Amazing Aleenta staff hospitality throughout, have helped me feel welcome, safe, secure and well looked after every day.
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