I absolutely love my Me time. So I began this yearly journey where I embark on my very own personal retreat. It's a time of reflection, forgiveness, quietness, planning and self praise. My very first retreat was a SOLO trip to Vegas. It was life-changing and absolutely incredible. I made it a staple in my life and a continued practice. Here are the 5 Essentials I use to plan my Epic Retreat.
1. Goal/Objective- This is probably the most important essential. You have to really know why you're retreating. If you plan on coming out of it with something substantial, you need a goal and objective. My goal of my Vegas retreat was to create a concrete, tangible plan to launch my business and blog. I know what you're thinking,--you went to VEGAS to get a piece of mind. Absolutely! It was beautiful chaos because I was completely alone. I was forced to sit down, plan my life away and meet new people. That's my type of fun and inspiration. Last years retreat goal was to map out how my healthy lifestyle change would look and guess what this year I have tried so many new things. Kickboxing has been intense. This years retreat goal is to work on some exciting upcoming projects. You need a goal in order to measure your success. Try listing possible outcomes and ways to attain them.
2. Location. You don't have to travel to host your very own personal retreat but the location is extremely important. You want to be somewhere where you're A.) rid of distractions and B.)extremely comfortable and relaxed. You can choose to host your personal retreat in your home, at a hotel or even out of town. Make sure you have space to relax, space to admire and space to just be. My upcoming personal retreat is going to be on a beautiful farm. I can't wait!
3. Decor. Inspiration is derived from so many different things. Make sure you are surrounded by lots of beauty. The decor is essential to helping you have a tranquil and spa-like reflection space. I opt for pretty pillows, light colored walls and of course gorgeous furniture. I love a good textured rug that I can just lay out on with my journal. The decor really sets the tone for whats to come. You can always build a sanctuary in your home. I have a zen room where I work, pray, do yoga, play dress up, sing, dance, etc. It's my peace of mind. Make sure your space provides the inspiration. If it doesn't, don't worry, tip #4 is for you.
4. Supplies. What you have on deck is truly important to personalizing this retreat and obtaining your goal and objective. Here's the items that I make sure are handy:
Journal
Planner/Calendar
Great Food/Snacks
Wine/Cocktails
Dessert
Candles
Yoga Mat
Radio or Bluetooth Speaker
Pandora (Sade Station is my fav)
Water
Wine Glass
Facial Mask
Spa Stuff for a Bubble Bath
Comfy Clothes
You can of course pack and prepare anything that makes you comfortable but if nothing else on the list makes the cut, make sure you have your journal and a wine glass filled with H20. Its so relaxing and refreshing. Also if your space isn't exactly Pinterest-ready, then create it. You can incorporate candles, pillows, rugs or anything else that will make your haven more enjoyable.
5. Itinerary. I'm such an outline and list person thats its very rare that I'd show up pretty much anywhere without a plan. Create an itinerary for your personal retreat. Map out intentional time for journaling. Add in a specific time for food and relaxation, bubble baths, yoga, etc. When you create a schedule you'll be sure to enjoy every single moment. During my very first retreat, I intentionally planned for club time because I wanted to see what it was like to go out in another town, completely alone. I met some amazing friends who made my party time memorable. Make sure you plan this retreat to a tee. The more value you add on the front end, the more you'll receive on the backend.
Start where you are with what you have. Try to create a personal retreat for yourself and enjoy your moment. You deserve it.
Until next time,
Peace & Sweet Dreaming,
Kiylise Crutchfield, Chief Dream Engineer
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