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I’ve been going for Vipassana retreats every year since 2016. Those ten days are a great opportunity to take some space, center my thoughts, and spend some time by myself. To process everything that’s been going on.
But it’s 2021 and such retreats aren’t practical in many parts of the world right now.
There’s another type of retreat I’d like to talk about in this article and that’s the retreat which is a plot of land within your own mind, always available to you, should you choose to build beautiful things on it. If you put a little effort on the regular, you can establish pathways that allow you quicker access to this retreat.
When I heard the theme for this month, a passage from Marcus Aurelius’ book Meditations came to mind. 
As I write this, my country has broken all records for COVID cases and deaths.
I’ve been locked in my home for weeks.
Every day, I’ve been receiving frantic calls from friends and relatives begging for oxygen, hospital beds, or plasma.
For several days in a row, I’ve woken up to news of someone I know passing away.
I spend my days on the phone, attempting to leverage all my contacts to get my friends and family the resources they need to stay alive. And I’ve been mostly failing.
Pet crematoriums are now taking on the bodies of deceased COVID patients. Even then, there isn’t enough room, and there are mass cremations taking place in parking lots.
And there’s still no central lockdown imposed in this country. State governments are left to their own devices to decide whether they want to impose one, and their decisions are dictated by their political agendas.
It’s quite reasonable for me to be angry and irritable today. I feel helpless and frustrated. I have crawled into bed. I may or may not be writing this article in a foetal position on my bed.
As I drew the covers over my head, I thought to myself, “wouldn’t it be great to go away on a retreat right now?”
Well, here I am. Writing is my retreat.Create Your Own Retreat
The goal of any retreat is to get away from your usual environment and connect with yourself; to dig deep, and find that safe loving space within yourself.
Writing is a chance to organise your thoughts and feelings. When a feeling is named, it can be understood and tackled. Writing helps me become aware of exactly what is bothering me. It’s a tool to coach myself.
The words we speak to ourselves on a daily basis have a profound influence on how we feel and what we create in our own lives. But when our environment becomes overwhelming, writing is a way of dusting off the carpet. Getting it out instead of keeping it in and letting it float around in your head.
But remember to write down good feelings too! I’m not quite sure how this happens, but I’ve found that negativity remains within the pages, while positivity is enhanced. So how do you begin writing down something positive when you’re in a difficult place? Ask this question…
What Am I Grateful For?
Gratitude. You might think that my situation would warrant zero reflections of gratitude, but that’s when it’s most needed. What is gratitude, if not the acknowledgment of your own personal slice of heaven?
I have maintained a gratitude journal for years. The past couple of weeks, I’ve neglected to fill it out as many of my usual rituals have fallen by the wayside lately.
When I started writing today, I realised that it came naturally to me to find things to be thankful for. My family and I are healthy. The birds are out singing again. There’s food on the table. I have income. I can breathe.
By maintaining a regular gratitude practice, it has become much easier for me to come back to that state when I need to.
I have built a retreat within my own mind.
Write Now!
If you’re not in the habit of writing, I invite you to open up a word processor or notebook right now and commit to writing two pages. Let go of your expectations. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to even make any sense. Just go stream of consciousness about anything that’s currently on your mind.
What should you expect? Perhaps at first, you’ll find it silly or redundant, but just keep going and by the second page, you’ll find some magic coming through.
Neha Sinha
I am a seasoned content writer and editor with a passion for helping people find their authentic voice and deliver a clear message. I believe the right series of words is a magical package that can bolster the quality of our thoughts, and therefore our lives.
I am also a certified fitness coach. My approach entails educating clients on nutrition and exercise biology, while facilitating the inner work that is key to changing behaviour and habits in the long run.
Learning is my drug of choice, and I do my best to leave people better than I find them!
Neha Sinha
I am a seasoned content writer and editor with a passion for helping people find their authentic voice and deliver a clear message. I believe the right series of words is a magical package that can bolster the quality of our thoughts, and therefore our lives.
I am also a certified fitness coach. My approach entails educating clients on nutrition and exercise biology, while facilitating the inner work that is key to changing behaviour and habits in the long run.
Learning is my drug of choice, and I do my best to leave people better than I find them!
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