THE ART of RETREATING ONE DAY at HOME RETREAT by YOGASCAPES INTRODUCTION
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THE ART OF RETREATING ONE DAY AT HOME RETREAT By YOGASCAPES INTRODUCTION Why are retreats important? Retreats represent a commitment to a revitalizing lifestyle and nourishing relationship with ourselves. Over and over again, we meet amazing people from around the world who have deeply transformative experiences on our yoga retreats. The combination of serene nature, daily yoga, wholesome meals, and amazing community provide the perfect platform for truly taking care of ourselves and have a blast along the way. We believe that self-care is an invaluable gift to yourself. In this One Day at Home Retreat Guide, we share some of our personal favorite elements of retreat to help you can tap into the serenity of retreat at anytime. Whether you are looking to build these into your daily routine or give yourself a rare moment of quiet, please enjoy and share the pieces you love with those around you. Inside Core Elements of Retreating Preparing For Your Retreat Sample 1 Day Schedule Morning Practice Midday Practice Afternoon & Evening Practice Night Time Routine Practice Guide & Recipes Core Elements of Retreating Routine Healthy daily routines infuse wellness into our habits and are a way to continually honor our- selves. They build new muscle and neural memories which add self-care to the body’s basic requests.. If we can place our attention inward regularly, we can expand our awareness of the subtleties in how we are arriving to the practice each time. We become in tune with our inner equilibrium and can listen more deeply. Committing makes it easier to drop the question of whether we will find a moment for ourselves; of course, we encourage a supportive relationship with this instead of being hard on ourselves. Even one breath can bring us back into our bodies. Time on the Mat Practicing yoga for just 1 week straight will change your practice. On retreat, you get to learn deeply, ask questions, get one-on-one help and see what evolves when you commit to your prac- tice. Even 20 min. daily is powerful; we support of taking baby steps with practices you enjoy to encourage longevity and fun. For online classes by some of our favorite teachers, try YogaGlo.. Rest Rest is essential in preserving our energy and life force. After continually getting limited sleep, we can accrue “sleep debt” and have a difficult time accessing deep rest. Saying “yes” to activities that offer more than they take can lead to powerful shifts in energy levels. This of course, means saying “No, thank you” to those that will deplete you and letting go of the desire to do it all. If you feel like you don’t have much time to sleep, try yoga nidra before bed or mid-afternoon when you feel tired. An ancient meditation practice, yoga nidra, opens accesses deep relaxation while awake. Visit Rod Stryker’s “Relax into Greatness” audio series for guided yoga nidra practice. 1 Core Elements of Retreating Self-love Retreats are an incredible opportunity to focus on ourselves. Not only do they provide invaluable time to focus on our personal well-being, but provide practical tools for continued self-love to provide the incremental support we need instead accruing immense depletion. Dive into Kimber Simpkin’s “10 Powerful Ways to Love Your Body” here. A few simple self-love practices we love are taking a bath with rosemary and candles, self-mas- sage (see Evening Routine) and saying mantras. Self-love Mantras Find a comfortable seat and settle in. Try repeating one of these healing mantras for several minutes, silently or aloud. Feel the breath and the vibrations of the words as they resonate. “I am not my body. I am not my mind. I am something divine.” “I am enough. I have enough. I do enough.” Sanskrit Mantra: Om Namah Shivaya meaning I bow to my truest self or repeat a simple... “I love you.” Mindful Meals Slowing down when we eat allows us to find satisfaction in not only the flavors, but the story of our food and how it serves us. Here are some mindful eating practices to play with: > Wholesome organic, local diet with limited sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. > Simplify....working/moving while eating keeps our bodies in fight-or-flight mode. This circulates energy outwards and away from our central digestive fire, limiting our ability to fully process and extract essential nutrients. Let yourself enjoy your food. > Eat when you’re hungry and stay hydrated. > Notice how you feel after meals. Notice what foods serve you and which might be depleting your system instead of rejuvenating and restoring. > Cook with friends! Food brings us together and allows us to access a deep healing through community.. 2 Preparation Clearing Space The aesthetic and intention in a space has more of an effect on our mention and physical state that we often realize. Our external spaces often reflect our internal state, so clearing and beau- tifying the spaces we inhabit is an important step to opening up space within ourselves. Start by spending 15 minutes tidying up your retreat area, setting the mood with flowers or candles, and smudging (see guide below) to bring ease to your surroundings. Turning off Tech (let people know) In the excitement of disconnecting, we might want to just turn our phones off and throw them out the window. Take a second to first let close family or friends know that you are taking the day away from your devices. Then go ahead and turn them off. Resisting the urge to check it, witness what that brings up through the day. This is a beautiful opportunity to redirect our energy from the needs of others to your own, which serves everyone. Taking Care of 5 Urgent Things Taking time for yourself might feel like an idyllic dream amidst a long list of to-do’s. Give yourself a time limit, and check off the top 5 items on your list before stepping away. This way you can set yourself up to really dive into your mini retreat without the distraction of a nagging agenda item. It might just take a little while for your body to slow down and surrender to the change of pace. Taking a Deep Breath As you sit in your personal oasis for the day, start by taking a deep inhale and deep exhale, releasing the tension in your muscles and melting into the start of your mini escape. We can carry so much deep emotion in our breath, in our voice and our core. By releasing control of the breath and letting it move through us naturally, we ignite the restorative influence of the Parasympathetic nervous system and sink into presence. Practice Guide: Smudging Smudging has been done for centuries to cleanse space and move stagnant or negative en- ergy. The most common herb used in “smudge sticks” is white sage, along with Palo Santo, cedar, and sweet grass. Symbolically, negative energy attaches to the smoke and dissolves with it. To clear a space, start with the Northern corner of the room. Hold the sage in your left hand, light it and watch as the flames recede. As the smoke dances in the air, move around the space and invoke your new intention for the space as you breathe easily. 3 Preparation Taking stock As you sit, ask yourself: “How are you feeling as you arrive to this moment of self-love? Are you feeling tired? Overworked? Excited? Where do you feel these emotions in your body?” Try to look at your current state without judgement and story - simply through sensation to notice how you are physically holding these emotions. If you feel drawn, make a note in your journal about what you’re carrying with you in the moment. Try acknowledging it and then…. let it go for the moment. Intention Setting Intention setting or “Sankalpa” is used to guide your practice. It is not necessarily a goal, but a way to direct your focus and connect to your current state. By setting a simple intention such as presence, forgiveness, relaxation, we create a reference point for our experience through which we can understand our highest values. Decide on a focus of thought and being for the day; try something that feels tangible and real, not far-reaching and distant. This allows us to connect with the present opportunities around us to manifest and live our intentions. Journaling Writing can be a powerful tool for release and processing. By letting the page hold our thoughts we are able to see them with different perspective, possibly more clarity. Dive inward with some of Rachel Meyer’s journal prompts (pg 7) and a morning free flow below. Practice Guide: Morning Free Flow Writing {Inspired by Amber Campion} For 10 min. let the pen do the work and let all of your thoughts flow, stream of consciousness. It’s not supposed to be pretty or make sense. Just write & release. Follow with a gratitude meditation: think of 3 things you feel deeply grateful for. Notice where you feel this in your body and return to gratitude as your thoughts stray. Take a deep breath and begin your day! 4 Sample Schedule A Day on Retreat 7:00 am Wake up 7:00 Meditation (zazen) or Writing 7:15 Gentle Stretching with Music 7:45 Enjoy Lemon, Ginger and Honey in Warm Water 8:00 Easy Walk 8:30 Shower + Body Time 9:00 Breakfast 10:00 Yoga Session I Noon Lunch 2:00 pm Yoga Session II 3:30 Nap, reading, friend check-ins, bodywork 6:00 Dinner 7:00 Journaling + Self Massage End of night….