It probably won’t come as any surprise for me to tell you I’m a big believer in ‘retreating’ from your everyday life from time to time. While I run retreats a couple of times each year, it’s not something I do as often as I would like for myself. After finishing my book, I decided it was time for me to have a few days away on my own. I’m so pleased I did – already, after just one day, I’m starting to feel refreshed and I’m completely relaxed. So, I thought I’d share my tips for how you can create your own mini-retreat.
1. Find the right place
I’m lucky to be able to use my sister’s gorgeous little beach house at Point Roadknight for my retreat. It’s simple and beautiful and it has all of the right elements. The most important is that it’s in a place which allows me to feel a connection with nature but equally, there’s a decent bed, a teapot, a great sound system and a wood fire.
Choose the right place for you by thinking about what you need most. Retreat destinations don’t need to be luxurious – a camping retreat (as long as you’re warm) can be just as restorative as a stay in a boutique hotel. Find a place that is close to nature and make a decision about whether you’re happy to go it alone or whether you’d prefer to retreat with a friend.
2. Bring some home comforts
I bring my favourite herbal tea, good quality fruit and vegetables, home made bliss balls, comfy clothes, runners and a jacket for walking, books, music, candles, my own pillow and everything I need for my creative pursuits.
When I first arrive, I take the time to make the space feel like my own. I picked some flowers from the garden and lit an essential oil candle so the room smells beautiful. I’ve been exploring new music on Spotify so I have some great playlists to listen to (today has been a mix of Iron & Wine, Blank & Jones, Agnes Obel, Isbells and some classical piano music).
3. Plan your days
Think about what you need most from your time away. For me, it was partly about having some time alone but this is also a writing retreat (I have a new eBook coming out later this year as well as my ‘real’ book) and I wanted to explore some creative activities before we go to Byron for our retreat in November.
Retreats can be an opportunity to connect you with your dreams and goals, to explore your spirituality, to re-establish healthy eating and exercise habits, they can be about pure relaxation or they can be about connecting you with creativity.
Regardless of your objective, start your days at dawn so you make the most of your time away. There’s nothing more beautiful than waking to the sound of the birds. Begin with some yoga and a short meditation where you can set an intention for your day. Have a decent breakfast and then fill your morning with activities such as journalling, reading, exercise or creative pursuits. Take a break to prepare a healthy lunch and eat mindfully (this means eating your meals without reading or watching television or distracting yourself with technology). You’ll be surprised at how much longer it takes to eat a meal and how beautiful food tastes when you eat in a mindful way. You’ll also notice when you’re full so you won’t be so tempted to overeat.
Spend the afternoon either resting, getting a massage or a facial, having a nap or if you have the energy, go for similar activities to those you pursued in the morning.
At the end of the day, either cook or have an already prepared healthy dinner and make an early night of it. You may want to end your day journalling and reflecting on the things that went well in your day.
4. Do something creative
Regardless of the objective of your retreat, spend at least part of your time doing something creative. The reason this is important is because it slows you down and connects you to the intuitive, insightful part of yourself. All of us benefit from this from time to time.
For me, cooking, taking photos and writing are my usual ‘go to’ creative activities so I wanted to challenge myself a bit while I’m away. Mandala making is something I’ve always been interested in and it’s been showing up in my life in all sorts of ways lately which meant it was time to take notice. I recently reconnected with a lovely blogging friend, Jacinta and she gave me a beautiful gift of a mandala kit. Another friend, Andrea, has been teaching mandala classes in her Creative Dream Incubator program and miraculously, this gorgeous video of hers turned up in my inbox this morning. It was just what I needed to feel courageous enough to have another go at mandala making after a shaky first attempt two days ago.
5. Eat well and exercise
It can be tempting if you’re feeling run down or depleted to stay indoors and eat comfort food but that’s not the best way to spend your retreat time. Regardless of the weather, make sure you get out at least once a day for a decent walk and if you can, take that time to really make a connection with nature. It’s so good for your soul. Walk without earphones and resist the urge to take your camera each time you head out.
Plan some healthy meals while you’re away. I brought everything I need to cook my favourite recipe from Amy Crawford’s Nourishing Kitchen cookbook, Thai Inspired Quinoa Salmon Cakes and to make these delicious zucchini fritters. I love having something sweet with a cup of tea so I made bliss balls before I left. This is my own recipe – I’m pretty sure the purists would say they’re not officially bliss balls because they don’t include protein powder but they’re delicious (and they don’t have any added sugar, dairy or gluten).
Thai Inspired Fish Cakes. Photo courtesy of Amy Crawford, The Holistic Ingredient
6. Spend some time doing nothing
I make a rule for myself of no television while I’m away (and no alcohol or coffee) and I spend very limited time on social media and email. If you can disconnect completely, I’d recommend it. Having said that, you don’t have to be completely rigid about these things but it does make a difference to impose some boundaries. I make sure I resist the urge to be doing something all the time. I sit and just look out the window or watch the open fire or the clouds passing by or I spend a few minutes at night staring at the stars.
It’s amazing what you notice when you slow down and do nothing. For the first day, I was aware of the temptation to check email on my phone (I don’t like admitting this – I’ve found it confronting to recognise just how addicted to being online I am) and when I painted my mandala, I felt a small niggle of frustration when I painted outside the lines. At times, I’ve felt like there’s something else I should be doing – a result of being constantly ‘on’ most of the time.
These are the insights that are so valuable for me to take away. I can bring this wisdom home with me. It’s why retreats are so beneficial – they literally help you to recalibrate what’s most important in your world.
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