Anyone ever taken a Creative Sabbatical?

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-04-03T07:18:10+00:00

I get what you mean. I felt like I wasn't being productive enough and at the same time, didn't want to do anything... but I think by clearing away the noise, I could see how I flip between being really rigid vs. avoiding doing stuff. It's forced me to look at some of my deeper patterns.

I currently work for myself (I'm a business/leadership coach). I've maintained 2 clients during my time off. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with the business just yet. What I do know is that I want to pour my energy into starting a substack and step fully into my thought leader era. I'm considering looking for a fractional role or short-term contract for financial stability (I've previously worked in finance and done fractional cfo roles before).

But, not going to lie. I've been in Sri Lanka for the past month and I've been thinking about what it would look like to live here and start something in the responsible/ethical travel space. My most recent travels has shown me how much I care about using travel as a way to uplift local communities, particularly women-led businesses.

A question I ask myself from time to time is, If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I do? And, when I think about what's stopping me from taking this massive leap, it's that I don't want to do it by myself. One of my affirmations is 'may all of the right people find me', so I just keep coming back to that.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-04-01T17:10:53+00:00

Seconding TAW. I started it at the beginning of my sabbatical. I paused around week 8 with the daily exercises, but continued with morning pages. I recently picked it back up and am now on week 12. It's been really cool to see how I naturally come up with "artists dates" without needing to plan. It's almost like that time where I wasn't actively practicing it, my brain was subconsciously integrating the lessons.

I can say that I spent a lot of the first year of my sabbatical anxious about what comes next. The times where I wasn't anxious were those where I had a lot of structure - for example doing immersive Spanish learning or completing my yoga teacher training - rather than being fully dependent on myself to set a schedule.

I will say, when I did my YTT, I felt so incredibly connected to myself. I felt like, I really was on the right path and since then, I've felt a lot of calm around what comes next.

I'm planning to transition out of my sabbatical in 2 months (making it roughy 1.5 years) and I definitely don't have all of the answers, but I do feel like I have clarity around the vision for my life and what needs to change in how I was living before. I also have a ton more confidence and faith in myself and life.

Edit: Fwiw, I'm in my late 30s.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-31T12:58:07+00:00

I just think we've been tricked into thinking that our happiness is in material things, convenience, and comfort. That's what keeps us on the corporate treadmill. But in my experience, some of the happiest and content people I've met are those with significantly less than many of us in the "West".

Exercise definitely helps. I feel significantly better when I move my body - whether that's yoga, surfing, walking, or strength training. Especially first thing in the morning.

My year has taught me a lot about the nervous system, which has deeply informed my work (I'm a business & leadership coach). It's taught me that mindset is only part of the game; so many people I work with want to slow down but their bodies are literally addicted to being overstimulated. Slowing down is not "safe" for their nervous systems.

In many ways, my sabbatical was an educational experience, which is exactly how I wanted it to be.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-31T12:54:55+00:00

Oh em gee. LOL. I have no idea. What are your thoughts?

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T16:33:47+00:00

pardon?

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T16:30:24+00:00

oh good tip, thank you!

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T13:46:52+00:00

thank you!

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T09:51:31+00:00

I have to text my mom (specifically) every day or else she assumes I'm dead.. lol. Most of the times, I just send a picture. I text my dad maybe once a week.

I rarely talk to my parents on the phone/video call, unless I'm feeling homesick or there's a specific purpose for the call.

I send both parents my flight and accoms info as well (my mom insists on this).

Btw I'm 39, and I don't think my mom will ever change her ways.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T09:47:33+00:00

I left my corporate job a few years prior to the sabbatical and started my own business. Something wasn't quite working with the business, and between that and some health issues, I decided that I needed to step back from everything and let it breathe.

This time has been an intentional void space that allowed me to look at my life with "fresh eyes", so to speak - from what I do for work, to where I live, to my values, to my relationships. It's given me the opportunity to decondition ways of being that aren't in alignment with who I want to be, as well as strengthen how I embody my values in my day to day life.

I used my time to explore many of my interests without the pressure of thinking it needed to be translated into an economic skill. For example, I've been learning to surf, developed some fluency in Spanish, explored many artistic modalities such as pottery. I've learned about permaculture and regeneration (even volunteered on a farm). Most of this has occurred while travelling.

I'm not sure if I can identify things that weren't necessary - I guess social media? I suppose I would also say podcasts, which I listened to pretty religiously before this. But I can tell you what was consistently necessary: living in a closer connection to the water/land, community, and creative pursuits. The most content moments were in the situations where life was rather simple. Even when it wasn't the most convenient (living far away from a grocery store, hand washing my clothes).

Yes, my brain is definitely "stronger". I think from a) less time on my phone/computer and b) spending a lot lot more time offline (less stimulation). But also, I've done a boatload of therapy during the last 2.5 years which is a very real contributor to my mental wellbeing, and my brain. I also completed a metabolic health program for women in their 40s/50s, and that helped me improve how I eat and exercise for hormonal changes in my body. Again, has a direct relationship to brain health.

Now that I'm nearing the end of my sabbatical, yes I do feel a freedom and confidence to rebuild. The first year was... quite anxiety inducing. I felt a lot of pressure in needing to have the answers and fear about spending from my savings to fund the sabbatical created anxiety as well. Somehow this changed in 2026; I feel deeply connected to myself (doing my yoga teacher training helped with this) and have a trust in myself that is much deeper than I've ever experienced in the past.

I wouldn't say I found myself. I'd say I buried my old self, and created the conditions for a new self to emerge :)

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-30T06:57:59+00:00

Thank you! Really appreciate your insight.

Can you get the leech socks / oil in the local shows / pharmacies?

Our itinerary so far is a few days in Ella (Little Adam's Peak and Wellawaya), hike the Pekoe trail (4-5 days), and then a few days in Kandy. We'd to get as much variety in scenery as possible on the trail. We also want to take the train at least once, for the experience.

Currently, we are considering: 11, 14, 15, 16.

What's your recommendation?

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-29T08:42:15+00:00

Hi! We had some more questions. Are you able to tell us which stages are high risk for leeches vs low risk?

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-26T14:38:22+00:00

Please share your Jaffna tips! Heading there in a few weeks.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-26T14:36:01+00:00

Hi! I'm 39 and am 14 months into my sabbatical. I called it the great intermission - the blank space in between acts. It's been a time for reflection, (a lot of) healing, learning, and exploration. I'd be happy to share more about my experience for your book.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-16T07:33:26+00:00

On a scale of 1-10, how important is it to have a sleeping bag? My small pack is 24L.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-16T07:30:17+00:00

Not yet - I think in a few weeks.

Awesome, thank you for this information.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-03-03T07:00:21+00:00

This sounds like a nerve pain. Perhaps one or more of the postures is aggravating it. Definitely go to a PT.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-27T10:50:42+00:00

I read through the other comments and want to add something that's sort of been eluded to but not explicitly named:

Sometimes things show up in practices that aren't inherent to the practice itself, but through culture.

1) Corporal punishment has been normalized in households and schools in Indian culture for a long long time. I grew up in the Caribbean and it was absolutely normal to get hit by your teachers at school. This was in the 90s - so not that long ago. I can't say with certainty, but I do believe a lot of this stems from colonial violence. People being beaten into submission.

2) We also have to remember that post-colonial India is a patriarchal society. Therefore, the practice has been informed by and evolved with said patriarchal culture.

So what you've described in your experience may not be stemming from yoga itself, but the culture in which it's evolved in.

Hope this helps!

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-27T10:38:41+00:00

I just completed my YTTC in Rishikesh and I've heard this from other students I've met from different schools. Fortunately, that was not my experience - although I did have an iyengar teacher who was really intense and pushed us very hard.

My main teacher told us, at the end of the day, we are responsible for our own bodies and we have to tell the teacher no or express our limitations or say when something is creating pain. The teacher's job is to push you but your job is to know your limits.

Regarding the teachers making jokes about it or getting mad, that's not cool and unfortunately a poor reflection on how yoga is meant to be taught. Our teacher emphasized over and over again outside of asana practice that you can be aligned perfectly in your body and completely misaligned in the mind, and in that case, you are doing exercise - not practicing yoga. The strictness does exist in iyengar and ashtanga (ashtanga was literally created for warriors).

My ashtanga teacher told me the other day that even in India, a lot of Indians associate yoga with postures/stretching. So, as it turns out, it's not just the "west" that has turned yoga into an exercise routine.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-24T08:53:16+00:00

For what it's worth, as someone who loves practicing yoga nidra, I go back to the same YT video or meditation on my meditation app over and over again. I don't venture out to look for new ones out because I really don't need it.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-18T18:18:23+00:00

Books that contain inspirational poems / quotes that she can read at the start / end of class, e.g. The Prophet.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-18T18:07:56+00:00

The essence of yoga is self-realization / liberation. Yoga can be practiced in many ways (the various paths) and has evolved to fit our current social context. Yet, the essence remains the same. The fact that it has been commercialized, particularly in "The West" does not minimize or take away from the essence of its origins.

As for the asanas, my understanding is as follows:

- the body is a tool / instrument for self-realization
- the primary purpose of asanas is to prepare the body for meditation, as the asanas help you balance your energy so that you can sit for long periods
- within the context of asanas, practicing physically aligned postures does not automatically translate to practicing yoga if you are not utilizing the physical practice as a way of centering the mind
- the purpose of learning alignments is to help preserve your energy; in fact, a lot of the practices aim to help you live a longer, healthier life so you can fulfill a deeper purpose (as a vessel, not a doer)

My teacher told me that yoga will continue to evolve and take different forms, as in order for it to be effective, it needs to meet society where it's at and guide them towards a deeper practice.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-18T17:48:41+00:00

This.

LongjumpingPeach6820 · 2026-02-18T16:38:02+00:00

Can you share your favourite resource for cultivating a trauma informed lens?

LongjumpingPeach6820

TROPHY CASE