What is the value of a retreat? Insight, clarity, rest, renewal, refreshment, energy, excitement, and more. The rewards are numerous and powerful. Yet very few actually give themselves permission to go on retreat. Especially women.
Yet, like exercise, the more someone says she doesn’t have time to do a retreat, the more I would argue that she does need one. I have been doing retreats for the past 30 years and for the past ten years, have been going away on two- to three-day retreats about three to four times a year. I’ve even done silent meditation retreats for anywhere from one to six days. Always amazed at what I discover.
I do regular retreats because I find them tremendously productive. I get six month’s worth of the “I really need to get X done” work done. I run a busy agency and have a teenager, two cats and a hubby, so it’s hard to work ON my business during a typical day. I focus on getting work done for clients every day and then “my” stuff gets put aside. This is why I go on retreat.
Plus, when you take yourself away from email, clients, coworkers, your family, your friends, Facebook and all the myriad of things that draw your attention each day, you would be amazed at how many hours there are in a day. Plenty of time to think and decide if you are on the path you want to be on, and if not, what you need to do to make some course corrections.
Another important part of retreat for me is to have a beautiful place in which to soak in the gorgeousness and vastness of nature. The pictures included in this post are from my most recent retreat on the Sonoma Coast in Northern California. (who couldn’t dream big in place like that?!). This helps me put things in perspective and remember that I am not an island and am supported and connected to so many others. I come away with a feeling that I can accomplish anything.
So when will you give yourself the gift of retreat?
About Jennifer LeBlanc
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