| Why Spiritual Travel Is More Important Now |
| Written by Howie Holben | |
| Sunday, 14 February 2010 | |
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Life is really full of stress for most of us right now. Financial worries and uncertainties fill our daily lifes. The media makes it worse with continuously depressing reporting.
Life is really full of stress for most of us right now. Financial worries and uncertainties fill our daily lifes. The media makes it worse with continuously depressing reporting. Stress feels uncomfortable and is painful. Our natural instinct is to avoid anything that is painful. We run away from the pain as fast as we can. In the case of stress, we frequently turn to drugs or alcohol for relief. Escape also comes in the form of a vacation. Yes, a vacation... thats what I need; a chance to get away from lifes stresses; to escape. We think, That way I can come home refreshed and ready to deal with lifes stresses with renewed vigor. A typical vacation can be a big help in dealing with stress. We get a chance to leave the worries behind us for a week or two, but do we really? We spend the first few days of the vacation just unwinding and getting used to being on vacation. The last few days of the vacation, we start stressing about going home and all that awaits us there. In between, we get to escape a little. The problem is that when the vacation ends, we have to go back to the same demands of life we left behind. Most likely we did not learn any new skills to deal with the stresses that made us need a vacation in the first place. In this sense, typical gay travel is only a quick, temporary fix, like a pill or a drink. This is why we think Spirit Journeys is more important now than ever before. Our personal experience has shown us that a gay weekend with Spirit Journeys can be a life changing event. The introduction to new ways of thinking, the learning and practicing of techniques to handle stress or the building of a support network of friends, can all help us be less affected by lifes ups and downs; to be more confident as we move through our lives. Also, at a Spirit Journeys event we get to meet and connect with people at a level simply not possible on an ordinary gay vacation. We are given the chance to learn new things and hear new ideas from the others in the group. The connections made on a Spirit Journey add immensely to the enjoyment of our time away. To be able to sit and have a real conversation with someone; for us to be listened to with genuine interest; for us to listen to others with our heart; the importance of these things cannot be measured and bring a deep sense of fulfillment. Yes, there is effort involved. We can't just hide in our rooms. We will want to be "present"; we will want to be willing; we will want to be as open and honest as we can be. However, this effort is highly rewarding. People know in their hearts that gay retreats can change their very being; they know that this effort can change their overall way of viewing life and that this can help make everyday a vacation. The Article Author: Report by Howie Holben on gay retreats. Spirit Journeys also offers gay meditation retreats. |
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