(Madisyn Taylor)
Occasionally, we need to pause - and step away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. One way to do this is to get away from our daily life and go on retreat. Far more than a vacation, a retreat offers us time to ourselves to rest, heal, reflect, and renew our spirit. A retreat gives us time for uninterrupted meditation so that we may go deep within and spend time with ourselves.
A retreat may offer quiet, solitude, and sometimes even silence. Retreats often take place in humble dwellings with simple fare so that our senses may be reawakened to the beauty of unadorned tastes and the sights and sounds of nature. When we spend days in contemplation, we can more easily hear our heart when it speaks to us.
Without the pull of deadlines, relationships, the Internet, or other media, we give ourselves time to go deep into our own solitude where we can fully reflect on our joys, sorrows, and fears, owning and releasing them as needed. We may even come to know and understand our life path more deeply. Hopefully, when we return home, we can take a little bit of this time alone back with us and create the space for deep reflection on a daily basis. We also may come back to our life renewed and ready to take on the world. The beauty of going on retreat is that no matter where you go or how long you stay, you'll always meet yourself when you get there.
My Thoughts:
I love the idea of going on a retreat, but the thing that puts me off is the cost. Apparently, it can be really expensive to get away from all the luxuries afforded modern life and live simply.
So, I was thinking about how to achieve the concept of a retreat but realistically.
Here are some things I thought might work:
- A Day for ME …
- Silence the mobile, unplug the phone and the Internet, turn off the TV, close curtains and shut out the world. Relax. (But, remember to tell everyone that you are doing this, so they don’t panic when you are not instantly available).
- Maybe a day is too ambitious … how about an hour (or so)
- Same as above but for a set timeframe.
- Too many people in the house … so think about locking yourself away.
- Bedrooms are a good escape space. Put a sign on the door letting everyone know the time when you will be available again. Read, meditate, relax, sleep … whatever rocks your boat. (might be a good idea to install a lock and buy some earplugs or headphones).
- Bathrooms … treat yourself to a bubble-bath, a long lazy shower, a pamper session, the list could be endless. Usually there is an inbuilt lock but make sure everyone else in the house goes to the loo before you start.
- Gardens and Parks … beaches, ad-hoc benches, carparks in the middle of nowhere. Just escape and pretend the world does not exist.
- How about booking a caravan on a quiet site for a few days away? Take enough provisions so you don’t even have to venture out the door unless you want to.
- Maybe hire a touring van. You don’t need to go far, just far enough to somewhere nice so you can relax without being disturbed.
- Wild Camping … no not my idea of fun, but I can see the attraction of being off the beaten track in isolation.
What do I do?
Well, my study looks out to sea, so I shut myself away in there and either sit at the desk and write or snuggle in the reclining chair and read or meditate. If things in the rest of the house get a little loud … there are always the headphones and some soothing music to enjoy.
Bedtime, is my time as is first thing in the morning … I love setting the alarm so I can watch a new day break as the world wakes.