Retreat offers us a time to ourselves for ourselves. If created with intention a retreat opens a beautiful feeling of spaciousness and bolsters our ability to practice presence in our daily life.
Traveling for retreat costs a bomb. Worth it. Absofuckinglutely. Accessible. No.
Because of that I began to craft myself personal mini-retreats. Here is how:
Wake Early.
Speak little.
Practice a lot.
Eat simply.
If you have the available finances add in a special treat like a massage or a sauna.
That’s it. That is the recipe of pretty much any retreat I have attended.
Now, I try for a mini retreat once a week. I take three hours sans Addy and I practice. Sometimes its restorative and I just roll between the poses. Other times I take an online movement workshop – post covid there are so many good platforms to choose from. Lately I have been ending my practice with a sauna because there is a beautiful one down the street from me.
I am approaching thirty years of daily practice, more than half my life committed to this path. Adding these beautiful extended intentional practices enables me to parent in a way that I would not be capable of otherwise. Motherhood without the balm of yoga and meditation is not something I am willing to try.