The Power of Retreating
“If we step away for a time, we are not,
as many would accuse, being irresponsible,
but, rather, we are preparing ourselves….
Maya Angelou
We all agree that taking time to be relaxed, contemplative and mindful about our lives is a worthwhile thing, yet we still don’t do it. We’re too busy. Being busy is a given for most of us. And the truth is, we’re probably not going to get any less busy.
Interestingly, when we take time to retreat, time expands, and you approach your tasks with a more peaceful heart, open mind, and relaxed attitude. Retreating is a very powerful tool for rediscovering, rejuvenating and recommitting yourself to your life.
To retreat sounds like we’re running away, but we’re not. To retreat is to come back to yourself. To retreat is to create a stillness, a space, so you can hear the whisper, so you can revisit your needs and your desires. By retreating from the busyness of our everyday lives, we can be reminded of the truth about our strengths, our weaknesses, what we want, what we don’t want, and what we will and what we won’t do.
In October, we will be hosting another wonderful Women’s Weekend Retreat at Palm Key Nature Resort. This retreat is based on a life design program that I have written about in Your Possible Life: Design the Life You Were Meant to Live. This program helps you ask (and answer) the powerful questions of your life and then to design a plan based on this self-knowledge.
Everything during this weekend is designed to help you step away from your busy world for the purpose of taking that inner journey back to yourself. I call this creating a safe space. Please check on my website for what happens during a retreat.
Imagine getting away from all the stress and distractions of everyday life. However, the retreat experience is very different from a relaxation experience. While being relaxed is a crucial component to a successful retreat, it is not the end result. Rather, the end goal is a clearer vision of yourself and your life path and to reconnect with yourself, the universe, your higher power, your dreams, and your purpose.
It’s also nice to have support on this journey. Through the retreat experience you get the support of the structured program and the facilitator, but more importantly, you get the support of a community of women just like you that heard the call to stop and take some time.
The reasons for coming are different for every woman. It may be to get away from it all, or to be in a supportive environment with other like-minded women, or for the deepening exercises of the Your Possible Life program. It will probably be a combination of all three.
Come and join us. Give yourself the gift of retreat or ask someone to gift it to you. (There is a discount if you sign up before September 15th.) Tell other women, bring your friends. Click here for registration information.
If you can’t arrange to come on retreat with us in October, know that a retreat doesn’t have to be an elaborate escape. Personal mini-retreats can range from spending the weekend alone in silence and contemplation, to just taking a walk on the beach for the purpose of reconnecting with your self. You can take a lunch hour to meditate or journal, some time with a friend to assess your lives, or a two-minute deep breathing retreat. A retreat can be rocking on your front porch.
Remember what’s most important is the intention. Saying, “I’m going to pull away and designate this time and this place to being conscious, thoughtful, and loving about who I am, and what I want, and what I’m going to do.”
SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NEED TO RETREAT?
• You feel like you’re running on empty.
• You feel disconnected, without a center.
• You know that there’s more – but you don’t know what it is.
• You don’t remember your dreams.
• Your heart feels closed.
• You feel an unquenchable inner yearning.
Powerful Question:
What are signs that you recognize in your own life that make you think you need to retreat?
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Please email me with any inquiries about the next Women’s Weekend Retreat or customizing a program just for you.
Tags: Maya Angelou, Palm Key Nature Retreat Center, retreating, Signs you need to retreat, Your Possible Life
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