Reflections from a Personal Retreat

I LOVE taking time away from my day to day life on retreat. In the past few years I have taken many and each time I have been astounded by the results: renewal, clarity, and centeredness.

The farther I get from my last retreat, the more I forget the benefits. If I slow down though, I notice some tell-tails signs that a retreat would be a great thing:

I feel restless and unable to focus.

I find myself out of touch with my creativity.

I am looking for a breakthrough of some kind that does not present itself easily.

I hear the call - there is really no other way to say it.

Where do I go on retreat? It depends. I have taken off for some solo camping at one of my favorite spots on the planet - Cumberland Island, I have booked a few nights at a cabin within an hour or so of my home, and most recently I headed to Savannah for four days. The opportunity to spend some quiet time reflecting and kicking off writing of book two in The Woman's Field Guide series popped up when a gracious family member said, "Come on down! The house is all yours!"

As I arrived in the land of live oaks and inter-coastal waters, I immediately settled in to a retreat rhythm. No agenda, no have-to's, and no work to do. I took long strolls under Spanish moss canopies, I wrote as words flowed and honored the process when they paused. I ate light and simple, drank lots of water, wandered at dusk.

It is truly amazing to me the clarity that sparkled in areas of my life I was not expecting and the exhale I felt from some physical challenges that have been up for me. Every retreat I have ever taken has provided its own splendid gifts.

Clients ask me, why take a retreat? It is honest to say that I find it nearly impossible to give language to all the benefits. My response to their question, "In order to answer that question you must take a retreat and find out!"

- Corrie Woods, www.womansfieldguide.com