Retreats are one of the tools I use for finding out what’s important to me in order to stay on a simpler life path. If all I hear are media messages, what family and friends say I should do or should be, or what I think other’s expectations of me are then I lose what is authentic and important in my life.

You can’t create a simpler life by using everyone else’s expectations of your life. It won’t feel right. But, if you find out what’s important to you and do more of that and less other stuff imagine how much more fulfilling your life could be. Retreating allows you to to do this.

The one who taught me to retreat through her books is Jennifer Louden. She has written a post on using retreats to hear your authentic self especially when you have been so busy you don’t know how to ‘be yourself’.

With everyone home right now, I really, really, really needed my retreat this Saturday.

On Friday I listed different ideas of what I could do. Then on Saturday I glanced through the list to see what appealed to me during the day.

I began with some yoga. For breakfast I had fresh Michigan strawberries and homemade yogurt.

I had an extended quiet time of prayer, reading and doing some questions (like these). During my quiet time I had some insights about a project I have been working on so I created a mind map of it.

Then I made my own superhero. (And no you can’t see it – you would blow my secret identity.)

I checked up on my boundaries to see where I needed to strengthen them.

Then I felt like writing some postcards to friends and family.

For lunch I savored farmer’s market deep green swiss chard with bright yellow stems, soup, fresh nectarines with farmer’s market cherries and soft vienna bread with a dab of butter.

For fun I did the circle page in Keri Smith’s Wreck This Journal. And wished a couple friend’s Happy Birthday.

I created a healthy meal plan for the month and a new desktop wallpaper for July.

I enjoyed doing a visual journaling page.

And finally I did some monthly planning.

By the time the family got home for dinner, I was feeling renewed and positive.