How to Create Your Own Spiritual Retreat
Living your purpose and being of service to others is an incredible expression of your destiny and your reason for being on this Earth.
And, if you’re putting yourself last to take care of everyone else, you know it can also take a toll on your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
Remember: “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
To continue to show up and serve others as the most authentic and powerful you, it’s important to take time to refresh your mind, replenish your soul, and rejuvenate your body.
One of the best ways to do that is with an at-home spiritual retreat.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to attend a spiritual retreat in a beautiful location, away from the demands of my busy life. But that’s not always possible during a pandemic!
An at-home spiritual retreat is a way to build a connection with God/Spirit/Universe through self-reflection, self-tending, and spiritual activities.
Think of it like your morning ritual but amplified!
The goal of an at-home spiritual retreat is to dedicate time and space for yourself to connect to Spirit in a way that feels good to you. It’s about making space for peaceful reflection, listening for guidance, and setting intentions for how you want to show up in the world.
Through my own spiritual retreats, I’ve strengthened my faith and patience, worked through challenging emotions, built resilience for chaotic times, and learned how to manage stress and anxiety.
There are so many benefits to planning an at-home spiritual retreat, including improving your physical health through relaxation, finding clarity in your path, strengthening your self-awareness, and building your sense of inner peace, just to name a few.
You don’t need a lot of time, space, or money to start your at-home retreat. Connecting to God can happen anywhere, anytime. But if you’re looking for a way to deepen your practice and strengthen your spiritual connection, an at-home spiritual retreat might be just what you’re looking for!
Here’s how to create an at-home spiritual retreat:
Plan your spiritual retreat in advance
Planning your at-home spiritual retreat is like any retreat or event you’d plan. To make the most of the time you have, identify what you’ll do, when you plan to do it, where you can go to have time for yourself, and who else needs to know. This way, you’ll have exactly what you need to start your retreat when you’re ready.
When: First, decide what day makes the most sense for your spiritual retreat. You could choose a weekend day, a holiday, or even take some time off work. Aim for a day that works best with your schedule, and one when you know you won’t have many interruptions or distractions. You might also choose to plan your retreat in alignment with the lunar cycle. For example, if you want to release what’s holding you back, you might choose to align your spiritual retreat with the Full Moon. Or, if you want inspiration and motivation for a new journey ahead, you might align with the timing of the New Moon.
Then, decide how long your retreat will be. I really enjoy planning a half-day (~4 hour) spiritual retreat, but you could block off a full day, or even an hour or two. If you begin to stress over the amount of time you set aside, remember that self-care isn’t selfish; it’s selfless. You can’t serve others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. But if you continue to feel overwhelmed, plan to spend a little less time in retreat.
Finally, decide what time of day you’ll spend in retreat. If you feel most connected to yourself or Spirit in the morning, that might be a great time to spend a few hours in nourishing activities. Or, if you have other obligations in the morning, you can start your retreat after lunch or in the evening. Again, the point of a spiritual retreat is to make time to connect with yourself and Spirit/God/Universe, so you want to choose a time when you can be fully present to those connections.
Where: Once you’ve determined the day and time for your spiritual retreat, you’ll need to determine a place where you can “host” it. Since this is an at-home retreat, space may be limited, but here’s an opportunity to get creative! Choose a place where you’ll be undisturbed, where you won’t have many other distractions, and one where you feel cozy or safe.
For example, you may choose your bedroom because your bed is cozy and you feel peaceful there, or you may choose your bathroom if you want to take a bath or shower as part of your retreat. You could also use your living room if you prefer a more open space, or if it’s accessible to you, an outdoor space like a patio or garden where you can connect with nature. There’s no right or wrong place to hold your retreat, as long as it’s a place where you feel safe and supported with minimal distractions or interruptions.
Who: This might be one of the most important parts of your planning process, especially if you’re someone who tends to put their own needs last (like me!). If you’re busy taking care of your parents or children, or if you’re the go-to person when your friends need advice, it’s essential that you make this commitment to yourself. In order to be of service to as many people as possible, and to continue showing up as your highest self for others, you need to take time to recharge and rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. And when you make a commitment to yourself, it’s important to let others know about this boundary.
Once you decided when and where you’ll hold your retreat, let your family, friends, roommates, and others know what you’ll be up to. Set an expectation around the times you plan to be in retreat, which space(s) you’ll be using, and that you would prefer to be undisturbed during this time. You’ll also want to remind them, as the date gets closer, that you’ll be unavailable for a few hours. It’s also a great idea to set your cell phone to “do not disturb,” so incoming calls or messages will not distract you from your activities. It may seem selfish to tell your family not to interrupt your retreat, but know that you absolutely deserve this time for yourself, and by taking this time for yourself, you’ll be able to show up for your family as the person you want to be.
What: Now that the heavy lifting is out of the way, you can move on to the fun part: deciding what you’ll do during your spiritual retreat and how you’ll spend your time. This part is important to making sure you have all the resources, materials, or other items you might need as part of your retreat. To start, think about the kinds of activities that lift you up, nourish you, make you feel connected to Spirit (I’ve included some example activities and a sample retreat plan below).
If you want to journal during your retreat, be sure to grab your journal and a pen or two and put them aside. If you want to meditate, do you have a meditation album or access to an app like Calm or Headspace? You can also find meditations on YouTube or listen to meditative music on iTunes or Spotify. Collect any books you plan to read during your retreat and set them aside. Consider whether you need to purchase anything for your retreat (like vision board supplies, a new journal, an audiobook, etc.), or whether you already have access to free resources (like workbooks, podcasts, meditative music, journal prompts, etc.).
This is also a great time to plan what you’ll eat and drink during your spiritual retreat. Since you’re nourishing your mind and spirit, you’ll also want to nourish your body with the right foods. Choose foods that make you feel good and reflect the season you’re in (for example, a salad in summer or soup in winter). Try to avoid greasy, fatty, or processed foods, and be sure to hydrate! Keep a large water bottle with you during your retreat, or opt for green tea or herbal teas like chamomile, mint, or ginger (my favorite is Moringa!). Because one of the goals of a spiritual retreat is relaxation, try to stay away from excess caffeine and sugar. But if you must, sweeten your tea with Manuka honey to get some added health benefits.
Aim for a balanced spiritual retreat
As you’re planning your spiritual retreat, I recommend choosing balanced activities that help you nourish your mind, body and spirit. These activities also help you connect to yourself, your inner wisdom, and to God/Spirit/Universe. Choose one from each category or choose only the categories that feel motivating, inspiring or aligned.
Reflective Activity: Reflective activities help you connect to yourself and understand your inner world on a deeper level. I truly believe that self-reflection (self-awareness) is the foundation for any change you want to make in your life. When you understand yourself, you can better understand your motivations and reactions and align your actions to your higher self. Examples of reflective activities include journaling, asking/answering self-coaching questions, processing events or experiences, writing about your core values, or taking a personality assessment.
Creative Activity: Creative activities help you make connections between events or experiences, uncover patterns in your thought processes, generate new solutions to your problems, or bring a new perspective to your way of thinking. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a creative person, you are! We all have the ability to shift our perspective and look at something in a new way. Creative activities help us remove the limits we often place on ourselves and open our minds to new possibilities and opportunities. Examples of creative activities include creating a vision board, free or creative writing, listening to or performing music, and engaging in an art form like drawing, painting, or knitting.
Physical Activity: Physical activities enhance the mind-body connection. A balanced spiritual retreat includes some level of gentle physical activity. Here, the goal isn’t to get stronger or faster or more flexible. The goal is to care for the physical form that holds your mind and spirit. Taking care of our bodies is a sacred duty. Part of this is nourishing your body with the right foods and hydrating with water or tea. The other part is connecting to your body with a sense of joy, love, and devotion, improving your relationship to your body. Gentle physical activities include taking a bath with sea salt or a mindful shower, stretching, restorative or yin yoga, qigong, Tai chi, walking, and listening to a body scan meditation.
Connection Activity: Connection activities are probably the first thing you think about when planning a spiritual retreat. These are the activities that help you connect deeply to the Universe and strengthen your spiritual relationships. These activities also help you connect to your inner wisdom, listening to yourself as the only expert on your life. And, they strengthen the relationship you have with God, the Universe, your spirit guides, or your well ancestors (whomever supports you on your spiritual path). Connection activities include meditation, prayer, Tarot or Oracle card readings, moon rituals, and visualization.
Learning Activity: Learning activities help to strengthen your growth mindset. We can always learn something new and expand on what we already know. In a spiritual retreat, a learning activity serves to strengthen your spiritual knowledge or your understanding of a specific situation or topic. Learning activities include reading spiritual texts (Bible verses, Tao te Ching passages), listening to spiritual or faith-based podcasts or audiobooks, and watching centered, relevant documentaries.
Immerse yourself in connection
On the day of your retreat, allow yourself to ease into your retreat. Begin with a centering ritual. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and take three deep breaths. This brief ritual helps to calm your nervous system and prepare you for a time of relaxation and connection. You could also kick off your retreat with a short meditation, prayer, or by setting an intention.
During your retreat, allow yourself to move in a way that feels good to you. Move in a slow pace, get cozy, and allow yourself to just be. Let it be easy to feel the connection to Spirit or the connection to yourself. Because you’ve dedicated this time and space for yourself, you have nowhere else to be, nothing else to do in the moment.
Move through your planned activities in a way that feels good to you. Get quiet, meditate, reflect, breathe, stretch. Move slowly and gently. Let your mind wander. And, if you originally planned an activity that no longer feels in alignment, feel free to skip it. This is your time to connect to yourself, your inner wisdom, and God. Do what feels good to you.
If you’re spending time meditating, journaling, or reflecting, you may notice different feelings coming up for you. That’s normal and completely okay. That’s the stuff that needs to come out to help you process events and experiences or connect to yourself in a deeper way through self-love and self-tending. Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel without judgement. There’s no right or wrong way to feel during a spiritual retreat, and there’s no need to rush through difficult emotions. Just breathe through these emotions, allow yourself to express what you need to express (crying, screaming into a pillow, laughing) and allow yourself the time you need to feel and process. A spiritual retreat is the perfect time to work through emotions without forcing yourself to feel what you think you “should” feel.
As you become still and quiet, listen for messages from God/Universe/Spirit. Listen for phrases that uplift you, messages that support you, and guidance for any questions you have. Pay attention to images that come to mind that might provide a cue for how to move forward. Say a prayer, ask for guidance, then listen.
Sample Spiritual Retreat Agenda
I plan an at-home spiritual retreat at least once a quarter, to supplement my morning ritual and meditation practice. I’ve found that a simple, balanced, at-home retreat gives me the momentum I need to move forward on my most important goals, keeps me centered during chaotic events, and lowers my stress at work. Here’s a sample schedule for an at-home spiritual retreat:
Disclaimer: I don’t have children, so it’s easy for me to set aside this time for myself. I also live in a house with a guest room, so I have extra space to shut the door and separate myself from other distractions. I know these are privileges not everyone shares.
You can connect to God from anywhere, for any length of time. This connection is your birthright. And, it’s essential to take care of yourself and your spirit, especially if you’re in service to others. That might look different for everyone, and that’s okay. The only thing you need is your heart.
The Takeaway
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars or even leave the comfort of your home to enjoy the benefits of a traditional spiritual retreat. You can plan an at-home spiritual retreat with a few simple activities in any space that’s available to you. The key is to find what nourishes you and to move in a way that feels good.
Take action now: Plan your at-home spiritual retreat! Think about a day in the near future when you know you have an hour or two to dedicate to yourself. Then, walk through this article to plan your where, when, who, and what.
If you need some inspiration or resources to get started in your spiritual retreat, download my free Aligned Introspection Bundle! Consider this your toolkit to connect to Spirit and your inner wisdom. You’ll get 21 journal prompts, 3 guided meditations, and 12 powerful self-coaching questions. Click here for your free, instant download!
