It can be an hour escape for a massage or yoga class, a day away at the spa or on the hiking trail; perhaps a weekend in seclusion at a hermitage or a bed and breakfast hideaway. Whatever the amount of time or the method you choose, it’s important to answer the call of your body, mind, and soul. The intangible benefit will be in the rejuvenation of some aspect of your personal health, mental well-being, or spiritual growth. It’s the zen of recharging your human battery.

It is not self-indulgent to take this time for yourself. It’s really a matter of preventative care. Giving yourself some time to retreat allows you to clear away the mental clutter. If you can quiet your mind, you can start to heal your body and heart as well. Giving yourself some distance from your everyday routine—or chaos as it may sometimes feel like—can allow you to look at your life from a different perspective. Time away can generate a sense of optimism where you feel your inner power and a renewed hope that all things are possible.

Here in the Southeast, natural beauty surrounds us. Taking time for a hike, a bike ride, or a paddle down the river can not only lift one’s spirits, but also can activate those feel-good endorphins and burn calories to keep physically fit. A weekend workshop to explore something that interests you may be the answer for the intellectual or spiritual stimulation lacking in your daily routine. It may even change the course of your life’s direction.

In this issue, New Life Journal features some of the places and ways you may explore to find relief from life’s everyday stresses, chores and “to do” lists you face.

We need not travel far to achieve the feeling we are a world away. The opportunities abound. We will continue in future issues to highlight these “world away escapes” and welcome your suggestions on what we may include. Send suggestions for ecovacation destinations and healing retreats to vacations@newlifejournal.com and enjoy the options offered in this special issue.

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