My husband recently went out of town for a business trip, so I took the opportunity while he was gone to do a Personal Retreat. A personal retreat can look different for each person–you design it yourself, so you can let your creative juices flow–but ultimately it should include rest, rejuvenation and a connection to spirit. My intention for my personal retreat was to give myself uninterrupted time where I could enjoy some much-needed peace and tranquility and do some inner work. After all, as anyone who lives with other people (human or animal) understands, it is a rare treat to not be beholden to, or have to work around, others’ agendas.
My personal retreat took place over three days. (If that seems like an unrealistic amount of time to have no responsibilities, don’t get me wrong, I did allow myself one ‘chore’ a day, like doing a load of laundry.) The retreat included–in no particular order–daily meditation; Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin yoga practices (following along to–you guessed it–my own audio classes, because I know good instruction when I hear it!); abhyanga, the Ayurvedic self-massage practice, as well as a regular massage; aromatherapy; an epsom salt bath; reading; svadhyaya (self-study); daily walks; visualization practice; and multiple cups of tea. I had a set schedule for getting up and going to bed each day. I froze leftovers for several weeks leading up to that time so that I would have meals ready to go and not have to spend extra time cooking.
The time I gave myself was absolutely blissful and I highly recommend this practice to anyone else in need of some rest and rejuvenation. If you have been super-busy or feeling stressed out, a personal retreat will allow you to completely relax so your nervous system can reset. It will give you the opportunity to recharge your batteries. It will allow you to reconnect with yourself and move with your body’s own rhythms. And while I acknowledge that those exact rhythms may not be able to be completely sustained once your retreat is over, the idea is that hopefully the time gives you a glimpse of small changes you may be able to make in your life to increase your sense of wellbeing.
If a retreat in your own space is not possible and you are local to the Ann Arbor, MI area, I warmly invite you to do a Personal Retreat at The Yoga Room. (Or if you’re looking to do something similar as a bonding experience with a few friends, you could consider a Bespoke Mini Retreat.) I promise you won’t regret it!
Real Self-Care: The Science of Subtracting