Top tips for thriving on the three-month ordination retreat at Akashavana

For a long time, I thought it wasn’t going to be possible for me to manage the three-month retreat in the mountains in Spain. My health hasn’t always been as good as it is now, and for several years I was using a wheelchair and walking aids.

Despite being well at the time I left, there was a lot that I did in the years running up to the retreat, and things I took with me during the retreat, which really helped me to thrive while I was away.

I’m sharing these for anyone approaching the retreat with a chronic health condition, as I was - it actually grew out of a conversation with a friend facing many of the same worries I’d had. So this isn’t a general kit list. Akashavana send everyone a thorough, well-tested list, and that’s the one to follow; what I’ve added here is the extra, health-specific stuff that helped me thrive with EDS. If you’re fit and well you’ll likely need far less, so please don’t let any of it add to your nerves.

General fitness and health

Akashavana is high up in the mountains. It’s a good 30 minute, bumpy, 4x4 ride to the nearest civilisation. Therefore, pretty much everywhere you walk is along, up or down a mountain on what are sometimes fairly small, narrow paths. It’s rocky, there’s places where it’s a bit scrambly.

While you don’t have to be a fell runner to cope, it would make a lot of sense to work on your general health and fitness before you go.

For me, I worked with my personal trainer over about 18 months on core strength, lower body - both strength and endurance (you’ll be doing a lot of up and down steps, and while you might curse the stair master in the gym, you’ll appreciate all the work when you’re out there!), and core work for all the hours of sitting in meditation. Whatever you can do to bring your body to a strong place before you go, in a sustainable way, it’ll help you to enjoy it more.

Cardiovascular fitness is also something to consider - if you want to go for longer walks, you’ll probably enjoy them more if your body is able to cope with the demands of the uppy-and-downy bits, especially in the warmer weather.

I also recommend using walking poles - there are some you can borrow out there, but also you might want to bring some you’re familiar with. I used them even when I didn’t feel like I strictly needed to use them, because they take the load off your legs and also can be darn handy if you miss a footing to keep you upright!

Involve your medical team early

If you’re under the care of any medical staff, involve them early in your planning. Make sure they understand the remoteness of the location and the terrain, so that they can support you.

My GP was able to prescribe me higher dose-per-pill pain killers so I didn’t need to travel with a suitcase full of quite so many pills, and was really helpful in making sure I had clear escalation pathways which I could manage myself, and clear boundaries where I should seek external medical aid. Thankfully I only need to use my step-up pathway a few times and never needed external aid (but there are local facilities if you need them).

If for whatever reason you can’t take enough of your medication out there with you in your suitcase, get in touch with the community. It might be that your GP can provide a prescription to the local pharmacy and the community can collect it for you.

My physio was really helpful in giving me ideas for what to take with me for the ‘just in case you hurt yourself’ scenarios, and also what exercises would be best for me to do, to ensure I maintain my strength - this then tied in with an exercise plan my personal trainer developed for me.

I also wear Aircast A60 ankle braces on both feet, and made sure to get a new pair for the retreat so they were nice and tight!

Start gathering and organising kit early

You’ll need to get some bits and pieces together early. I’d recommend things like footwear you get well in advance, ensure you wear them in both hot and cold conditions so you know that your feet won’t get sore when they swell up in the heat, and that they’re broken in.

I found a pair of ankle-height trail running gaiters (they’re lycra and hook on to your laces / stick onto velcro on the back of your shoe/boot) really helped to keep the small bits of gravel and detritus out of my shoes and socks for the longer walks.

Vinted helped me enormously - so many of my blue clothes came via Vinted! It’s also a good way to raise some funds for your adventures by selling your old gear. I basically covered the cost of my clothes by selling stuff. Friends may also have bits and bobs that you can borrow - always worth an ask.

Akashavana give you a kit list - so make sure you’ve got everything on it that you need. If you have things that need charging (eg watch, camera), consider getting a battery pack with a solar panel charger attached, so you can leave it out in the sun and charge things up overnight.

I took an orthopaedic neck pillow and a knee pillow out with me, compressed down using these vacuum storage bags - I took the pump with me and on the way home, used the bag to compress my clothes and left the pillows out there for someone else who might need them. It’s worth an email to the community if you need something like this - they also have mattress toppers - to save you having to take your own.

It’s a good idea to have some distinguishing mark in clothes that might be similar to others - e.g. sew a little symbol or stick your name in. Things like undies and socks often look very similar on the washing line!

I also recommend taking a hammock you can string up between a couple of trees if you want a place you can escape to for some quiet time. I got this one on Amazon which has a built in fly screen if you want to use it, and I also slept out in it a few nights which was great fun. The mozzie screen meant I wasn’t bothered by them overnight.

Planning for the weather

Depending on the time of year you go, you might have to contend with cold, damp days through to searing hot temperatures, and everything in between.

Here’s some strategies I found helpful:

Cooler weather

• In the colder weather, a good set of thermals - long johns and long sleeved top - is invaluable. I got the Mountain Warehouse Isotherm ones from Vinted. Really comfortable to wear under your robes, It can be good to have two sets because then when one is drying, the other can be worn.
• Layers is the name of the game. Don’t take things you’ll only wear in the cold weather (except maybe a warm coat), it’s a waste of precious space. I took several thinner layers (thermals, base layer, mid layer/jumper, fleece, jacket) and really found it helpful as I could still wear each layer in isolation in the warmer weather.
• Waterproofs are essential! You’re in the mountains, the weather can and does change in seconds. We got absolutely soaked to the skin even through our waterproofs on a walk that was roasting hot when we set off without a cloud in the sky. You’ll need both jacket and trousers that you can get in and out of quickly and that have a decent hydrostatic head (the amount of rain they will stop getting through). A brolly can also be handy if you can fit it in, but there are some you can borrow when you get there.
• Warm hat (especially if you plan to shave your head!), scarf, gloves - all well worth finding space for!

Warmer weather

• Electrolyte tablets - if you struggle with dehydration or even if you don’t, it’s well worth taking some electrolyte tablets with you. These are easily obtained from the supermarket and in sports shops. It’s also worth taking a few sachets of oral rehydration salts just in case you have an upset stomach, although you can get them in the tienda.
• A cooling towel, wrapped around the head after being made wet, or draped around the shoulders when out for a walk in a vest top, works wonders to regulate temperatures! I had this one from Amazon, quite a few people on the retreat had similar ones. You can even get ones which fold down into a small keyring.
• Take a manual fan with you - the old fashioned style. They’re almost silent to use and invaluable on hot days.
• Get a decent hat that gives good coverage to avoid sunburn. I was very fortunate to find a Tilley hat on Vinted, which I absolutely loved - but any kind of broad brimmed hat would do. You might want a peaked cap as well if you like to lie down and watch the sky - it’s a bit more practical!
• Have a decent pair of sunglasses - and if you’re a glasses wearer, try to make them prescription so you can read out in the sunshine.
• If you struggle in the heat, look into cooling vests. I have a techniche hyperkewl which I love. You soak it in water and it cools you down. I didn’t take it with me and on the hotter days I really wished I had!
• Chub rub shorts! I love the ones from Snag Tights, but any kind of thin, tights-like breathable shorts to wear under your robes when it’s warm, stopping your legs rubbing together. Forgot to take mine, wished I had them!

Over to you

If you’ve been on the long three-month ordination retreat at Akashavana, what tips and tricks helped you while you were there?