A May Day weekend morning during the Spring Renewal Retreat, Wisconsin
Right now I'm on retreat. I haven't wanted to come inside because I want to be away from the things that have to do with my daily busy-ness. But I'm due to get my blog written, and being in the middle of it is actually a perfect time to talk about retreating.
It's funny what happens when you use the word retreat as a verb - it sounds like withdrawal and has connotations of failure - but that's in a man's world, typically associated with war. When used as a noun, retreat sounds very pleasant, doesn't it? It carries with it associations of a pleasant break from everyday life, with time to focus on something meaningful and worthwhile. I like to think of it both ways - as a withdrawal from everyday life and an intentional space carved out for self-care and reflection.
It was my own need for a retreat a couple of years ago that led me to shape a dramatic shift in my life. In the beginning of a seven-day silent meditation retreat, I couldn't even have articulated what I was looking for – other than needing to be there - but as I reached the end of the retreat, my focus became much clearer. I was seeking a more fully realized sense of self and a better balance in my life between all of my different passions and interests.
I used to have all of the typical guilt surrounding the idea of retreat: it was too much money to spend on myself, too much time away from my responsibilities, too decadent, I wouldn't know anyone, on and on and on. Until I really needed it, that is - then it was simply the best and most important action I could make.
I don't think that my guilt is that uncommon – most women are very good at taking care of everyone around them, at the expense of themselves. As givers, women do so many things selflessly, but it is often that nurturing space that we need to carve out for ourselves in order to continue to give without becoming utterly depleted.
Which is why I am on retreat right now. And which is also the reason I feel drawn to lead retreats for women, adding a few more to my schedule every year. I gained so much by being on retreat myself that I wanted to help create a similar space for women – the space for reflection and renewal that I had been so urgently seeking myself.
My retreats are created with a very simple goal – to provide a nurturing and nourishing space for women to find a balance again in their lives. So much more than a vacation, or purely relaxation, they are a weekend away that creates a sense of community among a small group. The retreats I lead allow for time to breathe and renew the senses in order to come away with a revitalized sense of well-being. Focused on health and well-being at all levels - providing restorative, cleansing juices, delicious and gourmet healthy foods, guided meditation, gentle exercise, and some silent and intentional space for reflection – they are weekends (or weeks) designed to replenish the body, mind and soul.
