Editor’s note: This is part one of two. The popular usage for retreat is the military one of withdrawing from enemy forces as a result of their superior power, or after a defeat. But there is another form of
Editor’s note: This is part one of two.
The popular usage for retreat is the military one of withdrawing from enemy forces as a result of their superior power, or after a defeat. But there is another form of retreat that is at least as old as recorded history. It is hinted at in the fourth of the Ten Commandments. “Thou shalt remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”
There were over 100,000,000 hits on the Internet when I Googled “what is a retreat?” Here are two excerpts: “Men and women have always needed at times to withdraw temporarily from daily living in order to nourish their inner life of the spirit. Moses retreated to Mount Sinai. Jesus went into the desert. Buddhists annually make a retreat. Moslems go for a day of prayer and fasting within the mosque. The Hindu withdraws to the temple or wanders alone across the land. Native Americans journey to the spirit world. In our ordinary lives, the kitchen or the shed at the bottom of the garden may be where we go to retreat from the world.”
People go on retreats for a number of reasons that generally focus on positive personal change:
n Reconnect to your true self
nLearn and practice methods to better yourself and your life
nRelax at a deep level
nRejuvenate your spirit
nTake time for reflection
nGain clarity on an issue or your life path
nFind meaning in your life beyond daily or material concerns
nHeal
nPractice your gaith
nContemplate
nCreate
The late Tara Singh, a friend and teacher of mine, used to refer to all of the demands of daily living as the horizontal plane. We are bombarded with commitments, interruptions, personal needs, our constant thoughts like remorse, fear or guilt, or even our happy thoughts like hopes, plans and more. But we also have a vertical plane, our spiritual plane, where our spiritual selves abide.
In my mind, I see it as an axis of light from my heart to creator’s, upon which the horizontal stuff spins out. If this axis is strong, we can handle more horizontal chaos. If it isn’t, we get bogged down, depressed, confused or hyper and out of control that way. Our spiritual self is our quiet self. It doesn’t intrude upon our minds. It waits to be invited. People usually embark upon retreats to connect with their spiritual selves. The fewer horizontal distractions I have, the easier it is for me to connect with my inner light.
There is just one unspoken rule we must follow to make this connection. We have to believe that everyone would be able to make this connection. God, Beloved, Source, Allah, Great Spirit, no matter the name, the creator placed His spirit within all of us, as a means of communication at the highest level with us, and us with each other.
But having a spiritual experience doesn’t need to be the focus of a retreat. You can use the time to refresh yourself, to remember who you are when other demands aren’t pulling at you, or to process something that is troubling you.
Sometimes we get a little disgruntled, and feel a bit off center, but don’t really know why. It’s important to figure out why. Take time to go back to when you first realized you were feeling this way. What happened? What exactly pushed your button? What need wasn’t getting met? When this is recognized with the steps needed to take to clear it, you’ll feel better. When you follow it through with appropriate actions you’ll be more productive at whatever you do, because a part of your mind is stuck on this problem and isn’t available for you to use for other things.
When I was a young mother, a group of women from my church decided to have an overnight retreat. I was so excited about going. We had a nice evening of socializing and laughter the night before, and then I slept way past breakfast the next day. There was one other young mother, and she did too. What we needed was just a chance to catch up on our rest. Also, I remember the kindness of my friends bringing me OJ and coffee before I even crawled out of my sleeping bag. It was so nice to be nurtured! Laughter, good sleep and feeling cared for go a long way to rev up a mother’s engine for the next 10,000 miles! And yes, we did pray, too.
In my life up until very recently I didn’t have a day off. So I learned to take about an hour or an hour and a half a day to remember my Sabbath. I claimed the spirit of the law.
Next week I’ll share about crafting your own retreat. We do live in paradise. People come from all over the world to go to retreats here. I’ve created many for myself and friends. In the meantime, do a little preparation for yourself. What makes you feel peaceful, calm, and healthy? How, when, what and who helped inspire you in the past? What do you want to accomplish? Email me!
• Hale `Opio Kaua’i convened a support group of adults in our Kaua’i community to “step into the corner” for our teens, to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. Please email your questions or concerns facing our youth and families today to Annaleah Atkinson at aatkinson@haleopio.org
