retreats

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.

Shopping. Parties. Presents. Food (usually waaaaaaay too much!). Lights. Carols.

This season is so fun and so festive. I love it!

And, this year it's a little quieter than usual. I'm taking to heart the retreat work that I've stepped into this year.

I'm experiencing more quiet.

I'm giving myself permission for more space.

I'm realizing that I could knock myself to be the perfect friend/daughter/coach and extend myself to send cards, write personal greetings, buy gifts for everyone I love and care about (a verrrrrry long list!) ... but instead, I am choosing sanity... and just doing the best I can.

I'm spending time in silent gratitude saying over and over every day "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

This has been a challenging year for a lot of people that I know, myself and my family included. But there is so much to be grateful for. We are truly blessed.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and look forward to celebrating an exciting NEW YEAR with you soon! Thanks for reading, for being my friends, colleagues and supporters.

~ Elizabeth

PS If you are feeling ready for some R+R yourself but are also seeking the company of women, I invite you to consider joining me in the next few weeks...

2010...Begin Again - A New Year's Day Retreat on Jan 1st, 2010

New Year Solitude Retreat - A Woman's Retreat for Self Care and Spirituality from Jan 29-31st, 2010

Join me and Geralyn Russell this evening at 8 pm EST for our FREE Teleclass "Dissolve Holiday Stress NOW: 3 Simple Solitude Practices".

You'll take time to...

- BE

- BREATHE

- REST from the holiday chaos

- CONSIDER how you want to do the rest of the holiday season a little bit differently

Click HERE to register for this hour oasis and experience a bit of solitude this evening...

 (Geralyn Russell and I at BPW's Divas & Desserts - what a festive occasion!)

Is this holiday season wearing you out? That's a sure sign you aren't taking enough R+R time for yourself!

It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of life and miss the warning signs that you need to go on retreat NOW.

How do you know if you need a retreat?
~ You are tired or overwhelmed by all you have to do
~ You are scattered or lack focus
~ You can't find peace and quiet at home
~ Your creative juices are all gone
~ You give your time and energy to others and routinely put yourself last
~You have no energy left
~ You are grieving
~ You need new perspective
~ You want to DO less and BE more
~ You are experiencing a life transition (a move, new job, marriage, divorce, the birth of a baby or a new business)

It’s time to nurture yourself. You deserve it AND taking time off will leave you feeling
~ happy
~ grateful
~ inspired
~ rested
~ joyful
~ relaxed

Doesn’t that sound good?

I’m planning two special retreats for you in January 2010...Begin Again and the New Year Solitude Retreat on Jan 29-31, 2010 but you don’t need to wait until then.

~ Decide you're ready for a retreat! (yes, even now as the holidays approach!)
~ Pick a day, time and location (even 15 minutes of relaxation can restore your soul)
~ Choose activities that will nurture your mind, body and spirit (journaling, meditating, walking in nature, dancing, singing, creating art). 

The holiday season can be a whirlwind of activity and demands on your time and attention. You can choose to retreat and renew your body, mind, and spirit. Then you'll enjoy the season a whole lot more! :-)

After the holidays, I’d love to have you join me on retreat January 29-31, 2010 so that you can...

~ Rest
~ Focus
~ Enjoy peace and quiet
~ Explore your creative side
~ Put yourself first
~ Renew your energy
~ Achieve a new perspective
~ DO less and BE more
~ Come away inspired about LIFE!

And if you need a break NOW, join me for my FREE Holiday Teleclass Wednesday December 16th at 8 pm EST called Dissolve Holiday Stress NOW!

The human mind and body are capable of incredible feats but they are not capable of constant effort without opportunities to rest and renew. It often takes a life transition like birth, death, relocation, job change, or illness to remind us we need to slow down and take some time for ourselves.

You don't have to wait for something bad to happen to start practicing self care!

You are probably adept at multitasking, going, doing, and taking care of things. In light of this, you may be asking
- What does "self care" really mean?
- How can I practice it?
- Why do I resist it?
- How can I incorporate self care practices into my life?
 
I’ll be answering those questions at my next Solitude retreat and I hope you’ll join me.
The New Year Solitude Retreat is January 29-31, 2010 at an organic farm in southern Georgia. It's gorgeous and the perfect place to get away and reflect on self care.

I don’t want to leave you hanging, though. Here are 5 questions to get you moving toward practicing better self care TODAY.

1. Define what self care means for you. List 5-10 actions you could take to practice self care.

2. How do you feel when you give yourself the gift of self care? And how do you feel when you haven't practiced self care in a while?

3. Why do you resist self-care? What are you avoiding in your life?

4. What's one thing you could do today to get yourself back on the self-care path?

 5. Are you ready and willing to return to self care? If so, grab your calendar and write in a self-care date with yourself. Then sigh with relief as you imagine how you'll feel once you give yourself this nurturing and loving gift!

I hope these questions inspire you to take action, to get serious about self care. We’ll be talking about this more on retreat but until then, here are some ways to incorporate self care into your busy life
1. Stop doing things that aren't necessary, vital, or uplifting.

2. Turn off the phone, the TV, the radio e-mail, and the computer for one full day each week.

3. Clear physical clutter from your life.

4. Clear mental clutter from your life, too. Create lists, delegate, or even ignore.

5. Take yourself on retreat for a few hours, a day, a weekend.

6. Just say "no". No is a complete sentence.

7. Create space to allow you to see what you need to give yourself permission to do (or not do, as the case may be!)

Not sure you're motivated to do it on your own? Consider joining us for a group experience to learn how to practice self care- the power of women in community is transformational.
I hope you’ll join me January 29-31, 2010 for the New Year Solitude Retreat.

I'm excited to announce two upcoming retreats that I'm hosting that I think are going to be fabulous!

The Solitude By The Sea Retreat is going to be a weekend of luxury!!! You'll want to start planning now for this October 15-18 weekend. I'm co-facilitating it with my fabulous friend Geralyn Russell who is a yoga instructor, DOGA instructor and meditation teacher. She is amazing and together we are going to co-create an experience that participants surely won't forget!

We've rented a 5 star retreat home on St. George Island, FL and are planning a magical weekend for all who come! We expect people will be traveling from all over the country because St. George is renowned for it's beaches and who wouldn't want to be in Florida in October, perhaps the most glorious month of the whole year here? Click here for more details!

This past weekend, my beloved husband went to Charleston, SC for a bachelor party. He had a great time with all of his college buddies partying until the wee hours of the morning. He came back exhausted.

I, on the other hand, feel refreshed and invigorated as a result of this weekend. Why? I gave myself permission to have a retreat at home.

Originally I had planned to make the trip with him and visit a girlfriend but when I realized that I wasn't feeling so hot and desperately needed to simply rest, I decided to stay home and create an intentional sanctuary for myself.

Highlights of my retreat weekend:

- I didn't drive my car for 2 full days.

- I didn't turn on my computer for 1 full day.

- I turned down an invitation from a friend for a walk because I wanted to be alone.

- I napped three times.

- I watched 4 hours of really bad TV on the Hallmark Channel and 2 hours of OK TV on the Lifetime Channel.

- I journaled, went for a hike with my dog, swam in our pool and read magazines.

To plan a retreat at home, follow these simple steps:

1. Determine how long you have to indulge yourself. It could be just a few hours or, as in my case, two full days.

2. Tune in to what you are craving. I realized that I was craving three things: a) rest b) quiet and c) alone time

3. Engage only in activities that make you happy. You don't have to force yourself to grow spiritually or eat super healthy or anything else you don't want to do.

4. Set boundaries. You can decide not to answer the phone or turn on the computer or even leave the house.

I'd like to encourage you to check your calendar now and see when you can schedule your next at-home retreat. Think about what you need - dancing, yoga, a bubble bath, read a novel just for fun - and go for it!

Ah! Sweet retreat! I've just returned from 10 days out West and I'm feeling the expansiveness in my body, in my spirit, in my mind! I co-facilitated a one day retreat in NM and then attended a 6 day retreat in CO. I suspect I'll be writing in the coming weeks about some of my a-has and inspirations on my sojourn out west. But for now I want to encourage you, wherever you are, to take yourself on retreat ASAP!

My joyful co-facilitator, playpal, soul sister and dear friend Licia Berry and I recorded our second radio show 5 Elements for a Kick Butt Getaway! on The Celebration Station on Blog Talk Radio.  We did this after facilitating our retreat at Ghost Ranch and then experiencing the magic of the Echo Ampitheatre in Northern New Mexico (photo above). If you have 30 min to listen, click here and enjoy!

Or if you just want the quick skinny so you can start planning right away, here are the 5 key elements for retreat we highlight in our show:

1. Determine your purpose – why are you going? What do you need? To rest? To be in nature? To be alone? To connect with others? What are you craving?
2. Choose a great location – it can be your backyard, a local park, the beach or half way across the country. Make sure it’s a place that feels really good to you and will nourish you for a few hours or a few days.
3. Make it a multisensory experience – have yummy food, beautiful scenery, great music – or listen to the birds. Be aware of all your senses when experiencing retreat.
4. Create sacred space – create a little altar – something to mark the occasion. It can be with a candle or a rock or a pile of leaves – it doesn’t need to be fancy – but something to mark that this is sacred time and space for you to retreat
5. Pick a retreat process – retreats are more meaningful if you have a process to focus your energy – it can be journaling, hiking, collaging, focused conversation, walking a labyrinth. Something to focus your attention so your mind’s not wandering all over the place.

What is your favorite place to take yourself on retreat? Or where would you like to go on retreat? I invite you to comment below...

My dear friend Licia Berry and I have finally done it! After months of talking about it (mostly Licia bugging me saying 'c'mon, Elizabeth - it's fun!' - she has 2 successful radio shows already on the air), we have launched The Celebration Station on Blog Talk Radio.

Our first episode is called "Much Ado About Mamas" and we spend 30 minutes talking about the mother figures in our lives - both the external real live women in our lives and the internal mothering we give to ourselves.

We chose this as our first topic because of the upcoming Mother's Day holiday and our Loving Your Inner Feminine retreat in New Mexico on Saturday, May 10th.

Whether you can join us in New Mexico or simply want to take time reflecting on the mothers in your life and the mothering you give to yourself, I encourage you to click here to listen, learn and be inspired to celebrate all that you've learned from the mothers in your life and be reminded that even once you're grown, you can still mother yourself!