fciwomenswrestling.com article, featheredpipe.com photo
A spiritual and invigorating retreat from a full yet stressful life sometimes is the only way to fly. It’s the button that hits the right spot. It’s the straw that tastefully stirs the perfect drink.
Sometimes the challenge is to find where to go for a true escape from everyday life. The back yard is not always the place because life has a way of crashing in.
So as you prepare for your retreat, and we will suggest a place, perhaps it’s more important to initially prepare where?
That’s right. In the mind.
Meditation comes to mind and we have a guest speaker who will help us bridge step one, meditation and clearing out our mind to step two, actually going on a retreat.
Let’s please listen in to some timely suggestions.
Why Should You Meditate?
by: Roy Potter
Every mind needs a little idle time. We all need time to focus on one task, instead of multi-tasking all day and night. In reality, the mind does not take complete rest during sleep. Our mind moves from dream to dream for about two hours a night and thus remains in an unstable condition for long.
Our mind needs some vacations for relaxation. Have you ever noticed that when you take a vacation, you return with new ideas, new feelings with a better approach, and establish clear priorities? This is a result of getting some time to relax and reflect on your life. The time lets you think clearly, positively and effectively.
Our trouble stems from being so busy that we lose feel within inner self. We fill our time with too many activities to achieve our task. Companies do this with their employees, but we deliberately do it to ourselves. You have the skills to take control of your own life, and the resolution is as simple as daily meditation sessions.
Answers to problems are within us, but many of us do not want to look in depth for fear of what we know ourselves. It’s always easier to blame forces outside of our problems. However, the closure of external distractions and listening to our inner voice is a natural medicine.
Who knows? You can actually find yourself and your identity. This may lead you to make changes and put ideas into practice. All this progress could be made after you make a “meditation” with you. It takes only 20-30 minutes per day for a short meditation session.
There has never been a better time to meditate than right now. People are so “happening” these days, the only time they stop when they are sick. The problem is how people are going to be busy in next 20 years? Now you see why having downtime is so important.
Information on meditation techniques are widely available in books, DVDs and CDs. You do not have to join a monastery, and live by a strict moral code, with a multitude of rules, but you need self-discipline to follow a daily practice.
Curiosity, self-discipline, alone, will keep the masses out of this ancient practice that has survived a battery of tests and modern inspection. It’s amazing when you think about the reward of self-control, satisfaction, and care, resulting from the daily practice of meditation.
Thanks so much Roy for the mental preparation.
FEATHERED PIPE RETREAT
Now for the physical journey.
The wonderful management at featheredpipe.com have been kind enough to guide us.
Here is what they would like to share.
Located outside of Helena, Montana, the Feathered Pipe Ranch is nestled in the pristine Northern Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,000 feet. We are surrounded by the Helena National Forest – almost a million acres of mountainous wilderness. The Ranch provides a spacious but still intimate setting for wandering, bird watching, aspen-tree gazing, swimming and canoeing on our pretty spring-fed lake, and seeing all manner of wildlife.
Deer freely roam the ranch, with beaver, muskrat, mallard ducks and trout populating the lake. Moose and bear occasionally visit, though largely keeping their distance and wishing to be simply let alone. Large herds of elk roam the high alpine grasslands with rare sightings of wolves and mountain lions in the surrounding wilderness areas. At night, owls and Whip-poor-wills softly usher you to sleep. And in the morning, a chorus of birds make the forest a cathedral urging the sun to rise welcoming in the new day.
Hiking
The ranch’s surrounding forest has numerous, well-marked trails for your exploration of hidden, highland wildflower meadows, mountain tops where Montana’s “Big Sky” can be appreciated in full grandeur, as well as scenic views of the ranch from high above. And for those more adventurous and adept in backwoods hiking, the trails branch out endlessly into the national forest that surrounds. Hikers stumble on long-forgotten mining trails, remnants of abandoned homesteads, and gurgling mountain brooks emptying into unknown lakes.
Enjoy Our Water
Right smack dab in the heart of the Ranch is a beautiful spring-fed lake. Between classes on lazy afternoons, hop into the canoe and paddle around, absorbing the healing, hushed sounds of busy western meadowlarks, wood ducks, and sparrows dashing through the aspens, pines, and grasses that encircle the clean water.
Or? Hop right on in and go for an invigorating mountain swim – pausing at least once to float on your back under the big blue sky. With healing earth and water all around you, you may hear, even more clearly, the guidance offered by the wise Rocky Mountains that surround us.
Then? Grab a lawn chair or sprawl your relaxed and restored self on the big green lawn for a well-earned nap.
Afternoon Excursions
When you find yourself with a free afternoon and a hankering for a change of scenery, we’ll work with you to arrange an excursion into Helena. Montana’s capital city features 19th century architecture and offers a perfect setting to stroll around some of the favorite spots that our repeat guests have come to love visiting during a free afternoon.
Wasn’t that blissful?
Do you still need more convincing?
Okay great. We will provide you with three reviews from the respected global travel giant tripadvisor.com.
We went for a weekend long retreat and I was glad that we did. First the drive to the ranch is amazingly beautiful, right after you turn onto the dirt road I felt the worries of the world lifting away. After we drove into the ranch I was immediately struck by how beautiful the setting is.
A trip to The Feathered Pipe Ranch is like returning home and being gathered in by a warm and safe embrace. The surroundings, ambiance and wonderful accommodating staff are conducive to the most relaxed experience. The choice and quality of food is exceptional, all tastes were catered for.
Feathered Pipe Ranch is such an awesome place to slow down and experience nature completely. The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful, the staff are friendly and very accommodating, and the food is fantastic! One has to experience this at LEAST once in a lifetime.
We at Fem Competitor Magazine are convinced. Feathered Pipe Ranch should be a fantastic place for a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual break.
If your budget allows, you should go. You deserve it.
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Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_12399.shtml
http://featheredpipe.com/feathered-pipe-ranch/feathered-pipe-ranch-activities/
