subject: my first annual essence7 wellness solo retreat
location: beautiful lodge at local ski resort
accommodations: mountain view corner suite
amenities: king size bed, full kitchen, balcony, fireplace, rainfall shower, claw foot tub
what i thought my retreat would consist of:
- reading, reading, reading
- writing, writing, writing
- thinking, brainstorming, creating
- planning, strategizing
- engaging in solitude
- rereading previous journals and morning pages
- immersing myself in introspective exercises
- drinking green smoothies and lots of coffee
- capturing revelations as they surface
- soaking in an epsom salt bath in that luxurious (huge!) clawfoot tub
what my retreat actually looked like:
- all of the above
- and so much more
- debriefing to clear the cobwebs
- exploring unexpected (and heavy) emotions
- dissecting my fears
- staring into space and watching some tv
- indulging in my continuous experimentation with words
- breathing to focus, to calm, to dive deep
- observing life through my five senses
- becoming enchanted with the word grit
- realizing how much i really do like myself
- realigning and interweaving my goals within my mission
- refreshing and recharging my internal batteries
- embracing my often elusive courage
- realizing i will never do everything on my list
- celebrating that i have such an expansive list
- envisioning the details of my upcoming retreat for clients
- discovering that more time + less distraction does not = instant concentration
- panning for nuggets in my voluminous tomes
- talking out loud (and answering)
- accepting my long held dream of becoming a (real) writer
- falling in love all over again with my husband (who joined me the third night)
tousled hair selfie
why i went on a solo retreat:
- to escape the interference of daily life while rewriting my business plan
- to excavate raw materials hidden inside
- to illuminate the direction in which i should proceed
- to quiet the whispered fears of feeling less independent, less capable
- to acknowledge the thoughts tumbling over each other inside my brain
- to sit with the feelings threatening to swallow me up
- to have fun!
i am still processing what happened two weeks later.
still connecting the dots.
still attempting to understand the subtle shifts i’ve experienced.
still marveling at the insights gained and the journey traveled.
in one week i’m headed to a gorgeous river gorge with my husband and younger son.
however, i’m more of a nature-is-pretty-through-the-window kind of girl.
i will explore a few of the waterfalls and revel in the beauty of the wildflowers around me.
but while my two men are out doing their impossible-for-mom-straight-up-climbs,
i will be continuing my solo retreat.
and i’ll continue my solo retreat at home.
and in the shower.
and while drinking my morning coffee.
because it doesn’t really matter where i am or even what i’m doing.
although i loved my time away, i don’t need a fancy hotel to dream and plan.
the solo retreat is within.
i can always reach in and connect to that soulful and necessary space.
“being a scholar of self and soul is ongoing.” (joan anderson)
how do you retreat from the world and center yourself?
Even though the fancy hotel’s not crucial to the connection, somehow I’d like to believe that the tub and the king-sized bed to yourself helped with e process! ;-/
But really, what a beautiful gift to offer yourself (and your biz), and how beautiful to have received the gift of that realization in return. Thanks from sharing some of the fun, and look forward to seeing (reading) the gems you found in the excavation.
My own centering usually involves sitting under a tree and connecting deeply to the Earth. Recharges & inspires me like nothing else.
thanks for sharing your own centering ritual, cathy. lovely.
oh yes, cathy – especially the CLAWFOOT TUB (fabulous!). and definitely more to come – my excavation isn’t quite complete. 🙂
This sounds incredible! I will be anxious to hear about it when you have had time to process. I bet your family time improves as a result. Thanks for sharing.
interesting, cathy. and i agree – self care often leads to improved relationships with others.
This sounds so wonderful I was practically sighing as I read. To have the comfort and quiet of that time alone—priceless. I love your honest assessment of the time spent. We always get more than we envision. Great post.
i was actually sighing while i was there, lorna! 🙂
Oh Me Time (as I call it!) is so important! For the last 5 years I have gone away once a year to do something I always wanted to do without kids or hubby in tow. I went on a cattle drive in Montana one year, a horse riding safari to South Africa another and I was in Italy on a work trip this year but squashed in some Me Time! It helps you remember who you are which can get lost when you are running around after a family!
sounds amazing, rosie – what exciting retreats you have had! and i love your term “oh me time.”
I admire you for seeking a quiet space to reflect in solitude. We all need to acknowledge that a retreat with oneself is the highest form of self-awareness. Good for you!
it was most certainly a chance to reconnect with myself and become more aware of who i am and what i’m all about, lori.
Thank you for sharing your solo retreat! I love being alone! As soon as my kids walk out the door to go to school I grab my coat and go for a walk along the beach by myself. I tell my boys that my brain is like one of those wide up toys, my legs moving being the key to making my brain go!!! ALL My best ideas come to me during this time. When I’m finished on the beach I walk around my village chatting with the locals as I buy my fruits and veggies for the day. LOVE my time in the morning! 🙂
your beach walks sound delightful, angela. what an enticing picture you have painted – a solo jaunt and then camaraderie with the locals. and i love my alone time too.
When I read the title of your post I smiled BIG! I love to be alone and connect with me. My husband just went away on a fishing trip with his friends for the weekend and I had our king sized bed to myself, I slept like a baby and loved just letting the day unfold. It felt like a mini vacation for me 🙂
your mini vacation sounds perfect, susie. i like spending time alone in my own home as well.
another beautiful article.
I love this kind of ‘I did’ list. It shows yourself how much you have achieved and how far you have come.
But I especially love “the solo retreat is within”.
I just got back from two weeks in the UK and Sardinia. I napped and walked and read every single day and felt refreshed for the first time in about 18 months! I can do all of those things at home. So now I will. And hopefully I’ll be refreshed…
napped and walked and read every single day . . . nice. isn’t that funny, sam? we CAN do all of those things at home, but for some reason we tend not to get to them. i hope the refreshing glow of your two weeks away continues on.
This is definitely on my bucket list for this year! That, and a tub like that. WOWZA! 🙂
yes, lacy, the tub. it was u-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e.
Absolutely beautiful! Would love to know more about where you went as the pictures look gorgeous…but the insight gained is so much deeper than the surface of pictures, right? I retreat from the world, if I can, for 5-20 minutes everyday by practicing being completely in the moment when the house is free from noise. I check in with myself during that time, and am a firm believer in the power of whispers, hence my business name! Thanks for sharing such a lovely post!!
stacey – i was at a ski lodge in northern idaho (usa). i love your practice of retreating from the world each day. and intrigued by “the power of whispers.” just a few minutes a day (very doable) can change our whole perspective.
This was a luxurious read, imagining all the surroundings. Great share, and food for thought..I jotted a few down. I share your enchantment with #8, and need to do more accepting of #19
grit. it says so much, doesn’t it, dana?
As a mother of 3 kids and one on the way, I love the thought of doing something like this and seeing where the alone time takes me. What a wonderful experience for you, thanks for sharing!
those days with small children are behind me now, janelle. but i well remember wondering if there was such a thing as alone time ever again! 🙂 yet i know your season of life is so very precious (and i miss many things about it). congratulations to you on your new little one!
I just had a one-day solo retreat this weekend when my husband took the kids to his parents. I worked hard on my biz, took a nap, and then worked some more. It was fantastic. I like your lists!
so smart to take advantage of those solo retreats whenever they present themselves to us. yours sounded productive and reinvigorating, beth!
I live in the woods… 5 minutes from the ocean, 2 minutes from a lake, and inside a luscious forest. I feel gratitude everyday for my continuous retreat… and know it is so good for my soul.. however, that bathtub above… now that… I’d love to install in my home!!!!! xoxoxo
impressed with your ability to recognize and appreciate the beauty you live in each day, elizabeth. i actually had a bathtub like that once (years ago now). when we moved, it was the one item i missed the most.
Beautiful! I love this and it’s inspiring me to go on a solo retreat! I especially love that you fell in love with the word “grit” (what a GREAT word!) and the part about really appreciating yourself. Awesome. Thanks for sharing!
dana (above) agrees with us as well about the word grit. it is a great word! you must go on a solo retreat now, anne, so you can tell me all about it. 🙂
‘the solo retreat is within.
i can always reach in and connect to that soulful and necessary space.’
When I choose to escape to an ‘at home retreat,’ I start with my portable infrared sauna, then indulge in a vanilla scented sugar scrub, a honey mask, and a rose scented milky bath. The only thing missing is that beautiful tub.
Your post reminded me that I am way overdue.
ooh, what a delicious visual, denise! that sounds enchanting. i hope you indulge very soon.
Oooh – your post made me realise I so want a solo retreat. My wish list would be pretty similar, and I’d like for point 9 and 13 to be part of the outcome 🙂
go, laura! and report your discoveries back to me! 🙂
It’s always powerful to take time away. I always have “popcorn” that comes up for weeks after my time away.
“popcorn!” i like that, lisa.
Love it, yes we can always go within to have solo retreat and glad you got that! I really enjoy a solo getaway and as you mentioned we can make room and go within for a solo retreat anytime, thank you for sharing. Love and light 🙂
yes, so important to take the time to make room for ourselves, nadjejda.
Congratulations on your rreat. So envious here. Never had one in my entire life. Guess this is something I should be adding on my list
put it at the very top of your list, ella! (make it mandatory. :))
Ooooh April – that was just delicious reading. The place looked fabulous – but i felt solo connected to what you were experiencing. It looks like you went through an array of emotions and perspective and inner shifts?! I need me some of this too – although we solo entrepreneurs spend a lot of alone time even when working on our business. Loved it and it looks and feels sublime.. 🙂 x
thanks, roxy. we spend a lot of time alone indeed, but not always digging and exploring and opening up. i am an emotional person, but even i was surprised at the depth of the tears that surfaced – more than once. definitely inner shifts taking place. you must go!
I am currently on 4 acres caring for a faithful dog doing a similar thing. I has a beautiful walk today along the river, crossed over it on a wire swing bridge, the dog swam. We stopped for coffee and organic raisin toast that I shared with my friend.
I love the country
I love the country
I love the country
Xxxx
a captivating picture, deb. and do you by any chance love the country? 🙂 (so happy that you are where you need to be.)
I have treated myself to solo retreats a couple of times in my life, and each time, I learn so much more about what I need AND what I’m scared to give myself!
The best part about creating a solo retreat is that YOU create the rules – and if you ever choose to “break” them, then it’s entirely up to what you need in that moment (I went on a silent retreat once that was self-imposed – needless to say I decided 24 hours was enough of that and quickly connected with other travelers to fulfill my soul’s longing!).
Thank you for sharing this April and for reminding me that I can “take a little retreat within” wherever I so choose.
interesting that you brought this up, sabrina. there were a couple of times during the weekend when i caught myself thinking “oh, i shouldn’t be doing this while i’m here – i should be (fill in the blank).” and then i’d quickly remind myself that “this solo retreat is for me. for whatever i need in this moment” (i create the rules). thank you for your insights. (and i had to laugh – i also would not last at a silent retreat! :))
This is wonderful insight! I realize that I need to create a retreat in my home. I work from home part time and am at home with my kiddos part-time, so having a place of comfort, retreat here is essential. Last November I took 3 days and went on a solo writing retreat. I stayed in a little flat in a nearby town, while my Dad helped watch and shuttle my kiddos around. It was amazing and something I will definitely do again.
oh, summer – that solo writing retreat sounds perfect! (and what a sweet dad.) i’m already planning my next away time (not sure how soon it will happen but at least i know it will).
You are absolutely right, you don’t need a fancy hotel to go on a solo retreat although it is still kinda nice. I remember I took a week off and stayed at home however I wasn’t using my phone or computer. I spent most of my time meditating and open to the infinite possibilities right at my finger tips which can be kicked into action by making a choice. A solo retreat whether at a fancy hotel or home is awesome. Its a chance to disconnect so you can reconnect or strengthen the connection with yourself. Powerful stuff indeed 🙂
“a chance to disconnect so you can reconnect or strengthen the connection with yourself.” very nice, alecia – thanks for sharing.
I love it “the solo retreat is within.” I totally agree with you!! Glad you enjoyed yourself and that you continue to do so.
p.s. what a gorgeous view!!!
the view was gorgeous, victoria – that’s the ski hill.
I totally need to do this too!
go, jillian! you will not regret any minute of it!