JW: Julian Retreat

Since my Death Day love letter to myself is due Friday, I decided to write about personal retreats in hope of gaining some ideas for Julian. Here's what I found and thought we might go through it Friday to see what to keep, change, or add.

(Much of this was sparked by a guide produced by Anastasia Jones, and then tweaked for us - https://anastasiajones.com/how-to-plan-a-personal-retreat/)

"Ultimately, a personal retreat is a return to love."

“The intention you set for your personal retreat will become the foundation for your entire experience.”

Create a Safe Space -- identify any boundary issues, open and close Sacred Space

Set Our Aspirations — Cherished outcomes for the retreat. What’s our North Star (singularly, jointly)? Give it a name … Julian Trip? (word play ;-)

(JW: Get to know each other and ourselves better, experience mushrooms, deepen our journey, walk and talk, play

EWR: ???)

Retreat Guide:

Allow Freedom to veer off in new directions

Explore something new.

Bring Questions to ponder -- I'm putting together a collection of questions we've gathered and we could use a few as needed/wanted.

Allow space for reflection - Ideas: bring current journal and an older one. Read something from an old journal and/or new. Journal reflection/harvesting.

Bring books, movies, music etc for inspiration and discussion. (Anam Cara, Chanting CDs, Jeremiah Johnson?)

Plan Food: (breakfast, bean soup(JW)?, coffee/tea/juice/?, mezcal?)

Vary activities: indoor (music, guitar, chanting CDs) and outdoor (walks, wild flowers), together and/or in solitude, integrate past and present, old and new inspiration (questions, mushrooms, Borrego Springs?)

Include body work: (walking, hot tub, meditation? yoga?, massage?, tai chi (internet)?)

Celebrate - rituals (Opening and closing the circle, mezcal, honoring 2^nd retreat)

Make something - sand painting, nature mandala?

Block time and schedule:  1 - 2 hour time blocks for Focus, Rest/Food/Walk/Body, inspiration/spiritual, celebration

Mindsets:

• Embrace the safety of our sacred circle.
• Everything is voluntary.
• Accept healing, revelations, and grace as they come.
• Be present. Allow time and energy to unfold.
• Stay flexible and follow the energy.
• Welcome in our whole self.
• Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you. — David Waggoner