Time to Retreat?
People have been asking if I am going to be offering weekend retreats again, and after deeply contemplating it, the answer is no. My 10year run at Kripalu with Yogini Workshop was a blast – I met so many extraordinary women. However, my passion is in creating workouts and bringing movement into daily life, and retreats are a very different wheelhouse. Also, a huge part of the retreat experience has nothing to do with me or what I’m teaching, but instead about lodging, food, and ambiance (things out of my control).
The world has changed too. People have turned their homes into a retreat. What used to be called a staycation, is now being referred to as an at-home retreat, and I’m here for this! What your at-home retreat looks like will be different from someone else’s, but the goal is the same: to restore a sense of wellness by stepping away from the daily grind.
I just turned my Friday night into an at-home retreat and here’s what I did:
1. First, I set it up. The house was clean and my family was out, so I didn’t have to tend to anyone but myself. I turned off my phone and I had everything I needed food-wise and product-wise ready to go.
2. I lit candles as a way of kicking things off, then rolled out my yoga mat in front of my western most window and proceeded to do gentle yoga while watching the summer light change as the sun went down. (Very soothing..highly recommend!)
3. Then, I took a loonnnngggg bath. I brought my book into the tub with me and really luxuriated. I put a moisturizing mask in my hair and on my skin, smelling like rose and coconut (which is a surprisingly great combo), and put on a comfy set of pjs with my hair wrapped up in a towel.
4. I ate an already-prepared and “clean” dinner – a roasted potatoes/kale salad with lentils and capers. I also brewed a small pot of honeybush tea and continued to just read my book around the house, sipping tea from my favorite mug.
5. I got under my covers and wrote in my journal for about 15minutes, then lights out. Earlier in the day, I had broken off some sprigs of lavender from my lavender plant on my patio, and placed them on my bedside table. Lavender is a very soothing end-of-the-day touch. (This is the kind of thing I don’t take the time for in my “regular” life, but is so easy, we all should.)
A big part of why my Friday night retreat was so restorative is that I had no where to go. I wasn’t looking at the clock. The night was all mine. (As women, this is the million dollar opportunity we need to setup for ourselves.)
Notice if you are easily irritated or chronically fatigued or feeling disconnected from yourself. Ponder what your body, mind and spirit are craving and design accordingly. An at-home retreat can work wonders, putingt you back on the high vibe path. And honestly, for me, I’d like to make every Friday night my weekly retreat.