Retreats: Letting go of Concepts and Doing What Works

When you’re on a solo retreat, it’s an awesome time to deepen your trust in your self.  It’s powerful to practice following your heart moment-by-moment with no plan or agenda.

A vital step is to let go of all concepts about what you should do a retreat.  You might have ideas from things you’ve heard or read.  Maybe even from this blog.  Best to let them all go.  Even let go of thoughts about what worked for you on previous retreats.

Have the intention to simply be present and to listen to your heart moment by moment.  You may be in for some big surprises.  Perhaps you were expecting to spend hours meditating and instead you’re guided to go on a long hike.  Perhaps, if you’re staying at a retreat center, you’re drawn to the library and magically pick up just the right book to inspire you.

A retreat is a wonderful opportunity to let go of habitual behaviors and thinking patterns.  Being in a new setting helps.  Then, as you relax and slow down, you can start watching your mind more closely.  You’ll likely notice that most of the thoughts that go through your head are not worth paying attention to, much less acting on.

It’s very freeing to stop following your mind and begin to tune into the often more subtle impulses of your heart.  Your retreat is a great chance to practice this.  When you hang out in silence by yourself for a couple days or longer, you can break free of old habits and discover new, more joyful ways of being.

The more deeply you let go of everything you know, the more fully your retreat will be a whole new beginning in your life.

I provide groups retreats and individual retreats - click here for more information.

Is a Group or Solo Retreat Best for You?

Group retreats can  be very powerful
The energy and shared intention of a focused group creates a strong foundation for a renewing, transforming retreat. Having some amount of human interaction in alternation with alone time on your retreat makes it easier to re-integrate back into your daily life when you come home.

Many group retreats are guided
Having a skilled guide can be an enormous help, particularly for people who lack the experience to design and execute an effective retreat for themselves. This can be particularly true when the group is small enough so that the guide personal feedback and direction to each retreatant.

I’m a natural introvert, so I’ve chosen to do countless solo retreats over the years. I tend to be able to relax more fully and receive deeper inspiration and renewal when I’m on my own.

If, like me, you’ve had a lot of experience with solo retreats, you probably don’t need a guide.  But, if you’re relatively new to retreats or have done only group retreats, you might it beneficial to have a guide if you opt for a solo retreat. 

Find someone you trust who will tune into your needs, not try to run you through a cookie-cutter model.  A sensitive retreat guide will know when to offer guided meditations and spiritual life coaching and when you are best served by silence and being in your own space.

I offer guided group retreats during the Summer and guided solo retreats year-round on sacred Mount Shasta.  For more info, please click here.