Retreats – A Nourishing Investment

Retreat: A period of seclusion, retirement, or solitude. A period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, or study.

What is it about taking time away from your day-to-day routine that can be so energizing?  The way I see it, the off-site meeting at work, the training session, the yoga retreat, etc – they all rely on some key fundamental principles.

A mental and physical break from the daily grind: Our thought patterns and behaviors fall into habitual patterns. And while these patterns can be beneficial (take less conscious time and energy), they can also allow us to fall into stagnation. Creativity is stifled, perspectives become limited, and we lose some flexibility and adaptability.

Change in perspective: When we’re in a rut, our perspective begins to narrow and we only see what we’re used to seeing.  Getting away allows you to see the world with new eyes and notice what we had inadvertently become blind to.

Distraction-free environment: Our day-to-day lives are full of distractions – phone calls, email, instant messages, Facebook, a buzzing Blackberry, meetings, TV, taking the kids to practice, etc.  The list is endless.  A retreat allows you to put all of that aside for a short while. And with the distractions removed, our minds are free to quiet down and focus on what is before us.

Reconnection to potential and possibilities: No matter what type of retreat you are engaging in, there will likely be a spirit of new beginnings that permeates. Stepping away brings with it the hope of positive change and the expectation that we will find clarity and solutions.  We are connected with the energy of potential and our hearts and minds become open to the possibilities.

Investment in the future: By nature, taking time to break away from your routine implies making an investment in a more promising future state.  It is a time of learning and growth, of laying a strong foundation to build upon. You walk away with a new vision, new skills to try out in the “real world” and new awareness.

Knowing how valuable these days are to our spirit and success, I began offering private retreat programs to my coaching clients this year.  If these principles work for business planning meetings, training sessions, yoga or spirituality, why couldn’t they work for career discovery?

After our days together, I’m seeing the light return to my client’s eyes.  They have renewed hope and energy to make their dreams a reality.  They’re walking away with a new connection to their authentic selves, inspiring visions of what’s possible and action steps to take to bring their visions to life.  And then we’re spending our coaching time in the months following their retreats on building momentum, navigating unexpected hurdles and staying focused on the goal.

Taking time away from the day-to-day is essential in re-energizing, reconnecting and investing in a more fulfilling future.

When was the last time you took a day to yourself? What have your experiences with retreats been?

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