We all have times in our lives when we veer from the path. Your spiritual practice becomes more sporadic than consistent. Things in your life are going as smoothly as they once did. You find yourself experiencing excessive amounts of stress, anger, worry or frustration way too often and are just unable to let it go. If you have been experiencing these symptoms, now is the time to pause and devise a plan to get back on track. It is time to develop a plan to rejuvenate your spirit.
It is important to make the time to rejuvenate and refresh your energy periodically. You must make yourself a priority. Making time for yourself to pause and go within in order to refocus and reenergize is a key factor in achieving daily success. Utilize the process of rejuvenation as an opportunity to release what is no longer working for you, to reawaken your passion and to recommit to your spirit.
Attending group retreats with likeminded individuals for spiritual rejuvenation is a powerful opportunity to reset and recharge. However, if that isn’t an option for you right now you can still experience spiritual rejuvenation by creating your own personal spiritual retreat. The following steps will guide in in creating a personal retreat that will help you to reboot and get back on track.
1. Schedule your retreat.
The idea of a retreat is not to just physically pull back but also to mentally go inward. To do this it is most effective to remove yourself from the outer distractions and responsibilities of life, to the extent possible. If you cannot go away yourself, send the kids away to a friend’s house for the weekend. Find a way to block off a set amount of time where you can experience solitude. Schedule time where you will not be interrupted and your mind not cluttered with other responsibilities. This is time for you to focus on clearing yourself, healing yourself and reconnecting to your soul. This is your time to spiritually, mentally and physically regroup and transform. Remember if you do not make it a priority to take care of yourself, your cup will run dry and you will not have anything left to give to others.
2. Define your objective.
Are you seeking wisdom, insight and clarity? Is your goal to solve a specific problem? Perhaps you have been through some emotional challenges lately and want to clear away the anger and frustration you have been feeling. Do you want to get your energy back and reignite passion in your life? What is it you desire to accomplish from your personal retreat? Define what you want to achieve from this experience. Start a journal for your spiritual rejuvenation retreat and document your intention in your retreat journal.
3. Make a plan.
Select your retreat activities: There are many things that can help us to recharge and rejuvenate on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional levels. Select a combination of activities that fill the amount of time you have allocated and the objective you are trying to achieve. Plan activities in an order that allows you to first increase receptivity, clear and release mental and emotional clutter, then consciously connect to Spirit to receive guidance, inspiration and healing. Complete your retreat by identifying action steps that you will take moving forward. By putting together activities in this order you can maximize the effectiveness of your retreat program. The following are some suggested activities in each targeted area for a retreat program.
Relax: Perform some yoga or gentle stretching exercises. Listen to calming music, focus on staying in the moment and releasing the stress from your body. Utilize a guided meditation to clear your physical and energy body from stress. Utilize breathing exercises to relax. Sleep. Eat clean starting before, during and shortly after your planned retreat. The deeper you relax the less resistance you create toward change, reconnection and rejuvenation. Incorporating some of these activities early in your retreat plan will help prepare you by opening you energetically to be more receptive to change.
Clearing: There are many activities that can help us clear emotions and thought patterns that are not serving us. Spend time near water, especially salt water, as the properties of water have a cleansing effect. Take a salt bath. Spend time in nature. Go on a walk or a hike. Perform some other form of exercise to help release pent up energy. Mentally extend forgiveness to anyone you have been harboring resentments toward and mentally ask forgiveness from anyone you have hurt. Practice reiki or other self-healing techniques to release pent up emotions and negative thought patterns. Select a guided meditation specifically designed to clear out unwanted energy, emotions or thought patterns. When you practice cleansing and clearing strategies before you delve in to your deeper inner work, you are clearing the slate so you can explore your retreat objectives without mental and emotional clutter getting in the way.
Connect to your spirit: Connect to your spirit, be it through prayer, meditation, quiet contemplation, meditative coloring, or any other method you are comfortable with. Get quiet and go within connecting with your inner self and Universal energy. Connect and open up the pathways for communication. Notice the thoughts and ideas that come through and note them in your retreat journal. Tune in to your soul and listen to the messages you receive.
Explore your objective: Select activities that will help you achieve your objective. If you have a problem to solve or are seeking insight and clarity, walk a labyrinth or try an automatic writing technique in your journal. If you are looking to relax or learn read a book or watch a movie on a topic you are passionate about. Listen to a lecture or video on the topic. If your goal is to manifest something new in your life create a vision board or complete a guided manifestation meditation. If you are seeking to start or restart a spiritual practice write out the practice in your journal. Select an affirmation that will help you achieve your goals, repeating it out loud and writing it repeatedly in your journal. Select a combination of activities that will open up your mind to wisdom, insight and inspiration.
Energize yourself: Build on your insight and clarity with prayer and meditation practices designed to energize your ideas, your commitments and your connection to Spirit. Utilize the energy flowing through you to experience a sense of oneness with all. Express gratitude in your prayers for what you have already experienced in your retreat and for all the great ideas and insights that will continue flowing to you over the next several days. Find your moment of bliss knowing that you have achieved your objectives for the retreat. Enjoy the peace; enjoy the sanctuary of solitude that you have created. Take your time, letting your energy expand and grow as you reflect on your personal retreat.
4. Follow your plan.
Once you have created your retreat program, execute your plan. Do not allow life to cause you to delay or postpone your personal retreat. This is something you need for you and your wellbeing. Keep your commitment to yourself and create your personal retreat as planned.
5. Bring your retreat to a close.
When the allotted time for your personal retreat is coming to a close, take time to reflect on the realizations that you have had and the progress you have made. Set goals for yourself to work toward moving forward from this conscious rejuvenation of your spirit. Where will you go from here? What new practices are you incorporating into your daily life? How often do you want to commit to the practice of a retreat in the future? Write these commitments and goals in your journal and review them periodically to hold yourself accountable.
6. Review your progress.
A month after your personal retreat, schedule time to look back at your retreat journal. What changes have you experienced in your life since your retreat? Have you kept to your commitments? Are you following through on the goals you set for yourself? Note all of these insights in your journal. Hold yourself accountable and pat yourself on the back for your hard work.
Whether you have a few hours or a few days it is possible to rejuvenate your spirit by creating a mini retreat just for you. This practice will refocus, recharge and revitalize you. Once you have refilled your cup by taking time for you, you will have more energy to help others. Rejuvenate your spirit. You cannot afford not to. Make yourself a priority.
