On loving you: retreat in Ayia Napa

Love yourself first people often tell you but how is a little more difficult to establish. But there are definitely tools and practices to smoothen the often-bumpy relationship with the self.

One group of young women, dedicated to the never-ending self-love journey, are organising the Love Yourself Retreat. This one-day event acts as a gentle guide on strengthening self-love principles. On the afternoon of July 30 in Ayia Napa, the three women will cover holistic healthy habits based on nutrition, fitness and self-development.

Marianna and Pantelina Charalambous and Vasilia Kouppanou are the women behind the LoveYourselfClub behind the event, open to all genders.

“We as a team of women,” they told Cyprus Mail, “observed a need in ourselves and other women around us to not only feel supported and understood but also to gain a sense of empowerment from other fellow humans. As our society proved from talking to friends and family, the need was presented more by females and hence why we decided to niche down our first event to only women.

“However,” they added, “we don’t want to have anyone feeling left out and therefore even though the first event proved to be successful as women did feel comfortable to talk freely about their personal experiences we decided to host also, events where all people can join.”

The retreat attempts to approach the topic from a well-rounded point of view, considering how we care for our body and our thoughts. Each one of the women brings her own expertise to the table. Vasilia is a clinically registered dietitian who brings in her knowledge and holistic view on nutrition and balanced eating in combination with self-love and habit stacking. Marianna, with a background in social media and the organisation of meaningful events, brings her passion for self-discovery through gratitude and self-love writing habits. Lastly, Pantelina, a personal trainer, adds to the event by sharing her love for a healthy body through exercising and breathing.

In a nutshell, that is what the five-hour retreat will hold, though the full itinerary is up on the Facebook event page (The Love Yourself Retreat Vol.2). Simple exercises and habits to build on to strengthen that self-love muscle.

“Self-love practices are of fundamental importance in each human’s life. However, we don’t remember being taught anything about self-love in school. We think that not only it is important so that we can develop better, more fulfilled lives but it’s also super important for our interactions with others and the relationships we get to create and cherish throughout the years. The confidence you get, the love you feel and you are able to give to others too, the journey within; they are all part of what self-love looks like to us.

“We are here,” they conclude, “as a team of perfectly imperfect women who ought to learn from and with each other to help our growth and development and we want to do that with our community of like-minded people.”

The Love Yourself Retreat Vol.2

One-day retreat with nutrition, self-development and fitness practices. By the LoveYourselfClub. July 30. Ayia Napa. 4.30pm-9pm. €45. [email protected]