A 30 Minute Mini-Retreat - Using Visual Images

Feeling off-kilter, but with no time to retreat?

Try this - 15-30 minutes is all you need.

A "One Image" Retreat

Pour a mug or glass of your favorite beverage and get into comfy clothes.  If you enjoy music, put on some relaxing or upbeat music - whatever appeals to you in this moment.  Grab a stack of magazines from around the house or at your local newsstand (3-5 is plenty).  Get an assortment - even those that seem dry or "all business" can work for this retreat.

Take a sip of your beverage, and then close your eyes and take several deep cleansing breaths.  If you'd like, do this standing up and incorporate a bit of movement with your breaths.  Or just sit quietly and invite your body to relax.

Then, sit down with your pile of magazines, and just start paging through them, looking for images that appeal to you.  Don't overthink this, just go with what appeals to you for any reason.  Settle on one (or at most two) that seem to be resonating the most at this moment.  Again, don't overthink this, just go with whatever rises to the surface.  There is no right or wrong, and there is no "perfect" image.

Don't move on until you've selected an image.

Then, simply sit and reflect on that image for several minutes, seeing what messages, thoughts or feelings it brings up.  Stay with it for a while, allowing (but not forcing or requiring) layers of meaning to emerge.  If you'd like, write or sketch or doodle or move a bit about what came up.

Whether or not the image has proven meaningful, post it where you will see it again in the next several days, and invite new meaning to emerge.

Give a silent "thank you" to the Universe for this time of retreat, for the relaxation of this time, and for any wisdom that has emerged, and return to your daily life refreshed by this little break.