And I don’t mean a vacation.

A personal break – a step away from life.  It’s called a retreat, and the concept has been around as long as man has been around. The word retreat means literally, to step away from your external life and to become self-focused for a while. There are many kinds of retreats – personal, group, silent, guided – you can even take a retreat during your lunch hour!  Yes, you don’t need days or a weekend.  A LOT can be accomplished in a short amount of time, as long as you have a clear intention and follow the general process.  So here are the top 3 reasons to take a retreat, regardless of how long you have:

1.     When what you’ve always done isn’t working anymore.  Are you in a rut? It can be VERY unsettling when our old solutions no longer give us the results we want.  What to do? We do what we think is best, but it just isn’t working.  It’s life.  At some point, what you are doing to be successful will stop working.  It’s just life’s way of making room for something new. But it can feel uncomfortable, and maddeningly frustrating.  A retreat can help you step back, relax, and usher in a new way of being.  It’s just changing the tune to your dance.

2.    When you are in a life transition.  We often go through life’s transitions as quickly as we can, eyes closed and just pushing through.  The loss of a job, relationship, or loved one is a great time to retreat. Retirement is also a great time to take a retreat.  Anytime something is ending and you are feeling that in-between, not-quite-sure-what’s-next feeling, a retreat can help bring clarity and/or peace about the situation.

3.    When you hear the call. Sometimes the call is a longing for something you can’t really name, or it can also come through physical symptoms (been getting sick a lot lately or having a series of injuries?) Whenever is it clear that you have been in the doing cycle of your life for far too long, it is time to step into being. If you have been in the doing cycle of your life for far too long, retreating may be a terrifying prospect.  Don’t worry – there are retreats for every possible state of mind.  You can even go with a friend.

Are you hearing the call?