Reflections on Retreat

One week ago today, we were wrapping up another powerful, intentional, transformational retreat weekend. The New Year Solitude Retreat was the second weekend retreat that I have co-facilitated with my new business partner Geralyn Russell who is a gifted yoga and meditation instructor. 

The women who joined us came for a variety of reasons:

- to get a good night's sleep (the mom of a 5-month old)

- to de-stress (a busy professional woman navigating the early stages of a divorce)

- to gain clarity on how to spend her time wisely (a retired grandmother)

And all of the women left feeling different - lighter, more relaxed, more inspired, rested, more creative, more joyful -  than when they arrived. 

Jim Hallett of Washington State told his wife, Joanne who had flown cross country to join us,

"I have never seen you so relaxed. You need to go on retreat more often. Once is not enough."

So the work of Solitude Retreats continues. We hope to launch our new website soon and we are excited to share the message with people far and wide about the benefits of solitude and the gifts of retreat. 

Personally, I have found that taking retreat time allows me to gain clarity and give myself permission to do things I normally wouldn't. And that includes taking risks. So I am going to share a bit of writing (poetry?) that I wrote near the end of our retreat weekend.

Solitude, by Elizabeth Barbour

"Solitude" moo the cows

"Rest" baa the sheep

"Be" cluck the chickens

"Breathe" whispers the wind

"Play" meows Heather the cat

"Love" barks Stormy the dog

"Peace" rustles the oak tree

"Contemplate" suggests the labyrinth

"Restore" beckons the retreat center

"Recharge" peeps the egg

"Renew" sings the bell

"Joy" proclaim the angels

"Celebrate" laugh the wise women

... and they all danced

under the full moon

in the fields

around the dinner table

beating their drums

listening to the heart beat

the pulse of the land

calling them home to

Solitude.