Retreats
for the Soul
by Aliza Sherman Risdahl
A
retreat can help to develop creativity and improve focus;
it’s an opportunity to rejuvenate the mind, body and
spirit…
|
Never having
enough time in the day has always been my excuse for not doing something
for myself. Sound familiar?
When I had the
opportunity to attend a retreat, my first reaction was, "I have no
time," even though the retreat fell on a weekend and I'd only miss
a few days of work. Pulling myself away has always seemed impossible.
"Every
woman needs to look inside herself when she becomes too busy and see
what she is distracting herself from," advises Debbie Mandel,
author of Turn On Your Inner
Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul. "The biggest problem
for women is that they do not create time for themselves and feel that
they must do everything. This leads to health issues and high stress
levels."
Pushing
Past Fear
The retreat was
held at a resort in
Colorado
, nestled in a lush valley surrounded by rugged mountain ranges.
Accommodations were cushy, meals were gourmet, and the spa treatments
included in the package were luxurious. But then there were the hikes.
I like leisurely
walks, but the first hike lasted over three hours! We walked through
forest, open fields, and up mountains. Every step I took was more
painful than the last, and I cursed each time my boot hit the ground.
Later, I
realized how angry I had been throughout the hike. As I talked about my
feelings with the other women on the retreat, I voiced that my anger
stemmed from a childhood fear: I correlated a fast-beating heart with
imminent death.
The experience
made me see how much deep-rooted emotion can rule our lives and the
choices we make. Even our professional paths can be affected by
childhood fears. A fear of asking for a raise, for example, could be
based on a lifelong fear of rejection.
Lesson
#1: To get past present challenges, we must look at what deeper emotions
and fears might be dictating our choices or preventing us from making
the right choices.
Refusing
to Give Up
Rock climbing
was the next day's activity, and although I had never climbed, I wasn't
afraid. One of the other women, Margie, confessed to a lifetime fear of
heights but was determined to climb.
Margie later
admitted that it was challenging for her to rely on others for help.
"I was forced to trust the rope and the relay team supporting me by
falling back into the harness and walking backwards to the bottom,"
she said, describing the people at the end of the rope, holding it taut
to keep her secure. She felt she had a personal breakthrough on the
climb.
For me, the
first climb was enjoyable. The second climb was another story.
As soon as I was
off the ground, a voice inside my head screamed "This is
impossible. Give up!" I was shocked. I never considered myself as a
person who gave up easily, but now I felt defeated.
"I can't do
it," I said aloud.
People below
were calling back to me. "Yes, you can!"
Focus on those
words, I thought: I can. This
is all about my mind, and my mind is very strong. "I can do
it," I repeated to myself, over and over again. "Just do it,
dammit!" I exclaimed and pushed through the shakiness of my leg
muscles, the exhaustion of my arm muscles.
I lifted myself
to the next hold and the next. I kept climbing and suddenly reached the
top of the rock. I cried with relief.
Lesson
#2 - Don't give up. Even when you think you can't do something, there is
always a way. Accept the help and encouragement of others. Believe in
yourself. Knowing you can do something is half the battle.
Changing
Attitudes
On the last
hike, altitude was a factor as we rose to nearly 10,000 feet. I was
determined to change my attitude from the first day's hike. Instead of
cursing each step, I thought positive, loving things. "I love you
trees, I love you sky," I said to the rhythm of my walking.
"Are you
limping?" the retreat leader asked halfway through the hike.
My shoes don't
fit very well," I admitted. "I think my socks are too
thick."
The leader
encouraged me to change my socks, so I did. While my feet were already
blistered and bruised, the thinner socks did reduce some discomfort.
"I love you
trees, I love you sky," I chanted, my steps lighter and faster.
While I can't say I loved the hike, I can say that I did it.
Lesson
#3 - Negative thoughts and attitudes can bog us down and prevent us from
moving forward. Negativity can make everything we do seem difficult. A
simple change in attitude can turn drudgery into something more
bearable.
Take
a Retreat
According to
Jill Murphy Long, author of Permission
to Play: Taking
Time to Renew Your Smile, short retreats can provide
"essential and crucial 'me time' - time for self-care."
Getting away offers "an opportunity to recharge and rejuvenate the
mind, body and spirit. Whether you do absolutely nothing but sit on the
sand and watch the waves or climb to the top of a high mountain, this
time is needed now and frequently."
Long notes that
a retreat can also help to develop creativity and improve focus. From my
own experience, I have to agree. I learned more about myself in five
days than I had in the last five years, all because I took a chance,
rearranged my priorities and gave myself permission to leave work behind
to explore a new terrain: myself.
Aliza
Sherman Risdahl is an Anchorage-based writer, producer and filmmaker
working in television, radio, film and online. Her work can be found at www.mediaegg.com
and www.moonbowproductions.com.
