The break-up breakaway
It’s not just your heart that needs healing when a relationship breaks down – your body takes a battering too. However, a holistic holiday makes the perfect love hangover cure, and Skyros proved to be just that.
Some people emerge from a break-up feeling liberated and full of the joys of being single. I just felt fat from too much comfort food, guilty about too many cigarettes and bordering on the anxious alcoholic from too many evenings seeking answers in the pub.
I had to get away and chose Skyros as my destination. This little Greek island was where I would start being nice to myself again.
The line from the brochure said ‘a unique combination of inspiring courses within a friendly community setting’. This seemed good to me, so off I went, travelling abroad alone for the first time.
The journey to Skyros involved an overnight stay in Athens and a further seven hours by coach and two ferries – but it was surprisingly painless. Every step of the way, there were friendly co-ordinators on hand to answer questions and, en route, over lunch, I began to get to know some of the people who I would be spending the next two weeks with. Most of them were travelling alone too.
The Skyros Centre has room for about 30 people. Accommodation is around the Centre itself in purpose-built apartments or further out with local landlords in traditional houses. I don’t know which I’m in until I get there and, as I chose not to pay the single supplement, I was also sharing.
Our apartment was in a block near the Centre, on two levels - one bed upstairs on the mezzanine, one down - so we have some privacy. It was lovely and the huge terrace at the back with a view down into the valley was fantastic.
So there I was, in a beautiful location, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Just me, not one half of a couple or part of a family. I had cut myself loose and had no idea what to expect.
The community spirit kicked in quickly. After breakfast, we had demos, a group meeting during which the day’s events are outlined and we are given the chance to comment on our experiences and air any worries or problems. We were also asked to volunteer for chores - washing dishes, watering the garden, peeling potatoes… Not as bad as it sounds, it was more a gesture than hard work. In our small groups, it was actually quite fun!
Life took on more structure once the courses began. I joined a creative writing group for the first week – two hours every morning for four days.
The supportive environment helped inhibitions recede, making it easier to try something new, muck it up, and try again – whether it was film making, wood carving, dancing or singing, you could let yourself off the hook and just enjoy what you’re doing without having to be good at it – in fact, the worse you were, the more encouragement you got! For that dented post break-up confidence, what more could you ask for?
Holidays are booked in one or two week slots, so I began and ended my stay with the same group of people, mostly women. In this short time, I started to make the sort of friends I really wanted to keep. One night, four of us stayed up to watch the sun rise, talking in low voices and giggling with glasses of wine until dawn.
Skyros provided a space that allowed me to focus on myself again. Yoga classes before breakfast soothed me into the day and afternoons were spent on the beach, drifting into sleep with the sound of the sea fading back into silence as the hours slipped by.
For some, the sunshine, location and stimulation of new activities and friends was all they needed. Others were looking for more.
Among the courses that Skyros offers, there are some intended to work on a far more emotional or spiritual level, either subtly or more overtly, giving people a forum to discuss and work through problems. These courses can easily be bypassed if they’re not your bag, but for some people, they are one of Skyros’ most valuable features.
In the second week, I signed up for a course called ‘Choose Life At Whatever Risk’ run by renowned psychologist Ari Badaines. It turned out to be one of the most exhausting, absorbing, emotional situations I’ve ever been in.
There were many tears - it was a stunningly honest and open environment - but as those around me revealed their sadness, hopes and fears, I learnt almost as much about myself as I did about them.
This may not sound much like a holiday, but from time to time, I bumped into people who were part of Ari’s group and noticed something different about them. They looked younger, their faces were more open and relaxed. They glowed.
So when my 14 days were at an end, where was I?
Formerly a bedraggled individual in a pear-shaped world, I felt inspired and optimistic about the future and what I could make of it. I had relaxed, had fun and learnt things. I had also been able to let my guard down and focus on myself without feeling guilty or embarrassed.
What felt best, however, is the simple realisation that I have it in me to feel that good about myself. I spent some quality time with me and actually enjoyed it.
Some people emerge from a break-up feeling liberated and full of the joys of being single. I just felt fat from too much comfort food, guilty about too many cigarettes and bordering on the anxious alcoholic from too many evenings seeking answers in the pub.
I had to get away and chose Skyros as my destination. This little Greek island was where I would start being nice to myself again.
The line from the brochure said ‘a unique combination of inspiring courses within a friendly community setting’. This seemed good to me, so off I went, travelling abroad alone for the first time.
The journey to Skyros involved an overnight stay in Athens and a further seven hours by coach and two ferries – but it was surprisingly painless. Every step of the way, there were friendly co-ordinators on hand to answer questions and, en route, over lunch, I began to get to know some of the people who I would be spending the next two weeks with. Most of them were travelling alone too.
The Skyros Centre has room for about 30 people. Accommodation is around the Centre itself in purpose-built apartments or further out with local landlords in traditional houses. I don’t know which I’m in until I get there and, as I chose not to pay the single supplement, I was also sharing.
Our apartment was in a block near the Centre, on two levels - one bed upstairs on the mezzanine, one down - so we have some privacy. It was lovely and the huge terrace at the back with a view down into the valley was fantastic.
So there I was, in a beautiful location, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Just me, not one half of a couple or part of a family. I had cut myself loose and had no idea what to expect.
The community spirit kicked in quickly. After breakfast, we had demos, a group meeting during which the day’s events are outlined and we are given the chance to comment on our experiences and air any worries or problems. We were also asked to volunteer for chores - washing dishes, watering the garden, peeling potatoes… Not as bad as it sounds, it was more a gesture than hard work. In our small groups, it was actually quite fun!
Life took on more structure once the courses began. I joined a creative writing group for the first week – two hours every morning for four days.
The supportive environment helped inhibitions recede, making it easier to try something new, muck it up, and try again – whether it was film making, wood carving, dancing or singing, you could let yourself off the hook and just enjoy what you’re doing without having to be good at it – in fact, the worse you were, the more encouragement you got! For that dented post break-up confidence, what more could you ask for?
Holidays are booked in one or two week slots, so I began and ended my stay with the same group of people, mostly women. In this short time, I started to make the sort of friends I really wanted to keep. One night, four of us stayed up to watch the sun rise, talking in low voices and giggling with glasses of wine until dawn.
Skyros provided a space that allowed me to focus on myself again. Yoga classes before breakfast soothed me into the day and afternoons were spent on the beach, drifting into sleep with the sound of the sea fading back into silence as the hours slipped by.
For some, the sunshine, location and stimulation of new activities and friends was all they needed. Others were looking for more.
Among the courses that Skyros offers, there are some intended to work on a far more emotional or spiritual level, either subtly or more overtly, giving people a forum to discuss and work through problems. These courses can easily be bypassed if they’re not your bag, but for some people, they are one of Skyros’ most valuable features.
In the second week, I signed up for a course called ‘Choose Life At Whatever Risk’ run by renowned psychologist Ari Badaines. It turned out to be one of the most exhausting, absorbing, emotional situations I’ve ever been in.
There were many tears - it was a stunningly honest and open environment - but as those around me revealed their sadness, hopes and fears, I learnt almost as much about myself as I did about them.
This may not sound much like a holiday, but from time to time, I bumped into people who were part of Ari’s group and noticed something different about them. They looked younger, their faces were more open and relaxed. They glowed.
So when my 14 days were at an end, where was I?
Formerly a bedraggled individual in a pear-shaped world, I felt inspired and optimistic about the future and what I could make of it. I had relaxed, had fun and learnt things. I had also been able to let my guard down and focus on myself without feeling guilty or embarrassed.
What felt best, however, is the simple realisation that I have it in me to feel that good about myself. I spent some quality time with me and actually enjoyed it.
