In today’s hectic world, we all need and deserve regular wellness breaks.
If you have never been to a wellness retreat, in either a spa or a resort setting, it is highly recommended.
But the good news is that you can create your own wellness retreat at home.
Follow our step-by-step guide to creating your own at-home blissful, zen-inducing space, anytime you need it:
01. Choose a day & set a time when you can fully give up your daily commitments. This includes being able to turn off your phone and all notifications for a limited period of time. If you are a parent, have another caretaker take the kids out of the home for this given period. Ensure you are not expecting any deliveries on this day. Make your space completely distraction-free. This is key.
How can you switch off, if your daily life is still switched on?
02. Take a hot shower or bath and make it fancy. Add bubbles, scented oils, gels, bath salts. You will start off your retreat feeling fresh, clean, relaxed, and lightly scented in your favourite bath scent. The heat will also help to relax your muscles. To fully immerse yourself, make sure to complete this part for at least twenty minutes. And at the end of your bath or shower, wear something soft, light and comfortable; we suggest either a robe, yoga outfit, sweat suit, or pj’s.
03. Light a candle or incense stick within your main space. Allow yourself to be taken to some far-away place simply by surrounding yourself by a scent. Scent is our greatest tie to memory, so if you have a scent from a past vacation spot or a favourite place, use that. You can also use oils or candles with lavender which is known for its relaxation benefits and will help to create that in-spa experience.
04. Sit in silence. Once you are fully aware of the relaxing scent permeating the space, take some time to sit in silence and meditate. Let the scent be an anchor for your mind. Simply sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on your natural breath. You can do this in complete silence, or set a timer for the desired time. You can also choose a meditation song or playlist from your favourite platform to provide you some soft background music; and this can also help determine your desired length of meditation.
05. Make herbal tea or juice. After you complete your meditation, head to the kitchen to make a hot or cold herbal tea or juice. And do this mindfully, meaning, slowly and thoughtfully enjoy every step. As you’re preparing ingredients, focus only on that task at hand. Notice the colours, as well as the fresh scents of the ingredients. And take a moment of gratitude for this beautiful elixir that you are about to create. This can include using boiling, regular or ice water, adding lemons or lemon juice, adding other fruit, tea or herbs, and adding raw organic honey. The choice is yours, but the goal is to make something soothing that you can sit and sip on for a while as you incorporate the next step.
06. Sit & crack a book open. How often in your daily life do you vow to start a new book? Yet it seems to remain the last item on the priority list. Well, here is your chance. You’ve just blessed yourself with a period of uninterrupted YOU time. Start a new book, or re-read an old favourite.
07. End in Savasana. If you’re a seasoned yogi, you will know exactly what to do in this step.
If you’ve never heard of Savasana, it is as simple as lying flat on your back, in a relaxing manner and reflecting back on the experience you’ve just had. Try to be as still as you can during savasana. As experienced yogis know, savasana may or may not fully turn into nap time, which is perfectly fine.
To really understand the savasana experience, let us explain… Savasana is a yoga pose usually done at the end of a practice, designed to allow us to take rest. It translates from sanskrit, quite literally into corpse pose, which allows us to practise letting our thoughts and patterns die. It allows a chance to practice full acceptance and surrender into the present moment. You can choose to stay in savasana for as long as you like; you may find that you completely relax, or that you find the sweet spot just on the brink of falling asleep. Or you may actually drift off to a deep snooze which is fine too. In our opinion, Savasana is the best way to complete your personal home retreat.
Hopefully, you get a chance to try and enjoy our suggested home retreat practices. Ensure to choose a timeline that suits you and your day. Ideally, one or two hours would be a perfect timeframe to complete this retreat. And you can repeat this monthly.
Keep in mind this is a time for your mind to do nothing. It can be difficult to let go of all daily responsibilities and thoughts, but it becomes easier the more we practise. And overall, once your mind starts to relax, your body will very likely follow!
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