A Retreat Won’t Change Your Life

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Four Amazing Days

So last week I went on a four day retreat which signified the end of the Abundant Goddess course I’ve been doing over the past five months. It was a wonderful, transformative experience which I wouldn’t have missed for the world!

Having said that, you might wonder why I’ve given this blog post the title ‘a retreat won’t change your life’.

Well the reason is because no matter how amazing, how transformative a retreat is, everything you learnt and experienced will not have a lasting impact unless you find a way to integrate it into your daily life in some way.

 

Don’t Lose Track of Those Good Intentions

Leaving a retreat and coming back to the rumpy bumpy of every day life can feel like having your bubble well and truly popped. So how do we make sure that the lovely after glow stays with us? Here’s what I’m doing:

Step 1

Before you leave the retreat, or as soon after as possible, make a list of all the things you would like to implement into your life and any changes you would like to make. Record how you feel and any realisations or shifts you’ve experienced, this will serve as a reminder if life tries to rid you of your good intentions

Step 2

Choose one thing from your list and think about what steps you need to take in order to achieve it. Then take those steps. Aim to change one thing thing every week, don’t try to do it all at once. You may have to spilt complex goals into smaller chunks. For example, if you want to get a new job, write down the steps and then choose one step to implement each week.

Step 3

Build some time into the end of each week to reflect on your progress and set your intentions for the week ahead. Do not try to do too much at once, choose just one thing to do every week and no more. You should be aiming for long term sustainable change so don’t set yourself unrealistic goals and then beat yourself up for not sticking to them. Be gentle with yourself.

 

My First Week

My intention for the week ahead is to take 15 minutes before I go to bed everyday and do some kind of spiritual practice, whether that’s meditation, yoda nidra or some gentle stretches;- it doesn’t matter, the important thing is that I do something for my soul everyday single day.

 

So to round up, a retreat won’t change your life but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a life changing experience. You just need to make sure you do the necessary work when you get back home.

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