Over 12 years ago I started the practice of taking a personal day off on occasion. It would start with the feeling that I might be getting a cold, and rather than letting my body run down to the point of illness I would have the realization I needed alone and downtime.
It has been my most valuable self-care tool and how I keep some balance in life.
To explain this to others I began calling my day off a retreat. “I am having a retreat on (day of the week)” was my way of explaining I am not available that day. It’s a very different dynamic than saying I am taking a day off. People seem to have much more respect for my time when I go on a retreat.
With clients I just let them know that next (the day of the week) I will be not working, that I am on a retreat, and can get back to them the following day. I have yet to be questioned about it. If asked, my explanation would simply be it’s a practice I have a few times a year to gain clarity and work more effectively. (Deep rest will do that!)
With friends and family, I say the same thing and if asked I explain it’s a personal retreat. They often want to join me, and I explain the concept of the practice so they can organize their own retreat.
Retreats for me are about BEING, not DOING. It’s a gift I give myself, an act of being gentle with no judgment. Unplugging and going into stillness. It’s about feeding my soul and allowing myself to listen deeply to what my soul wants.
A bonus, realized later, are the insights and ahh-ha moments I seem to receive when in a retreat!
In the past several years I have become more descriptive with myself, the wording going from “a retreat” to a meditation retreat, resting retreat, spiritual retreat, sleeping retreat, creative retreat or silent retreat. Usually just telling others that I am going on a retreat, without going into the details of what type of retreat I am having.
In the evolution, I have also expanded my signs and signals to show me when it’s time for a retreat:
It feels like I might get sick
Overwhelm takes over, and I am feeling stuck without an idea of why
(I first look at what information is missing and rule that out)
My body, mind or soul feel exhausted/depleted.
A disconnected feeling comes over me
A discontented feeling arises
If you feel adding retreats may benefit your life here are a few logistics I navigate:
Cancel my day - I try to let everyone know a few days to a week ahead. Just booking the retreat has a calming effect on my nervous system. You may want to focus on a weekend day if you work in a traditional office setting and don’t have any personal days to take off. If you are a parent of small children, you will need to find a way to be in a different space or home during your retreat. My retreat is usually from when I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep at night.
Organizing my basic needs so I don’t need to go out for anything on retreat day. I focus on calming teas, healthy comfort food (nourishing body, mind, and soul), and water to keep hydrated. My morning always includes a coffee, non-negotiable for me!
A few things I gather beforehand - a notebook and pencil for ideas or insights that arise. A sleep mask for napping, my yoga mat, props for movement and meditation, a way to play music and headphones.
Prep for the day - I prep beforehand so my retreat day and energy aren’t taken up by figuring out what I want to do. At times I will pull together a few books that support my retreat. Usually, I will figure out the type of music that is in line with my retreat theme. Some are my favorites are American Indian flute music, frequency music, hand pan drum music, Fibonacci frequency, Tibetan bowl music, and mantra music. I really love chanting to Kundalini Mantra music! Many of my favorite music types are available for long play. Putting on music, closing my eyes to stay in my inner world, sitting up and listening is what I call a floating meditation. Headphones are recommended for many of the types of music, but not required.
When I am planning a creative retreat I will set up my art table to be available if I move in that direction. Musicians, writers and others can prep your area to flow into it if desired.
When I have the option of being unstructured I go for it. I don’t have a schedule, just an idea of what I could include. I eat when I am hungry, sleep when I am tired, and fit some of the things in between. This may not work for everyone. It’s what’s worked for me in the past.
Being device-free is essential. Turning off my phone, and just using my tablet for music. Not checking texts or emails. Again, this is a day of BEING and disconnecting from others to reconnect with myself.
Happy Retreating!
With LOVe
BaliMama
💙💙💙