The Leap of Faith - Face the Fear and Do it anyway!

HOI AN, Viet Nam - July 10, 2019 - PRLog -- In December 2015, sitting on a beach at 'The Sanctuary' in Thailand over Christmas, the seed of Gratitude Vietnam retreat venue was planted. Hannah and I had a long discussion about how we felt we were 'working for the holidays' and our shared deep desire to get out of teaching to work for ourselves. As much as we loved the children we taught and other elements of our jobs, we desperately wanted to escape from the 5.30am mornings, the bureaucracy of the day-to-day, endless emails and meetings, the pressure to 'be' a certain way and the persistent exhaustion and stress that pervaded term-time.

Half jokingly, we chatted about the possibility of opening our own retreat centre so that we could then live a peaceful and self-directed life, in a way that enabled us to give back to others and build something we really believe in. As we talked over the following days, we kept coming back to the idea and it quickly became a plan!  So we signed another contract to save the capital, moved in together, and spent countless evenings, days and weekends researching, planning, refining and manifesting!  We became Reiki Masters, explored more of Asia and visited other retreats, learning much about what we wanted (and didn't want!) our own place to be, having a lot of fun along the way.

This leap of faith has been a little like a skydive – months (in fact years!) of preparation, carefully crafting the parachute of planning and saving, with the anticipation and fear of that final step out of the safe, secure aeroplane of stable careers and income.  Now we are on the exhilarating journey through the air, enjoying the day-to-day reality of the ride, the freedom and the details coming into focus as we approach stable ground once more.  The expansive horizon of possibility is becoming increasingly defined as our journey leads us closer to our destination.

Setting up a 100% foreign-owned business in Vietnam has been a rollercoaster ride, but after 14 months of negotiating legal intricacies, land contracts and communication in a tonal language so far from our own, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Gratitude Vietnam Retreat Venue, Hoi An, Vietnam.  With attention to every detail, our mission has been to create a safe, nurturing, peaceful and nourishing centre for retreat leaders to host international retreats, alongside our own programme of retreats and trainings.  We are now the proud hosts of an incredible villa, stunning meditation space, purpose build yoga sala, with a meditation labyrinth in the garden.

The pieces of the jigsaw have fallen into place and we are truly grateful, every day, that we faced our fears, jumped over the precipice and entered the unexplored, slightly terrifying territory of self-employment.

We are so excited to share this beautiful space with you, located on beautiful and quiet Cam Nam where Hoi An remains unspoiled and authentic,, yet still only a stone's throw from the UNESCO world heritage site of the old town.

To hear more about our journey, please check in on our blog!

Retreat in Asia at Gratitude Vietnam!