10 Ways to Create a Yoga Retreat at Home
Yoga retreats are an incredible way to obtain a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual reset. Yoga retreats are a cozy sweater, a long hug, or a smoothie filled with superfoods. Nobody said that traveling to Fiji is the only way you can experience one. You can absolutely receive most of the benefits of a yoga retreat from your home. (or even a hotel close to your home if maybe you have kids or people in the house you can’t easily kick out!) The following 10 ways will help you create an environment similar to a yoga retreat at home (or at a hotel).
1. TIDY UP YOUR SPACE
There is energy in physical objects and having too many around you takes up space in your brain. During the week start to put everything in its place, wipe everything clean, wash all the laundry and put it away, and even mop the floors! Your space reflects your mind and vice versa.
2. CLEANSE THE ROOM AND YOURSELF
There are many ways to cleanse the energy of a room. You can even google it! One way is to take two spoons and tap them together around the corners of the rooms that you will be using during your cleanse. It breaks up energy. I like to say out loud “any negative energy is free to leave this space NOW. Only love, light, abundance (and any other words you would like to use) are allowed in this space.” After I do this, I take a sage stick, light it, and walk around the corners of the rooms saying the same things! Open the windows and let any negative energy blow right out. When you begin your cleanse, you can also light the sage stick and let the smoke surround your body, consciously sending your attention to places you would like to cleanse. (i.e, the heart space to be less rigid, the third eye to trust your intuition, or the pelvis to release creative blockages.)
3. LIGHT INCENSE OR BURN ESSENTIAL OILS
When you are done tidying and clearing the energy of the space, light your favorite incense sticks or diffuse essential oils. It’s not a home yoga retreat without the smells! Choose scents that make you feel calm, inspired, happy, or just plain good. Specific essential oils can be used depending on your intention for the retreat: energy, release, grounding, open heart, etc…
4. DISCONNECT THE ELECTRONICS
This probably doesn’t need too much explanation. Or does it? There is stress that comes from constant connectivity. Whether it’s news content or FOMO through social media, the stress is real. Use this time to disconnect from your devices in order to focus on YOU. The world is not going to collapse because your phone is off, but you might! During this home yoga retreat, take the time spent watching and scrolling and use it on yourself. It’s as simple as that.
5. CHOOSE HEALING FOODS AND BEVERAGES
We all know that cookies and chips will not add value to our systems. If you are in tune with your body then you will know which foods make you feel, tired, sluggish, or bloated. Even if these foods are technically good for you, don’t choose them because they are causing you to not feel your best. Choose foods and beverages that are adding the best possible value to your precious body. Depending on the season, choose foods like roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli with lemon and olive oil, grilled cauliflower with tahini sauce, or a creamy spinach soup. Pureed soups can be calming for the digestive system. All the fresh fruits in season like fresh blueberries, cherries, pineapple, and more! Lots of water, herbal teas (hot or cold), lemon water, or water with apple cider vinegar and honey! If you eat meat please choose organic when you can. Value your body by valuing the foods you ingest.
6. PRACTICE MORNING AND EVENING YOGA
Try an invigorating practice in the morning and a calm grounding practice in the evening. Maybe your body needs a calming practice both times! Follow the signs that your body and spirit are telling you. Your practice can be as long as you need it to be but I personally think 60-90 minutes of practice each time is lovely. After all, it IS a YOGA retreat. 🙂
7. REST, SLEEP, REST
Don’t pressure yourself to have to DO anything or get anything done except rest and sleep. Freshen up your sheets, take a nice shower or bath, give yourself the nighttime routine you’ve always wanted, and put on a clean fresh pair of pajamas! Sleeping is extremely healing for our entire system. The brain releases hormones during sleep that nourish muscles and organs and allow wounds to heal. Not to mention the brain is like a computer and sleeping is like shutting down your computer for the night. All circuitry cools down. Sleep whenever you need to.
8. MEDITATION
Add meditation to your morning and evening yoga practice. You can use a meditation app if you feel it is helpful or just sit in silence and observe your breath and thoughts. Sitting in a chair, on a meditation cushion, or even laying down can do the trick. Don’t put pressure on yourself to meditate perfectly. Each experience is unique. Just like you. Tune into your breath in whatever way feels most comfortable. If anything comes up, set it aside and after your meditation, you can write it down if it needs more attention. You can also sit in stillness and if your mind wanders you can simply repeat, “I am breathing in,” (as you inhale) and “I am breathing out” (as you exhale).
9. JOURNAL
Buy yourself a new journal. (You know you want to!) Just kidding, you don’t have to. But it’s always nice to start with a fresh one, isn’t it? After your meditation or at any point in the day when something comes up, write it down. You can also schedule a time in your retreat to sit with your journal and pen until something comes out of your brain and onto the paper. Having journal prompts ready before the retreat day is even better! You can then choose one in the moment.
10. HAVE A SPIRITUAL BOOK HANDY
When reading, your brain is stimulated and some retreats suggest using downtime to sit quietly, observe, and be mindful. I enjoy this part. But sometimes you are in a deep spiritual mood and the right book can be helpful. So if this may be the case, choose a book that feels healing or purposeful in helping you be a more authentic you.
Having your own retreat at home takes a little bit of planning and commitment but it’s very doable! If you can’t join my October 2022 retreat in Greece then try these 10 ways to have a yoga retreat at home. And let me know how it goes!