No Time for a Retreat? This Free Guide will help you Make Time
What is a retreat and why do I need one?
The word retreat comes from the Latin retrahere, indicating a step backward, an act of withdrawing. In retreats, we step back from our everyday identities, which are more about what we do than who we are. Unlike a conference or workshop or even a vacation, a retreat aims to support us in being connected—to our inner wisdom, to others, to nature, and to the cosmos.
When we live as human beings, connected to life, we integrate body, mind, and spirit so that we become more capable of navigating our lives with heart, by the mysteries of intuition and alignment, instead of by the misguiding delusion that we know exactly where we’re going in life and when we’ll arrive.
It’s misguided to imagine that we can predict the future. We know this, but tend to forget it. And that amnesia disconnects us from the reality of being a vulnerable, fragile human. Disconnection leads to a sense of isolation, loneliness, meaninglessness, depression, burnout. When I begin to feel stretched and pulled, as if I’m giving ever so much more care and compassion than I’m receiving, it’s time for a retreat.
And when I begin to feel chronically irritable, rubbed raw by the people I have committed to loving—family, friends, and community members—than I know it’s urgent. I NEED a retreat, sooner rather than later.
My free ebook, Songs of Earth and Sky, is a 3-day writing retreat designed to integrate body mind & spirit wherever you are, however you can schedule it.
What to expect from a guided writing-retreat with Tracy Rittmueller?
My approach is founded on practices and values common to Benedictine monastics and contemplative poets, offering a way of life that has worked for longer than 1500 years in communities committed to the thriving of every individual. I weave together four elements—
we engage in spiritual practices including meditative movement and spiritual reading;
we craft something out of our memories, sensory perceptions, and dreams;
we offer hospitality to ourselves, attending to our needs for rest and refreshment;
we turn inward to listen.
Infused into this is a rhythm, reinforced by repetition.
What if I don’t have time to get away for a retreat?
This retreat is designed for you to do at home. All you need is a place where you can be alone for awhile. Some people will have the space to simply shut out the world for a long weekend, and move through the approximately 12 hours of practices in a leisurely way.
As a caregiver to a partner with neurocognitive disorder (some people call it dementia, but he hates that word. We call it memory loss), how often and for how long I can be alone, not thinking about his needs, has shifted over time. When I wrote this book 3 years ago, I could block out the better part of 3 consecutive days. Every morning I would start with a meditative movement practice followed by some mid-morning writing mid. I’d break for a leisurely lunch (with or without company). After lunch I’d do some close reading and more writing after lunch. Then I’d spend time sightseeing and/or socializing, enjoy a fine dinner, and before bed, I would take an hour or so for silence and reflection.
Another option is to take 4-6 hours apart, for 3 consecutive days. And if that isn’t possible, you could spread those days out over 3 weeks, claiming 3 consecutive Saturdays from 8-1. Or every other week…. you get the picture.
Take a look at what’s possible for you, and start there. Maybe all you have is 2 hours a week. That’s okay. Spread these exercises and reflections over 9 weeks. Or 18. It isn’t about how much you do all at once. It’s about setting apart the time you can, to care for yourself so that you can be better equipped to care for others.
What will I do on a guided writing retreat?
That’s easy. Fill out the form to download this guide. Then schedule your time to work your way through the book. Feel free to take what works for you and leave the rest. There’s no wrong way to do this. Simply make time to be yourself, be in touch with your self, and listen to your inner wisdom, allowing it to reveal itself.