Create a Mini-Retreat for Self Renewal Using Cleansing Techniques

• Do you want time alone or would you like to share the experience with a couple good friends? A buddy system can help you make it happen. 
• What is your top priority?  Do you need a physical re-set or a day of mental clearing?  The clearer you can be about your needs, the more you can tailor your retreat to meet those needs.
• What is your time availability?  Do you have just a day, a weekend or longer?

Now that you have the overall logistics, begin to design your perfect pause!  Below are a list of possibilities you could weave into your renewal depending on your goals.  These are options but not the only ones available…so get creative and go wild.
  
Possible Components for Self Renewal:

• A one day fast or food cleanse allows your digestive system a rest.  Always consult your medical provider if you have any health conditions being treated to make sure a cleanse will support and not harm your body.
• A sweat experience.  This could be as simple as a nice soak in a hot bath.  Or it could include a day trip to a health club with sauna, steam and/or whirlpool or you might be able to find a scheduled sweat lodge event in your area.  The hydrotherapy allows your body to cleanse by pulling toxins out through the skin - your largest organ!
• Enjoy a day of silence.  You'd be amazed at not only how relaxing and refreshing this can be but also what kind of inner answers surface in the space of quiet.
• Anchor your day with yoga and meditation.  The possibilities are unlimited here.  You could choose a Bikram yoga class and do your sweat and yoga in one step or take a restorative yoga workshop and slip into the space of ease and deep relaxation.  You could enjoy a class with a gong bath (a form of deep relaxation while the gong is being played) or do meditations off and on throughout the day or weekend.  With so many yoga classes and videos available today, you will find many good support options.  If you want guidance in choosing a meditation or yoga set to fit your goals, I'm happy to consult with an individual yoga session.
• Spa treatments.  Soothe, detoxify and nurture your whole body with a variety of treatments. You can play with fun treatments at home by yourself or with friends, or go spend part of your renewal time with a professional.  Treat yourself to a massage, a foot soak and pedicure, facial masks, or body scrubs.  These activities not only cleanse but replenish on both a physical and energetic level.
• Expose yourself to only nourishing and high vibrational material.  Take a break from the newspaper, the news, and mindless television.  Instead, listen to yogic music or go to a Kirtan and chant yourself.  Read only material that uplifts and expands your energy.   If you choose to watch a film, choose one that creates spiritual awe and inspiration.  Intake of non-food nutrition is equally important as what you eat.  For your self renewal, choose high quality sources that align with your goals.

The ideal is to do some sort of a cleanse on a regular basis…say once a season or quarter.  You are building toxins regularly.  The key to not reaching a critical overload is to make sure you re-balance yourself, inside and out, on a regular basis, too.

 

©Jamie Durner, 2009

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Jamie Durner, BodyMind Coach™, workshop developer and facilitator, speaker, and author holds multiple certifications across the health and wellness disciplines including Nationally Certified Massage Therapist, Registered Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Associate Credentialed Coach. She is the creator of the “Total Self Mastery” program and publishes “Healing and Harmony” monthly Ezine and blog with easy-to-use, FREE tips to move beyond the chronic imbalance and into healing and harmony…sign up now at www.discoverhealingandharmony.com.  She is a contributing author of the book “Yoga in America”, HealthWise Magazine, and is one of the Expert Authors for HealthyWomanGuide.com.