Preparing for Your Retreat
From the moment most people book their retreat, they are already beginning to benefit from it. But what you want may seem a little misty (hence the photo choice!)
Simply making the decision to allocate this kind of time for yourself can create a little more space in the mind. Thoughts, questions or possibilities that have been pushed down the priority list in the usual run of life can begin to surface.
Importantly, there is no homework or coursework to complete before you arrive. The most useful preparation happens quietly, and it is different for everyone.
Once you have reserved your place, we invite you to complete a short pre-retreat form, including a question about what you hope to gain from your time with us. This is an intentional opportunity to start thinking about what you might want or need.
There are no right or wrong answers, and you don’t need to arrive with a clearly defined objective. You don’t even have to stick to what you write down.
Sometimes our initial answers simply reflect the things that are most obviously occupying our minds: a particular concern, a decision, a relationship, work, or something that has been niggling away for a while. Putting these thoughts into words can be useful in itself.
And sometimes, once we create a little space to think, other things emerge.
The best preparation you can do is therefore simply to be curious. Notice what comes to mind, without feeling that you need to analyse it, solve it or make sense of it all before you arrive.
What if I don’t know what I need?
This is worth saying explicitly.
For some people, the hardest part of preparing for a retreat is finding the headspace to prepare at all.
If that sounds familiar, don’t worry.
In fact, it may be part of the reason you have chosen to come.
Many of us spend our lives responding to what is immediately required of us. There is very little time to stop, step back and ask ourselves what we actually need, what we have been carrying, or what might need some attention.
You don’t need to have answers before you arrive. Creating the space to discover them is part of what the retreat is for.
If you’re wondering what you’ll share
Another common concern is whether your own experiences will feel acceptable to share – particularly when you are used to occupying a professional role where you are the person others turn to, or you are simply not sure how they will land.
You may wonder how much you are expected to say, or worry about over-sharing.
The answer is: there is no expectation that you share anything you don’t want to.
At the beginning of the retreat, we establish some shared boundaries and expectations around confidentiality and respectful conversation. We will encourage openness and honesty, because this can make the experience more meaningful, but you remain in control of what you choose to share.
You can listen. You can reflect. You can speak. You can change your mind.
The retreat is not about getting everything out in the open. It is about creating enough space to notice what is there. It is about giving yourself meaningful thinking time to consider what, if anything, you want to do next.
The most important part of preparing for your retreat is to give yourself permission to embrace the experience.
You are going away for a few days.
For many people, this means handing over some of the responsibilities they usually carry – something that doesn’t happen very often. There is value in thinking ahead about what you might need to put down while you are here, and what will allow you to be properly present.
Your phone is one example. A retreat can be an unusual opportunity to think about the relationship you have with your phone and what you want from it during these few days. Some people keep it switched on and with them. Some hand it in. Others switch it off completely. There is no right answer, it is a choice that is yours to make and one which you can change your mind about during the retreat. We find that it helps to have thought about this a little, as it is an area that most people have some discomfort and self judgement to work through… I certainly do!!!
You will have the opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, eat good food and follow a gentle timetable that gives some structure to the days without filling them. The activities are there to encourage connection and reflection, but everything is optional. Some people prefer to focus on rest or perhaps healing and lean into what creates calm, happiness or offers joy, while others choose to think more in terms of practical actions to address specific needs. As doctors we are trained to respond to questions with a specific answer or plan. So simply asking “what do I need” and NOT trying to answer immediately can be surprisingly helpful …
And while we hope you will enjoy being part of the group, you will always have your own room to retreat to when you need some time alone.
So perhaps the final piece of preparation is simply to think about how you would like these few days to feel – and then give yourself permission to experience them.
