Create Your Own Virtual Retreat at Home

“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion. ” ~Albert Camus

This is  the year we all need a little nurturing and by retreating from our outer world with a virtual retreat,  we can escape 2020 for a little while. Since the pandemic started, all vacations and retreats have been put on temporary hold. So why  not treat yourself to a little self care at home?

Here  are a few tips for creating your own virtual retreat experience:

Prepare for your at-home virtual retreat in advance. Set aside a day or two in which you can  totally disconnect from your everyday routine and schedule it on your calendar. Make sure that  your friends and family know of your plans so you can be inaccessible as much as possible  during that time. Do any chores and errands before so you can clear your mindset. Sit down and
create your retreat schedule and stick to it, making time for meditation/yoga, long walks, arts  and crafts as well as downtime for journaling, reading and resting.

Pick your meditation and yoga experience in advance and find an audio guided  meditation or two to have ready and select your yoga classes online. I would recommend a yin  or restorative yoga class to achieve the most relaxed state of mind and body. Be sure you have  all your at home props ready and aromatherapy to make the experience complete and  enjoyable.  Try adding meditation to your walk. A walking meditation is designed to bring body and mind in  sync . And if you don’t like to sit and close the eyes to meditate, this is a  great alternative that still trains the mind in awareness.

Create a healthy menu for  the retreat with healthy snacks and meal prep done in advance.  Prepare your healthy menu, keeping in mind all meals and snacks so you can  prepare everything beforehand making things as easy as possible. Pick a few healthy recipes  you want to try or some old comfort food favorites. When eating your meals and snacks, use the  yogic eating method of taking one bite at a time, putting our utensil down and chewing  completely.  Contemplate the food you take in while you are eating. Enjoy the slower pace of  eating mindfully.

Take time to gather reading and  journaling materials, and pick an art or craft project you’ve been waiting to work on.  Gather your preferred reading and journaling materials and create a place in your home just for  this purpose. Make sure you have a comfortable chair, proper lighting, reading glasses,  blankets, pens and paper handy so when you sit down you don’t have to go searching around  for what you need. You may find that after this virtual retreat you decide to keep this set up as  part of your home decor.  On your bedside table have your bedtime reading material of choice, but try  to make it light reading and not heavy for your brain to process before sleep.

Gather any  spa products and set aside time for a hot bath or shower, foot soak, face mask, etc.

Follow your  schedule as much as possible, but take free time to pause, reflect, rest and digest each retreat  experience.  Most of all be sure you set aside time for napping and resting your best at night. Your bedroom  should be a sanctuary for you to enter into and set aside all anxiety and stress. Make your room  as dark as possible by closing window coverings and turning off, unplugging or removing any  devices with small colored lights. Create a luxurious place for you to rest your body with pillows  and soft blankets.  Go to bed a little  earlier during your retreat and allow yourself to wake up naturally so you get your best nights  rest.

Enjoy your personal virtual retreat at home, you’ve earned it this year!