Last week I announced my Revitalization Retreat coming up April 1–3 just northeast of Houston, TX. I’m very excited to take a small group of professional women on retreat to experience the power of intentional rest, renewal, and revitalization! If you know of a woman who would be interested in this, please help me spread the word. Thank you!
I also shared ideas with you about how to plan your own personal retreat and what are some key elements to make it successful. Hopefully I planted the seed that it’s time for you to take some time out of your ordinary day-to-day responsibilities and slow down and rest.
Perhaps you’ve thought about planning your personal retreat but maybe haven’t yet taken action? Let me share some simple retreat ideas to help you move from inspiration to action. Keep in mind that most of these can be modified for whatever time frame you have. While more time to unwind and retreat is obviously ideal, the intentionality and care with which you do it is most important of all!
Five Retreats You Can Plan Today
1. The Nature Retreat – Hike outdoors to a favorite spot where you sit and rest (perhaps the base of a tree, maybe at the edge of a pond or lake). You can meditate, bring a sketchbook or write in your journal. Speak your gratitudes aloud to the birds and the squirrels. Breathe deeply. If you are intentional and focused with your time, you can make a one or two hour retreat feel like it’s a lot longer than it actually is. If you can spend an entire day or weekend in nature, you’ll really watch your breathing return to normal and your stress melt away as you connect with the rhythm and flow of Mother Nature.
2. The At Home Retreat – Start by preparing your space – no technology, no other people, clean(ish) house, yummy food to eat. Choose your favorite room in the house to spend your time – one that makes you feel peaceful and inspired at the same time. And if you have an outdoor space – backyard, patio, porch – by all means, use it! Gather your retreat materials (some ideas include inspiring reading, art supplies, a musical instrument, candles, sage, healing stones, music, essential oils and more). Give yourself permission to allow the day to unfold without any structure or schedule but simply be mindful of the need to be and breathe.
3. The Hotel Retreat – It is quite remarkable what 24 hours at a hotel with no kids, no pets, and no responsibilities can do for your soul. Think about how zen a hotel room is. Basic furniture and a few simple decorations. No piles of paper, dirty laundry or breakfast dishes waiting for your attention. Cover the television screen with a pretty scarf and turn off your technology. Give yourself permission to order room service, wake up without an alarm, swim in the hotel’s pool or work out at the gym and use your “free” time to read, write or day dream to your heart’s content.
4. The Getaway Retreat – Sometimes, you really do need to get out of Dodge! A physical change of scenery is good for the spirit! Trade the city for the country or the mountains for the beach. You can go alone or with some friends. In Texas, we head to “Hill Country”, in Minnesota, it’s the lakes and in Florida it’s the beaches. Wherever you live, a few hours’ drive can help you feel a world away from your day-to-day activities. Wherever you choose to stay, keep it simple. Camping is great. A bed-and-breakfast or a cabin is wonderful, too. Keep your activities to things you wouldn’t normally do at home and spend as much time outdoors as possible.
5. The Immersion Retreat – Certainly you can plan your own retreat, but there is something really special about giving yourself the gift of being led through a 3-7 day retreat by a skilled facilitator. You can find some great retreats at Find The Divine and Seek A Retreat. One of my favorite retreat facilitators, ever, is Jennifer Louden and her Woman’s Retreat Book is a great resource for anyone craving a retreat! If you simply Google “women’s retreats” and the city or state where you live, you’ll be amazed at how many retreats are going on near you! You can go on a yoga retreat, a painting retreat, a writing retreat, a nature retreat, a Revitalization Retreat… the sky’s the limit!
Revitalizing Action: Start planning your retreat today. Pull out your calendar NOW and see if you can identify a period of time where you can build in some rest and renewal. (And of course, if you want to join me in April for the Revitalization Retreat, send me an email so we can connect and see if it’s a good fit for you!
Here’s to Retreating!
Elizabeth