Camp NaNoWriMo ended on July 31. While I did surpass my word goal and earned a Winner certificate, it was sad to say goodbye to my fellow virtual campers. That same day I received a barrage of disappointments and it didn’t help that Mercury was still in retrograde and everything I read and watched on television made me angry or sad.
I needed to do something to snap out of the doldrums. Usually, I turn to meditation and prayer but I wanted—no, needed—something more. And it had to be something positive, uplifting, and nurturing, which is why I knew it was time for a Writelighter Retreat.
First, I set an intention to begin with a news detox, so I refrained from watching the news on television or reading about it online.
Using the digital Writelighter Retreat Kit as a guide (I’ve been selling it on my website since 2015), I decided that I would dedicate five consecutive days to my writing and wellbeing. Luckily, I work from home so my schedule is more flexible than most.
Except for outdoor activities and crafts, my guest bedroom served as my central retreat space. (It's very serene with seaglass colors.) I used my iPod to listen to my audio meditations. To add to the cleansing atmosphere, I placed salt lamps in strategic places.
Besides writing, I wanted to include creative activities and guess what I found? I had purchased a half dozen of Udemy courses that had been collecting virtual dust for years. I also had collected some free courses from FutureLearn and SkillShare. Most were writing or wellness related, but there were some (like "Genealogy" or "Beginner Digital Photography") that I wanted to do for fun. So the courses would serve as my retreat classes and their instructors would be my gurus!
I scheduled two classes per day. For easy access, I bookmarked all the original course links into a special Writelighter Retreat folder on my computer browser. On my desktop, I created a Writelighter Retreat folder to keep my Writelighter Retreat Kit and any other documents I wanted as reference.
Day One
After an Earth Shower (that's a grounding method where I take a shower using a mixture of seasalt, ground coffee, sweet almond oil and cinnamon essential oil), I had a light breakfast, then set up my sacred space with a candle, incense, clear quartz crystal, and bowl of water to represent the elements. I sounded my crystal healing bowl (the Heart bowl, in the key of "F") to indicate my Writelighter Retreat was now in session. That made everything feel "official."
I like to write in the early morning, so I scheduled my writing sessions accordingly. For exercise, I did ten minutes of stretching and Chair Yoga, then listened to a half hour of Karma Klear activations by Judy Satori, who spoke in the beautiful yet familiar Light Language.
At 11AM, I attended my first online class, Laughter Yoga for Beginners. I belly-laughed for an hour, which is exactly how long the course is. What a welcome release! An hour later, the course was completed and I celebrated that achievement with a chakra tuneup session with my colored tuning forks.
After a nutritious lunch, I watched my second online class, Increase Productivity & Unlock the Power of Alpha Brainwaves Through Forgiveness, followed by a Seaglass Beach Meditation, Blissful Hands and Feet Soak, and an hour of herbal soap making. And that was just Day One!
Create your own retreat
Does this sound like something you could use, too? Here's how to plan your own customized writing and wellness retreat, in three easy steps:
Set your intentions.
Organize your activities.
Collect and set up your supplies in your designated retreat area(s).
Another benefit of hosting your own retreat is you can schedule it for anytime you wish. And you don't need to schedule as many activities as I have. Gear it towards your interests and needs. Make it work for you.
Of course, you can order your own Writelighter Retreat Kit and follow the manuals for suggested writing and spa activities.
The result
After five days of pampering my body, mind and spirit, I felt ready to join the human race again! Everything I did was about practicing self love and living in positivity.
I'm thinking that the world will probably get even crazier by Fall, so I wouldn't be surprised if I celebrated the new season with another retreat! Will you be joining me?
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