Retreat on the Equator Helps Attendees Find Life Balance

QUITO, ECUADOR-HOUSTON, TX, July 16, 2012 (Press-News.org) Above the Clouds Retreats has opened registration for their first week-long sabbatical to be held directly on the equator at El Encanto Resort in Los Bancos, Ecuador. "What better place could there be," asks retreat founder and co-leader, Cheryl Reed, "to learn about balance than astride the middle of the world?"

Fifteen years ago, it was Cheryl's own search for balance that led her to the subtropics of Ecuador for the first time. A physical therapist by trade, she responded to a period of discontent and questioning in her own life by choosing to get away and give to others. She enlisted in a two-week trip to Quito, Ecuador where she volunteered assisting disabled children. And for all the care she gave, she got much more in return.

"After witnessing the poverty in Ecuador and the feeling I had inside after helping others, I returned to the States and nothing made sense to me anymore, especially my materialistic life-style." said Reed. Moved by this experience and by her deeply felt connection to Ecuador, Reed soon purchased a 24-acre farm there. Splitting her time between the United States and Ecuador, she continued practicing physical therapy in the U.S., and learned to grow coffee on the equator. As she found greater balance in her own life, and recognized the sources of her own true joy, the desire grew in Reed to share these insights with others. And so Above the Clouds Retreats was founded.

"In a world that is too often filled with more obligations than free-time, it can be difficult for anyone to discover the activities that bring true happiness," Reed says. "Life tends to sweep us along and we don't take the time to learn what truly feeds our soul. Attending Above the Clouds Retreats is about giving yourself the gift of time in order to truly listen."

To facilitate this reflection for her participants, Reed has designed the retreat activities to include guided meditations, labyrinth walks, and personal journaling with an end-goal of helping attendees formulate a concrete plan of action for integrating their insights back into their daily lives. Time for reflection will be balanced with adventure, including treks to secluded waterfalls and flying on zip-lines through the rain forest - activities designed to reinforce and ignite participants' beliefs that they can and will achieve their dreams. Regina Rivers, a Shamanic practitioner, meditative writing instructor, relationship coach and owner of Rivers Healing Arts in Pittsburgh, PA will be co-leading the retreat with Reed.

The retreat is scheduled for September 15th - 23rd, 2012, and is being held at the El Encanto Resort located two hours from the capital city of Quito. The resort is situated on 326 acres of lush, cloud forest reserve where one square kilometer contains more bio-diversity than in all of the U.S. and Canada combined. Between retreat activities, attendees can enjoy the swimming pool, Jacuzzi and Turkish sauna.

Participation is limited to eight registrants so that each individual gets ample personal attention during the course of the retreat. Early-bird registration, with a discount of $100, is available through July 30th.

Above the Clouds Retreats was founded by Cheryl Reed in order to share with others the riches she has discovered - both the riches and beauty of the subtropics of Ecuador, but more importantly, the riches and beauty that come from living a life in alignment with your deepest desires. Cheryl is a certified Passion Test facilitator and Happy for No Reason Teacher, as well as a physical therapist, coffee farmer, and author. She donates 10% of retreat profits to Project One Corner, which funds educational costs for underprivileged children in Ecuador. For more information about Above the Cloud Retreats, visit http://www.abovethecloudsretreats.com or call (419)-751-1100.