“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
~Hermann Hesse
A client recently reminded me of how we don’t need to book a trip to an exotic (and pricey!) locale for a personal retreat. Instead, all we need to do is take a trip within ourselves. This journey can last for a week, weekend, one day, or one hour. If you are in search of tools to allow you to take a break, look within, and recharge… read on:
1. Meditate. You can find plenty of free downloads to choose from online.
2. Vision Board: Cover your bedroom wall with butcher-block paper or simply buy a poster board. Cut out pictures from magazine which are inspiring and related to your goals and dreams; write out favorite quotes; list your idea of a perfect day; describe your theme for the year; write three adjectives you want to be descriptions of you in three months. The idea is to have a visual anchor you wake up to each morning that sets the tone for the day in a positive and inspirational manner.
3. Write closure letters. These might be to your younger self, or to people in your life where verbal closure is not an option.
4. Write congratulatory cards to yourself on everything you’ve achieved in your life.
5. Write a letter to you from your future self about what life is like six months or one year from now. Tuck them away for reading down the road.
6. Take a day of silence. I recently participated in a mindfulness course and one of the items on the agenda was a half-day spent in silence. I found by the end of the four hours, I was incredibly relaxed and calm.
7. Plan a weekend retreat encompassing the items above. You might want to incorporate some sort of eating plan which you find rejuvenating as well. If arranging a weekend at home is impossible with your family and children, try teaming up with a trusted friend at their home for a mellow and rejuvenating two days.
Wishes to you for a happy day!
Meg
