A Restful Retreat

You can go on a retreat

There is a sanctuary deep within yourself that you can visit any time you are feeling discouraged and need rest. 

This is different than being at home, because you go to this place when you are already on your journey and need a break from the grind to recharge.

A retreat is a place where you can draw on your own wisdom and recover from burnout or stress that is keeping you from continuing your journey. There are many reasons why you may need to slow down for a while. You may have overworked yourself from having climbed a mountain too quickly. You may have emerged from a tunnel and need to build up your strength. Or, you may have spent too much time in the noise of the Labyrinth.

Important reminders about rest

• Rest is an essential part of the journey

• Taking care of your mental health is crucial

• If you are resting, you are still learning and growing

• Some growth requires you to pause and be still

• You will see the benefits of a restful period later on, even if you don’t see them immediately

• Sometimes, resting is the best thing you can do.

My experience on a Retreat

I entered a retreat during a time when I was feeling extreme exhaustion. I didn’t see how I could complete or even continue my journey. I had spent months in a dark tunnel and badly needed to recover. I let myself into this restful and quiet place deep in the wilderness. 

I emerged from the tunnel, weak and pale, blinking in the sudden light. I looked around, getting my bearings. The ancient woods were hushed. Tall pine trees filtered the sunlight from above. 

 I didn’t look back but stepped forward on what I hoped was the path. My feet barely made any sound on the pine needles. Before long, a large stone building loomed ahead. It looked like an old mansion with tall, intricate wrought iron windows.

Tall, vine-covered gates were standing open, waiting for me. I walked up the cobblestone driveway past a center garden with overgrown plants and flowering shrubs. There were more gardens surrounding the building. 

I walked up several steps to the front door and knocked. After a moment, I noticed a small sign that said “Come in”. I opened the door and entered an expansive room with tall ceilings. To the right, I saw a room labeled “Waiting Room”. A motherly woman at the desk welcomed me and had me write my name on a clipboard. She offered me green tea while I waited in an armchair.

Then she called my name and led me into another room with a large sofa. “It’s time to meet your wise mentor,” she told me.

I met my wise mentor

After I had settled into the sofa, a radiant, older woman entered the room. She had her silver hair in a long braid and wore a white dress and many colorful bracelets. She greeted me like an old friend, and I felt I knew her. (I realized later that she reminded me of myself, only older.) In a calm and quiet voice, she told me that this place was a retreat and a sanctuary. 

She told me there were sunlit gardens to roam. There was a room filled with art supplies and canvases. Another room had a king-size bed covered thick comforters and pillows. A library had bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling. A movie theatre played movies from my childhood. The grounds had gardens and lily ponds.. All of this was available to me. 

 There was no schedule here. Everything was at my own pace and direction. She was there to oversee my retreat and check in on me. She reassured me that I could spend as much time as I needed to here.

What is an internal retreat?

An internal retreat is about making self-care a priority. This is not a substitute for real medical care or therapy. If you are struggling with mental illness, it is often something you cannot get through alone. If you think you may need it, please seek medical or psychological help. Practicing self-care can be an addition to counseling and treatment.

At certain times in your life, you may need more intentional self-care and rest. You can spend as much time resting as you need. Depending on your circumstances, you can come here periodically for a few hours, in between spending time on the journey, and time in the labyrinth. You can go to this retreat for just twenty minutes or an hour, and it can be reinvigorating in small doses. The retreat truly defies space and time.

To spend time at a retreat, you likely will need to lean on your loved ones. It is important to let them know that you are focusing on yourself. Ask for their support. and in turn, let them know how you are doing. When I spent time in a retreat and focusing on rest, I needed to lean on my fiancé. Thankfully he was always there for me and was incredibly patient with me.

How to go on a retreat 

Any time you spend on intentional rest can be considered part of your retreat. It may be helpful to have a set time period, such as an hour, where you decide to relax and leave your worries behind. 

During this time, I recommend setting your phone down. Social media and scrolling can make you feel worse afterwards. Taking a break from social media can be incredibly restorative.

Some restful activities

• Meditate

• Journal

• Take a nap or go to bed early

• Watch your comfort movies and read your comfort books

• Knit or crochet

• Pet your dog or cat

• Paint the way children do, focusing on the process and not the result

• Feed your body nourishing food

• Go on long walks

• Drink hot tea

• Bake cookies

• Listen to music

• Talk to a loved one

• Take a bath and pamper yourself

• Do a face mask

• Clean your living space from top to bottom

• Sit outside and watch the clouds, the plants, and wildlife around you

• Do yoga and gentle stretches

Many activities qualify as self-care, as long as it makes you feel better and calmer. Time spent resting is not wasted, as it has many benefits.

A quick visualization exercise

This visualization exercise will help you relax and set the tone of your retreat experience.

1. Settle into stillness

When you are ready to go on a retreat, find a quiet place and either lay down or sit. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Set your attention on your breathing, noticing the rhythm of your breath. Wait until your thoughts are quieter and you feel relaxed.

2. Imagine your retreat 

This retreat will be for you alone. What does it look like? Maybe yours is a yoga hut on a tropical island or a monastery at the top of a mountain. Find the location that you find most peaceful. Imagine each and every detail until you can picture it clearly in your mind.

3. Imagine your wise mentor 

Everyone has innate wisdom in them. You can imagine a person that signifies this wisdom. They can be an older and wiser version of yourself. What does your wise mentor look like? What feelings do they radiate? Take some time visualizing them until you feel you know them.

4. Your wise mentor knows you deeply

What does your mentor recommend you do to rest? Wait until you feel that you have received an answer.

Spend some time breathing deeply and reflecting. When you are ready, open your eyes, find a journal and write down your experience. (You may want to journal in between each step). This way, you can remember the way back to your retreat for later.

Create your own retreat

Reflect on these questions and write down your answers in a journal:

• What brings you to a restful retreat right now?

• What activities will be your main self-care?

• How much time will you dedicate each week?

• How will you check in with your emotional self?

You are worth it.

Allow yourself the time to slow down and rest. Be unapologetic about making self-care a priority.