@Gina – Oo! I’ve heard of it – is it in upstate New York?

@Sarah – How cool. I’m tickled to have gotten the heart juices flowing. Our brains can be quite persuasive at talking ourselves out of what we need.

My list, since you asked, has evolved over time. *And* I’ve started with criteria depending on the nature of the retreat.

Each place I go has a different energy, a different vibe, and I’ve learned over time that the differences meet specific needs. Breitenbush, for example, is great for when I need to feel “in my body” because of the hot tubs. The Abbey is better for hearing my spirit’s voice because it’s so quiet. It’s taken time for the list to evolve – but it’s really enjoyable trying things out.

You might try listening deeply to what you’re needing and I suspect you’ll find places that fill you back up in just the right ways.

The idea of a retreat has often popped into my head, but I’d never taken the time to consider it seriously until I read about your experiences here. (Maybe I kept dismissing it because I was calling it an escape and I thought that sounded too negative, like I was failing to cope, when of course it’s not that at all… retreat seems much kinder. Isn’t it funny how words matter ).

Anyway, I’m now working on drawing up my own list so thank you for the concept and for the ideas of places to go. Great food for thought!

One more thing I’m curious about – did your list evolve organically, over time? Or did you sit down with a list of criteria and deliberately look for places?

Thanks again! Back to dreaming up places to retreat to…
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