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‘Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose’ – Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Taking a break from our daily routine can be a very healing process that can bring a great deal of awareness to our lives.  But why would someone choose to retreat and spend time on their own?

Some examples to contemplate would be:

Fast for the body, Feast for the spirit

Retreating to detoxify the body and mind through fasting and cleansing practices is a very powerful healing tool. 

Detoxifying the body brings new vigour and energy and can often resolve chronic health problems like sinusitis, constipation and toxicity headaches. Mentally we become clearer and more focused on what is important.

Detoxifying does not always have to be at expensive health hydros or spas.  Simply going away by oneself for a few days and cutting out all junk food and toxic chemicals from ones diet can be transforming. 

Do some research on detoxifying the body using natural ingredients such as herbal teas and organic fruits and vegetables. 

It is very helpful to talk to nutritional experts and natural healthcare practitioners and get their advice on what would work for your specific body and needs.

The Great Balancing Act

Achieving a balance between work and life is another reason to retreat.  Creating a space in which to be kind to yourself – giving oneself valuable space to play, to laugh, to journal or to meditate.  Relieving stress is an essential practice in today’s fast-paced world.

When last did you spend time on your own without the interruptions of daily life?

So many people do not believe that they have the time to retreat and take time out.  It takes discipline and resolve to create a retreat space for yourself in which you can break away from the frantic hustle and bustle of modern day life.

Creating Healing Space

A retreat can also allow us to step back from difficult situations thus allowing the space necessary for transformation.

Is there something in your life you need to distance from in order to see more clearly?  Or perhaps there are issues that you need to focus on and give attention to – the difficulties in a relationship, a disagreement amongst friends or long buried resentments that can fester if not given the appropriate care?

Letting Go

You may need to grieve the loss of something or someone.  Retreating to mourn the loss of a way of life, a relationship, a divorce, or even the death of a loved one is a crucial aspect of the grieving process.

As hard as it may be, creating the space to cry, to scream, to be angry and to sorrow is essential to the process of eventual recovery and acceptance.

And Letting Be

Having the courage and resolve to still the inner chatter long enough to reconnect to the great rhythms of life brings gifts often long forgotten.  In many precious ways, it’s like coming back home again.