Most of us could use a little more balance in our lives, but so often we only seek it out part-time. We work like crazy and then try to blow off steam, occasionally detaching on a vacation…only to head right back into the overly busy cycle.
Celine Wallace created Sattva Soul Retreats with the intention that women not only experience mindfulness on their Bali getaway…but that they actually bring bliss back home and incorporate into their lives.
We caught up about the new venture.
Tell me about Sattva Soul Retreat and the inspiration behind it.
Sattva Soul came out of living a life that looked fantastic from the outside but in reality was hectic and far from fulfilling. Over the years, I kept seeking moments of stillness and alternative ways to decompress from the rat race.
I was an Actress, Writer, Author and Fitness instructor – it’s exhausting just saying it! I would turn to mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation to reset and rejuvenate, which sparked my curiosity to learn different styles of healing. I studied part-time, learning everything from Nutrition, Pilates, Yoga, Tarot, and Reiki, and many other types of alternative healing.
I finally decided to take Yoga and Healing from a passion to a full-time career when I decided to book a ticket to Bali. It was during my Yoga Teacher Training that Sattva Soul Retreats was born. I wanted to share the knowledge I’d learned through my own journey of self-discovery and provide a retreat that I would want to go on, as a prime example of being a busy woman who didn’t know when to slow down, or how to do it.
I wanted to create a total transformational women’s retreat that addresses wherever you are in life and gives you tools to obtain balance in every aspect of the mind, body, and soul.
Who are the Sattva Soul Retreats for?
Sattva Soul Retreats are women’s transformational health retreats that are for women in every stage of life. We are different from other retreats because we are aimed at helping you make both the dietary and lifestyle changes necessary to bring your mind, body, and soul into perfect balance.
We offer a customized itinerary to make sure you get the most out of your experience so you leave feeling blissful but inspired and ready to tackle life.
How is this retreat different?
Most retreats offer a weeklong all-inclusive vacation and then say goodbye, but with Sattva Soul Retreats I wanted women to leave with an overall sense of wellbeing, equipped with the resources to use day to day for long-lasting happiness. I wanted to make sure everyone was pampered, but also educated, empowered, and inspired.
Not like some types of retreats, where you go to a destination location, do yoga every day, then you go back to reality and you’re back to ground zero within a week. What a waste of time and money! But, time is ultimately our biggest currency. Time is the most valuable thing we have I wanted to pack as much into the retreat in a week as possible.
I created a unique total transformational health program that is exclusively for women, combining healing in all areas of life. From food to bodywork and daily activities – every element is carefully arranged to restore balance while allowing you to relax and recharge.
I also want this to be the individual’s experience too, so there is also no expectation to join all the activities. It’s basically an offer for you, but once you arrive if you want to stroll the beach or have a massage, then we want you to go do that. It’s all about listening to your body and learning to do what fills you up.
We have so many services and healing aspects, all carefully selected and on offer we have daily spa services, yoga, surfing, meditation, tarot, chakra balancing, sound healing, cooking classes, Balinese blessings, cleansings, nutrition – the list goes on, which I will be teaching, along with some of the best teachers in Bali and around the world.
How did you choose Bali for the location?
Bali is a very magical place that is away from the noise of the Western world. It’s also tropical and very spiritual, with the Balinese people praying and making offerings to the gods throughout the day as you walk the streets.
It’s a beautiful and sacred place for people to undergo a transformation and restore their energy. As well as being surrounded by beaches and mountains – it couldn’t be more perfect!
Let’s talk about balance: where we lose it, how we get it back, why this is important for women.
We are living in an age where almost everything is accessible at all times and people don’t know how to self-care and make themselves unavailable. Social Media feeds into this too, where the lines are blurred between exposure and privacy. People are sharing their lives 24/7, so it’s not like the old days where you go to work, then come home from the office and spend time with family and friends.
Most people don’t even know how to ‘switch off’ and have a phone in their hands from the moment their eyes open in the morning; to the moment they shut them at night. That’s a whole day clinging to a device that sends radiation into your body, as well you focusing your attention on it and a million other things.
Most of us are multitasking and medicating our bodies with too much caffeine, over/under – eating, and over/ under-exercising, because of stress and to keep pumping more energy into our systems to keep going.
It becomes a never-ending hamster wheel that is draining your cup and leads to burnout. I would encourage every woman who reads this to list 5 things they can do to give back to themselves and pour energy back into filling their cup. You can’t pour from an empty cup. If you can’t think of anything then here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Go to yoga once a week, or do some form of physical activity.
- Don’t answer your phone before 8 am or after 10 pm.
- Mediate for 5-10 minutes every morning, there are apps you can use, like Calm or Headspace.
- Make as many homemade meals as you can so you can use local and organic whole foods.
- Write down 5 things you’re grateful for every morning or night, both if you can.
- Have a bubble bath once a week and read a book.
How has your life changed since incorporating more mindfulness and healing work?
To say since starting my journey of learning and healing I have seen massive changes in my life is an understatement. Situations that used to baffle me I now handle with ease, toxic relationships have filtered out of my life, and things I work on manifesting come into reality.
Before this journey I used to run around taking too much work on, I was caffeinated up to my eyeballs, then I would go out and drink to destress from the day – only to start the same vicious cycle all over again the morning. Now I’m listening to my body, I don’t get worried or anxious anymore and I feel at peace with life, like every day is a new experience for opportunities.
However, what I’ve learned has also helped me to not be attached to any opportunities, so I don’t put pressure on anything and just trust the journey. From where I was 10 years ago to where I am now, you probably wouldn’t even recognize me as the same person.
I’m dedicating my path to helping women discover this point of internal happiness, so then they can help themselves to be the best version of themselves.
What kind of experience can someone expect from their retreat?
Whether the ladies want to dine on a freshly prepared meal by the best chefs in Bali, indulge in a pampering spa treatment, plot their next big life move, or just surrender their mind to our serene surroundings, each woman will be led down a path of health, happiness, tranquility, and wisdom for a week with a soul vibrating and renewing experience.
We hope the ladies meet some wonderful fellow goddesses on the way, too. Anyone who wants to know more can go to our website for more info, or check on out on Instagram and Facebook.
