Each month, you will receive some practical tips on ideas such as eliminating stress, finding your passion, clearing clutter, and maybe even some travel tips and more. Also look for helpful resources including book titles and websites. In addition, don’t be surprised when you find a call to action. I am a coach, after all! I hope you find some useful tidbits monthly challenges. If you know someone that you think may find something of value in here, please forward this newsletter on. And remember…the adventure begins at the start of The Trailhead!

 

The Restorative Nature of Retreats

Welcome to March…albeit the end if it! You’re hearing from me a little later in the month than usual. That’s because I’m just back from co-hosting an energizing Life Coaching Retreat on the beautiful little island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. I was there with my coaching partner and friend, Deb Martin (www.portagecoach.com) along with our adventuresome and fun participants.  (Deb’s the one sharing my mug shot above. You’ll see a few other photos of that retreat sprinkled throughout this issue.) We held this annual retreat once again at Maho Bay Camps, an award wining eco-resort that’s smack dab in the middle of the USVI National Park, where stunning natural beauty envelops you. Our participants stayed the 5 nights in the comfortable tent cottages at Maho. Because of overflow, Deb and I shared digs at Maho’s nearby sister resort, Concordia. (See photo below)

 

We all spent our mornings together in a retreat designed to explore the topic of navigating successful life transitions. There was a wonderful daily balance of working hard and playing hard, while luxuriating in the peaceful, sunny, warm, and friendly setting of St. John.       (Here we are doing some work on our Authentic Selves)

 

 

As most of you already know, I host outdoor Coaching Retreats as a fun and energizing way to challenge folks to step outside of their daily, busy, routines for a few hours (or days) of quiet yet invigorating self-exploration. If you are passionate about spending time in nature as I am, you’ll find that surrounding yourself in the peace and beauty of a natural setting on a consistent basis will do wonders for your spirit as well as soothe your soul. (Some self-reflecting, overlooking the Caribbean)

 

I’m sure everyone has their own idea of what a retreat is. Both the ones I have been on and the ones I have hosted are similar in that they are held in calming, outdoor, settings. I think one of the main purposes of a retreat is to create a time and space where the participants can take a break from their everyday lives to listen to and reconnect with their truest, most authentic selves. It’s about making the choice to set aside the necessary time to nourish your inner self, reaffirm your values, and begin to reclaim your dreams. And in the process, sometimes amazing things can happen that you did not plan for. You may find that you reach clarity on a challenge that has persistently dogged you for a while. Or, you may reap the benefits enjoyed by alone time. Or, you may uncover a passion that you’ve long had on the back burner of your life.

 

While we were on St. John, one of our fascinating participants brought her pastels to do some sketching of the beautiful surroundings. (Something she apparently hadn’t done for years) On the beach one day, she created a lovely rendering of the incredible environment; which also included some children playing nearby. The mother of the children noticed the art work, was immediately captivated, and asked our artist if she could purchase it from her. The artist kindly gave the mother the drawing for free and was so touched that someone else was so genuinely attracted to her work. That, my friends, was a big “aha” moment for our participant. As a result, I believe she will now earnestly begin to pursue her passion of painting that has long been idle. That is just one example of the wonderful things that can occur when you give yourself permission to get away on a retreat.  

 

What about YOU? Are you in need of a delicious and dreamy getaway for a few hours, or a few days? Note: It does not need to be far away, exotic, or costly!

Here are some signs that you need a retreat (taken from 20 Minute Retreats, by Rachel Harris, PhD

• You’re busy doing everything for others but do not easily get around to doing something for yourself.
• Your life is even more stressful than usual.
• You overscheduled yourself and feel pressured by time.
• It’s difficult for you to connect with your feelings.
• You make self-care resolutions but then you break them.
• You’ve become more tense, serious, and inflexible than you’d like to admit.
• You feel lost, empty, weary, disconnected from yourself, on automatic pilot most of the time.
• You feel exhausted but continue to do everything by sheer willpower.
• You’ve lost perspective about what you truly value in life.

 

If even one of these is true for you, it’s a sure sign that you could absolutely benefit by treating yourself to a retreat, either one on your own or with others with whom you can be your total and authentic self.  

 

Challenge at the Trailhead:

Take time this spring, summer, or fall to get away, even it’s just for a few simple minutes. Do what you need/want to do to revive your energy and your spirit. You’ll be glad that you did!

 

(Visit the home page of my website, www.adventurecoach.com, to see what outdoor retreat offerings may interest you. I invite you to join me!)

 

In addition, check out The Trailhead Resources below for more ideas.

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Trailhead Resources: some great websites and books, all related to retreats

• www.maho.org (that’s where our latest retreat was held)
• www.botanique.com/tourmast.html (an extensive guide to botanical gardens and nature sites in the US and Canada)
• www.spafinders.com (an extensive site to find exactly what you want in a spa getaway)
• www.nps.gov/parks.html (an alphabetical listing/guide to the US National Parks)
• www.trails.com (an outdoor planning resource listing lots of trails/ hikes all over the US)
• www.bedandbreakfast.com (detailed info on 27,000 B&B’s and inns world-wide
• www.cabins.com (an extensive site for finding cabins all over the country)
• www.retreatcoaches.com/rcnetwork.htm (a wonderful site showcasing retreat coaches across North America)
• The Women’s Retreat Book by Jennifer Louden
• A Country Year; Living the Questions by Sue Hubbel
• Solitude: A Return to Self by Anthony Storr
• Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton

Happy Retreating!

Patt

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