Eat, Pray, Looove a Retreat

Have you seen the movie, Eat, Pray, Love, or read the book by Elizabeth Gilbert that inspired it? The movie missed a part I found very inspiring – the silent retreat Liz took on a tiny island near Bali. She created a space of solitude and introspection in which she could journal, cry, forgive, release and love herself into feeling more whole and balanced in the midst of a year-long journey of self-discovery.

Like Liz, I take mini-retreats from time to time. In fact, I’m kind of on one as you read this. Retreats allow me to look deeply at my life, acknowledge some truths and look at what’s next for me. I always return feeling more centred, deeply grateful and committed to focusing on what is most important to me. Here are ideas for creating a retreat for yourself:

Get away. No matter how you try to get around it, home is home and it’s full of things that distract you from the attention you need. A cottage, a retreat centre, an island off Bali…whatever it is, find a place where you can focus on yourself and not your to-do list.

Make it silent. Limit your interaction with the world, including television, radio, internet, your e-mail inbox. Even limit phone calls to loved ones. You want to focus on yourself and you can’t do that if you’re checking in with the world all the time. They’ll get by without you.

Surrender. If you’re expecting wonderful things to happen, create room for them to occur. Whatever name you use -- God, Spirit, the Universe, the Higher Power – give It room to work by being willing to experience shifts and transformations.

Be active rather than passive. Reading books may give you insight but reading, which is passively taking in ideas, has to be balanced with the more active work of writing, thinking deeply and doing activities that will allow you to focus on yourself.

Write. If you use a journal, you know that writing has the power to take less-than-positive thoughts and show a more empowering perspective. Writing also empties your mind of the incessant chatter so that you can think peacefully. If you haven’t used a journal before, try it. If you have, you already know it’ll bean important resource during your retreat.

Forgive. This huge step reaps deep rewards. I had a powerful experience under the late-night sky. In my mind, I had a conversation with each person I wanted to forgive. Then I chose a bright star on which to bury my grievances. I imagined the love that exists in the relationship reflecting back to me from the star and I felt peace and completion. Don’t forget to include yourself on the list of people to forgive.

Use rituals. Just as using the stars supported my forgiveness, choose rituals that will work for you. Burning can be a powerful ritual of release – write out anything you want to release (situations, limiting beliefs) and then burn them.

A retreat can be an excellent way to reconnect with yourself and recommit to the things that are important to you. Why not think about scheduling one soon?