If you've ever dreamed of being a writer - whether of fiction or
non-fiction, a short story or a book, a poem or an instructional manual - you are probably aware of the existence of "writer's retreats." But, intriguing as they may sound, since you're not really a writer, you would never dream of actually attending one. All those other writers - those accomplished writers, those writers who have gotten going, those writers who actually write - would be too intimidating.
Lest you are wondering, I say all that with tongue firmly in cheek. But having coached many would-be writers, I also know that there is a lot of truth there. Every writer thinks his or her Writer's Block is unique, insurmountable, and possibly neurotic.
I invite you to experiment with using a series of One Hour Retreats to get yourself writing!
The beauty of the One Hour Retreat is that you can fit it in whenever you have time. And whether you schedule it in advance, or just look for opportunities to sneak it in, your subconcious will start writing before you even take pen, pencil or keyboard in hand!
Tips for a Successful Would-Be Writer's Retreat
1) Set your intention to use your retreat time to write. No excuses, no phone calls, no texting, no e-mail. Set an intention to use the time to write. Even if what comes out is crap. Even if can't think of anything original to say. Even if you have "writer's block."
2) Carry a notebook or sheet of paper with you at all times, to record random ideas that may suddenly pop up once you've set your intention.
3) When retreat time comes, write! That may seem obvious, but if the dreaded Writer's Block tries to join your retreat, write anyway. Write about your day, describe the space you are in, critique what you watched on television last night or write about a current joy or concern. Just write! You will likely find that if you just ignore Writer's Block and continue on, W.B. will get bored and decide to leave the party.
4) When your retreat time ends, acknowledge yourself for getting something on paper, whether it is golden prose or scattered fragments of ideas. It is progress - acknowledge that progress and invite more to come your way.
5) Start planning for your next One Hour Writer's Retreat. And keep that notebook handy!
If Writer's Block just won't stop harassing you, then I invite you to schedule a Guided One Hour Retreat, using the link in the right sidebar. I have a knack for helping people get clear about what it is they are trying to express and then get writing. And I love watching "would-be writers" turn into writers.
Tuesday
Take A Vacation Without Leaving Home
A Limited Time Gift for You - A Full Length Audio Meditation
Can't get away for a vacation?
Use the attached audio visualization to take a vacation in your mind. Take advantage of the fact that your mind does not easily distinguish between the imagined and the real to "trick" yourself into relaxing - body, mind and spirit.
This visualization takes place at the beach, and provides a simple technique to help you bring the energy of a beach holiday back into your every-day.
Link to the audio: [This offer has expired - but the series is still available at http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html]
Many of my clients find that relaxation exercises, visualizations, prayer and other types of meditation provide instant stress relief and help them reconnect with their best selves. Try it today - you have nothing to lose!
This link will be active until August 15th - feel free to listen as often as you'd like. And feel free to share it with others who might enjoy it!
***SPECIAL OFFER***
The meditation linked above is #4 in the Simple Little Practices Meditation Series. Save $5.00 if you subscribe to the entire series before August 15th!
To subscribe to the series, go to http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html
Get downloads of this audio and five more --two full hours of meditations -- for only $24.99.
Lighten up your life, and bring some holiday into your everyday -schedule a retreat today!
Can't get away for a vacation?
Use the attached audio visualization to take a vacation in your mind. Take advantage of the fact that your mind does not easily distinguish between the imagined and the real to "trick" yourself into relaxing - body, mind and spirit.
This visualization takes place at the beach, and provides a simple technique to help you bring the energy of a beach holiday back into your every-day.
Link to the audio: [This offer has expired - but the series is still available at http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html]
Many of my clients find that relaxation exercises, visualizations, prayer and other types of meditation provide instant stress relief and help them reconnect with their best selves. Try it today - you have nothing to lose!
This link will be active until August 15th - feel free to listen as often as you'd like. And feel free to share it with others who might enjoy it!
***SPECIAL OFFER***
The meditation linked above is #4 in the Simple Little Practices Meditation Series. Save $5.00 if you subscribe to the entire series before August 15th!
To subscribe to the series, go to http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html
Get downloads of this audio and five more --two full hours of meditations -- for only $24.99.
Lighten up your life, and bring some holiday into your everyday -schedule a retreat today!
Saturday
At Your Wit's End? RETREAT!
Did you ever have one of those days when you just want to get away from it all? Just walk away for a few hours, or a few days? To escape from the nonstop “incoming” and yell: RETREAT!
Of course you have - we all have.
Here’s the good news: You can. You CAN find time and space to take a retreat. If you can’t manage a full day away right now, take a retreat in segments. For example, use your lunch hour every Tuesday for two months. Or take an hour every day for a week during the kids’ naptime or TV time, or take two hours every Saturday for a month while Dad, a friend or a sitter take the kids to the park. Or use your lunch hour every Tuesday for two months.
The key to making this work is to actually use the time for retreat – no laundry or dishes allowed. Not even “I’ll just start this load and then I’ll start my retreat.” Not even “I’ll just respond to this one e-mail/call/text, and then I'll start my retreat.” You know how one task often leads to another. This is YOUR time. Use it to recharge yourself.
Does that sound selfish? Look at it this way: if you don’t do what you need to do to care for yourself, you’re less equipped to take care of anyone else. You know how short-tempered you get when you’re feeling trapped by your responsibilities (even though you wouldn’t trade them for the world)? You know how you start to feel like you can't even hear yourself think? How much more patient, creative, and yes, productive could you be if you could just have a few minutes to yourself once in a while??
You know the truth of this – now ACT on it.
Schedule at least one-half hour (preferably an hour) on at least two days in the coming week. Use that time to do something that nurtures or energizes you.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
• Do something physical – be it yoga or kickboxing or Zumba - as long as it is something that energizes you, and not just a task to tick off your to-do list.
• Do something spiritual – read something inspirational, meditate, pray or journal.
• Do something creative – and work on it for an hour without interruption (bliss!).
• Do some high quality “thinking” about an issue that has been weighing you down – whether it is your preschooler’s eating habits, your relationship with your spouse , or prioritizing and planning your work projects for the next three months. (Yes, Virginia, you can use a retreat for work-related things, as long as that is truly what would nurture you most right now.) A half-hour of quality thinking, reflection and brainstorming is worth more than weeks of fretting and stewing.
• Do nothing. Take a nap, or take a long bath or shower. Let the water cleanse your body, wash away negativity, and hydrate you, body, mind and spirit.
What to watch out for: getting distracted by mindless “relaxing” activities, like paging idly through a magazine. Use your precious retreat time to do something that will make a real difference in your life, right now.
Go ahead. Do it. Make time for a retreat. And start reaping the rewards, today!
For more tips for a successful One Hour Retreat, get my free guide - just enter your e-mail address in the box in the sidebar.
Of course you have - we all have.
Here’s the good news: You can. You CAN find time and space to take a retreat. If you can’t manage a full day away right now, take a retreat in segments. For example, use your lunch hour every Tuesday for two months. Or take an hour every day for a week during the kids’ naptime or TV time, or take two hours every Saturday for a month while Dad, a friend or a sitter take the kids to the park. Or use your lunch hour every Tuesday for two months.
The key to making this work is to actually use the time for retreat – no laundry or dishes allowed. Not even “I’ll just start this load and then I’ll start my retreat.” Not even “I’ll just respond to this one e-mail/call/text, and then I'll start my retreat.” You know how one task often leads to another. This is YOUR time. Use it to recharge yourself.
Does that sound selfish? Look at it this way: if you don’t do what you need to do to care for yourself, you’re less equipped to take care of anyone else. You know how short-tempered you get when you’re feeling trapped by your responsibilities (even though you wouldn’t trade them for the world)? You know how you start to feel like you can't even hear yourself think? How much more patient, creative, and yes, productive could you be if you could just have a few minutes to yourself once in a while??
You know the truth of this – now ACT on it.
Schedule at least one-half hour (preferably an hour) on at least two days in the coming week. Use that time to do something that nurtures or energizes you.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
• Do something physical – be it yoga or kickboxing or Zumba - as long as it is something that energizes you, and not just a task to tick off your to-do list.
• Do something spiritual – read something inspirational, meditate, pray or journal.
• Do something creative – and work on it for an hour without interruption (bliss!).
• Do some high quality “thinking” about an issue that has been weighing you down – whether it is your preschooler’s eating habits, your relationship with your spouse , or prioritizing and planning your work projects for the next three months. (Yes, Virginia, you can use a retreat for work-related things, as long as that is truly what would nurture you most right now.) A half-hour of quality thinking, reflection and brainstorming is worth more than weeks of fretting and stewing.
• Do nothing. Take a nap, or take a long bath or shower. Let the water cleanse your body, wash away negativity, and hydrate you, body, mind and spirit.
What to watch out for: getting distracted by mindless “relaxing” activities, like paging idly through a magazine. Use your precious retreat time to do something that will make a real difference in your life, right now.
Go ahead. Do it. Make time for a retreat. And start reaping the rewards, today!
For more tips for a successful One Hour Retreat, get my free guide - just enter your e-mail address in the box in the sidebar.
Tuesday
Take Time to Saunter
Saunter: "to walk in a casual manner; stroll." Synonyms include amble, ramble, stroll, wander, mosey (one of my favorites), and meander. (1)
When is the last time you felt free to saunter? To proceed at your own pace, to stop and observe, to step into a place of spiritual connection? Most of us spend most of our time adhering to schedules, running late, trying to keep up. What if you could take an hour, a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, and just saunter?
Having just returned from a trip to California which included both Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, I've been reading up on John Muir, who had a hand in preserving both places. Here is what Muir had to say about sauntering:
Either way, the word connotes a slowing down, a mindful attention to one's surroundings. A retreat from the hurry and drama of daily life. An appreciation of the vastness of the Universe and the long line of time.
I invite you to take some time this week to saunter. Whether you saunter through the woods, or through an art museum, or through the streets of a bustling city, pay attention. Saunter reverently. Allow yourself to meander. Be in reverie.
Notes:
(1) freeonlinedictionary.com
(2) quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering:
http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/////life/palmer_sauntering.html
Sidebar:
An interesting but irrelevant fact (unless you are from Northern Ireland, in which case it may be highly relevant): according to urbandictionary.com, the word "saunter" is sometimes used as an expletive in Northern Ireland, with the meaning of "get lost" or "take a hike." It's fascinating how words can take on such different meanings... But if someone yelling at you to "saunter" - i.e., get lost - is what it takes to get you to take some time in solitude, consider it done. Saunter!
When is the last time you felt free to saunter? To proceed at your own pace, to stop and observe, to step into a place of spiritual connection? Most of us spend most of our time adhering to schedules, running late, trying to keep up. What if you could take an hour, a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, and just saunter?
Having just returned from a trip to California which included both Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, I've been reading up on John Muir, who had a hand in preserving both places. Here is what Muir had to say about sauntering:
"Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, "A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them." (2)There is some disagreement about whether Muir's etymology of the word is correct, although it does appear in references dating back to at least 1691. The more accepted theory is that the word derives from the Middle English santren, meaning to muse, meditate, or be in reverie.
Either way, the word connotes a slowing down, a mindful attention to one's surroundings. A retreat from the hurry and drama of daily life. An appreciation of the vastness of the Universe and the long line of time.
I invite you to take some time this week to saunter. Whether you saunter through the woods, or through an art museum, or through the streets of a bustling city, pay attention. Saunter reverently. Allow yourself to meander. Be in reverie.
Notes:
(1) freeonlinedictionary.com
(2) quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering:
http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/////life/palmer_sauntering.html
Sidebar:
An interesting but irrelevant fact (unless you are from Northern Ireland, in which case it may be highly relevant): according to urbandictionary.com, the word "saunter" is sometimes used as an expletive in Northern Ireland, with the meaning of "get lost" or "take a hike." It's fascinating how words can take on such different meanings... But if someone yelling at you to "saunter" - i.e., get lost - is what it takes to get you to take some time in solitude, consider it done. Saunter!
Sunday
Guided One-Hour Virtual Retreats
This post now has its own page: http://onehourretreat.blogspot.com/p/guided-one-hour-retreats.html
Try a "Wonder"-ful One Hour Retreat
Here is an idea especially suited to a spring retreat.
My favorite way to "do" this retreat is outdoors - in a park, in the woods, or in a local neighborhood. But you can also take this retreat in a coffee shop, in an airport, or while waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice. If you have an hour, or even a half hour, grab it and take this no-equipment-needed retreat.
Start your retreat by setting an intention to focus on really observing your setting -- whether your setting is the airport concourse or a beautifully landscaped garden. Spend several minutes in one location, observing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of that location, as well as the overall composition and effect. Alternatively, spend five minutes strolling around focusing on taking in everything you can observe with your eyes - color, texture, size, shape, orientation, composition, etc., and then spend the next five minutes focusing on what you can hear, and so forth through the senses.
Not many people can spend an entire hour in observant wonder. The mind is easily distracted by judgment, thoughts of the past or future, and to-do lists. Consider using part of your time to journal or sketch your observations. Writing or drawing will not only help you observe more closely and keep your attention on your subject, it will also help you capture and process any emotions that arise.
By slowing down and really observing your surroundings, without judgment, you will likely experience one or more of the following benefits:
*A release of tension from your body
*A clearer, more focused mind
*A feeling of connection to the universe
*A renewed sense of lightness of being
*A burst of wonder and joy
We are all born intensely observant, curious and attentive to detail. Each new experience has a wonder-ful quality. But as we "grow up," we often lose that sense of wonder as we hurry through the tasks of life.
Just one moment of wonder-ment can add color to your days, and help you stay in the moment, truly aware of living your life. Try it and observe the results!
My favorite way to "do" this retreat is outdoors - in a park, in the woods, or in a local neighborhood. But you can also take this retreat in a coffee shop, in an airport, or while waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice. If you have an hour, or even a half hour, grab it and take this no-equipment-needed retreat.
Start your retreat by setting an intention to focus on really observing your setting -- whether your setting is the airport concourse or a beautifully landscaped garden. Spend several minutes in one location, observing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of that location, as well as the overall composition and effect. Alternatively, spend five minutes strolling around focusing on taking in everything you can observe with your eyes - color, texture, size, shape, orientation, composition, etc., and then spend the next five minutes focusing on what you can hear, and so forth through the senses.
Not many people can spend an entire hour in observant wonder. The mind is easily distracted by judgment, thoughts of the past or future, and to-do lists. Consider using part of your time to journal or sketch your observations. Writing or drawing will not only help you observe more closely and keep your attention on your subject, it will also help you capture and process any emotions that arise.
By slowing down and really observing your surroundings, without judgment, you will likely experience one or more of the following benefits:
*A release of tension from your body
*A clearer, more focused mind
*A feeling of connection to the universe
*A renewed sense of lightness of being
*A burst of wonder and joy
We are all born intensely observant, curious and attentive to detail. Each new experience has a wonder-ful quality. But as we "grow up," we often lose that sense of wonder as we hurry through the tasks of life.
Just one moment of wonder-ment can add color to your days, and help you stay in the moment, truly aware of living your life. Try it and observe the results!
Wednesday
First Monday Virtual Retreats Start April 5th (Free)
UPDATE: These retreats have been discontinued. For more details on current retreats, see the sidebar.
Break free and "spring" forward with a virtual retreat!
I am hosting a FREE virtual retreat next Monday, April 5th, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The meditative portion of the call will be recorded, so sign up even if you can't make this time slot. This is the first in a series of First Monday Virtual Retreats, which will be offered on (surprise!) the first Monday of each month. The theme of this month's retreat is "Break Free - Spring Forward."
A time of retreat - even a brief time - can both relax and energize you. It can give you a time to hear yourself think, to focus on what really matters, and inspire you to get moving in a new direction. It can give you time to hear the voice of your soul and tap into your strengths.
Harness the energy of spring to propel yourself forward. If you've been feeling a bit "slow" or "stuck" in some area of your life, now is the time to come out of your winter dormancy.
The retreat will start with a 15-20 minute guided meditation (a combination of relaxation and visualization). The meditation will be followed by an exercise to help you capture your insights and make an action plan for moving forward. The remainder of the hour is yours to use as you wish. You may leave the call and continue the retreat on your own, or you may join in group discussion/group coaching with others on the call. I invite you to use the entire hour for retreat. Give yourself that gift, if at all possible.
While the meditative portion of the call will be recorded,
I encourage you to join live if you can. I will be giving away a Guided One Hour Retreat ($60 value) to one lucky person on the call.
[CONTACT FORM DE-ACTIVATED]
Try it for a month or two, and discover the benefits of a one hour retreat!
Break free and "spring" forward with a virtual retreat!
I am hosting a FREE virtual retreat next Monday, April 5th, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The meditative portion of the call will be recorded, so sign up even if you can't make this time slot. This is the first in a series of First Monday Virtual Retreats, which will be offered on (surprise!) the first Monday of each month. The theme of this month's retreat is "Break Free - Spring Forward."
A time of retreat - even a brief time - can both relax and energize you. It can give you a time to hear yourself think, to focus on what really matters, and inspire you to get moving in a new direction. It can give you time to hear the voice of your soul and tap into your strengths.
Harness the energy of spring to propel yourself forward. If you've been feeling a bit "slow" or "stuck" in some area of your life, now is the time to come out of your winter dormancy.
The retreat will start with a 15-20 minute guided meditation (a combination of relaxation and visualization). The meditation will be followed by an exercise to help you capture your insights and make an action plan for moving forward. The remainder of the hour is yours to use as you wish. You may leave the call and continue the retreat on your own, or you may join in group discussion/group coaching with others on the call. I invite you to use the entire hour for retreat. Give yourself that gift, if at all possible.
While the meditative portion of the call will be recorded,
I encourage you to join live if you can. I will be giving away a Guided One Hour Retreat ($60 value) to one lucky person on the call.
[CONTACT FORM DE-ACTIVATED]
Try it for a month or two, and discover the benefits of a one hour retreat!
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