Do you need an at-home retreat?

Do You Need an At-Home Retreat?

Have you ever been on a retreat? I often see ads for luxury wellness retreats in exotic locations, and while they look dreamy, I generally don’t even bother to look any further because I know how expensive they are going to be. But what if I told you that you can plan an at-home retreat for yourself, and still feel pampered and taken care of?

I started doing at-home retreats a while ago, and it occurred to me that I’ve never told anyone about them! So here is how I structure an at-home retreat that feels restorative and even a bit luxurious!

Preparation is Key

There are some things that you will want to make sure you do BEFORE the day of your retreat to ensure its success. Once you have decided on the day to hold your retreat, make sure you clear your schedule entirely so you won’t be distracted or taken away from your activities. If you have children, arrange childcare away from your home (aka call the grandparents!), or book the day off of work. You want to ensure that you don’t have any distractions such as chores to do as well.

You will also want to make sure you have any supplies you will need for your retreat, for example I make sure I have all of my painting supplies ready, cleaned and set out for me the day beforehand. That way when I show up to paint, it feels like someone has taken care of that for me.

Also, and this is very important, plan your meals and snacks the day before, so you don’t have to spend any precious time prepping or trying to figure out what to eat. Imagine you are on a luxury retreat, you are definitely going to be expecting some tasty, delicious and probably nutritious food to be prepared for you. Do the same thing for yourself! I usually prep a “fancy” salad like you would get at a spa, with protein, fruit/veggies, nuts and maybe cheese in it. And then I make sure I have a snack prepared, usually a little charcuterie board, and some sparkling water chilling in the fridge complete with lemon or lime wedges at the ready.

If you do this prep in advance, your day will feel much more special and you will feel so taken care of, even if you took care of yourself!

Choose a theme for your retreat

If you have a hobby or special interest, this is a great way to come up with a theme for your retreat. For myself, it is always an art retreat. I love to set aside a whole day for intuitive painting mixed in with some other activities that are complementary. If there is something that you have been wanting to do or learn about for a long time, make that your theme. I know one lady who loves to look up and research her ancestry, I could see how she could make a day out of that. Or if you love to crochet, you could do a retreat day where you crochet, and maybe take an online workshop to learn a new technique. If you love to do yoga, that would be a fun way to spend the day. Really, anything goes and can be incorporated into your retreat theme!

Schedule in your activities

Once you know what the theme of your retreat is, you can go ahead and make a schedule for the day. For my at-home painting retreats, I typically schedule in at least two painting sessions, along with a restorative yoga session and a meditation walk. In addition I may purchase an online course to watch during my retreat. Another thing I always include is time for journaling and meditating. Basically, you can picture what your ideal day would include, and schedule in all those activities. Whatever is going to fill your cup and bring you joy, that’s exactly what you should do!

So there you have it! The basic steps to creating your own personal at-home retreat which is a great form of self-care and a very cost effective way to get the feeling of a luxury retreat at home. I would love to hear what you think of this idea, and if you’ve tried it, let me know!

Oh, by the way, I happen to have an online at-home retreat offering for you! If you are interested in getting in touch with your intuition, painting and creating greater self-awareness, click here to purchase my at-home retreat offering for you! Inside this course you will find everything you need to have an amazing day full of self-reflection, creativity and intuition!