Creating a Life in Balance | My Stay at Miraval Berkshires
Sachiko and I arrived to Miraval Berkshires on Monday, November 23, a few short days of Thanksgiving. This trip was special for us. It signified the closing of another round of Personal Brand Accelerator. Our students graduated last week with flying colors. Now, this was our time to celebrate.
We checked in at the front desk and immediately made our way to the spa. I enjoyed a relaxing massage and facial, and Sachiko enjoyed a manicure and blowout. After the Spa we attended a Vinyassa yoga class and later experienced our first dinner at Harvest Moon, where all of our meals would be held for the remainder of the trip.
I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes and selections of food available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The hotel really encourages mindful eating. Their portion sizes were almost surprising; they looked so small compared to what we’re used to being served at restaurants. But it was perfect! I left every meal feeling so sustained and fulfilled, versus uncomfortable or overly-full like I might at a “normal” restaurant.
The next day we attended a class on “emotional eating” which was fantastic. We learned about how weight can affect our lives, factors that influence our weight, and the emotional eating triangle. Cue --> Action -> Result. The real question, I learned, is, “What are we looking for?” This is a huge part of determining what we need. Physical hunger is satisfied when you eat any food. It's your body telling you to replenish nutrients. The desire builds gradually. Emotional hunger is driven by emotional need.
After the emotional eating class, we took a hike at Kennedy Park with our tour guide Zeek and a few other hotel guests. It was cold and bare, much like you’d imagine the mountains in November to feel like. But it was beautiful, and Sachiko and I enjoyed talking about our families, our ‘perfect’ weekends, and the gifts we were going to give people for Christmas.
After the hike, we got ready and headed to dinner which was prepared for us by an amazing Chef named Adrian, who wowed us with a four-course meal. We had pear soup, vegan spaghetti and meatballs, sirloin, risotto, and an insanely-amazing brownie and caramel ice cream for dessert. The other guests who attended made the experience what it was. We talked about our favorite meals, what we did for a living, our families and partners. It was such an engaging, heart-felt experience that I will always remember. We even exchanged numbers at the end, promising to meet one another in Boston one day.
The next day we started with a morning stretch, walked around the grounds, and ended with lunch at The Harvest Moon.
My favorite part of the whole trip was at the end. Miraval invites you to write a letter to yourself which they will send back to you three months later, after you’ve long forgotten about it. They ask you to write about what stuck out to you. Are there any “ah-ha” moments or revelations you want to share with your future self so you don’t forget? I sat there at the table, thinking long and hard about what mine were. “I am that I am,” I said to Sachiko. “I think there’s a lot of power in doing nothing, sometimes. Really taking control and ownership over my thoughts. Allowing them to be there and at the same time, choosing to think differently. Choosing not to dwell on things, but instead making the decision to think good things and aspire to a great life. The life I want, the life I know is worth leaping for.”
That was my revelation. I am so thankful for this trip, so thankful to the Miraval Berkshires for helping me create a life in balance, heal my heart, and realign myself with the present moment.
