5 Reasons to Go on a Retreat

Going on retreats has become a regular part of my self-care plan and has been transformative for both my personal and professional growth and healing journey. Over the last several years, it's become something I prioritize at least once or twice a year.

Each time I return home, I feel more grounded and whole. I have more patience for myself and others. I have more mental clarity and feel more connected to my purpose and who I am beneath the noise and demands of everyday life. I leave with more confidence, courage, and compassion for myself and others.

I love creating safe and supportive spaces for women to connect on a deeper level, reflect, and experience healing, growth, and transformation. That's why I am so excited to start offering retreats. For many moms, it can feel nearly impossible to step away. Between the morning drop-offs, meal prep, bedtime routines, work responsibilities, and the never-ending to-do list that can run through your mind at all hours, it often feels like there’s no room to pause for a few minutes, let alone several days or even a full week.

However, taking time to unplug and reconnect with yourself in this way isn’t selfish; it’s a transformative experience and one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and everyone around you.

Here are five reasons why retreats have been life-changing for me and why they might be exactly what you need, too.

1. I get to fully let go and receive

As moms, we rarely get to just be. Even when we have a therapy session, a yoga class, or a couple of hours out with friends, in the back of our minds we are often still thinking about what’s next — what’s for dinner, who’s getting the kids, what needs to be done when I get home. The mind and body never truly get to rest and feel safe enough to fully let go, tend to parts of ourselves that need our attention, and fully step into receiving and being cared for.

That’s what makes retreats so powerful. When you step away for even a few days, with no meals to plan, no schedules to juggle, and no one else to care for, your mind and body finally get permission to relax and receive. The caregiving parts of us and other doing parts that work so hard to help manage the day-to-day get to finally take a break, move out of doing mode, and into a state of receiving, deep rest, and healing.

This kind of spaciousness rewires your nervous system in ways that other forms of self-care simply can’t. You return home rejuvenated and with a deep sense of clarity, calm, and presence.

2. A new environment brings new perspective

There’s something magical about being in a new place surrounded by new people, new experiences, and new energy. I love going on retreats to connect with others who are seeking a similar shared experience of healing, growth, and transformation. We share a common desire, which draws us to the retreat experience, but our unique stories, perspectives, and lived experiences bring richness to the retreat experience.

Stepping outside your everyday environment and connecting with new people can help you see your own life differently. You start to reconnect with your creativity, your intuition, and the parts of yourself that often get buried under routine. New conversations spark clarity and a deeper understanding of yourself. The fresh scenery is like hitting the reset button. It's an opportunity to disrupt and question daily habits and beliefs that might no longer serve you, and is the foundation for creating new ones.

3. It can feel safer to go deep

Sometimes it’s easier to be vulnerable when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know, especially in a safe, supportive retreat setting with a skilled retreat leader. You don’t have to worry about being judged or having to see anyone again if you don't want to. You can take off the mask and show up as your full, authentic self. In return, you can feel truly seen and experience a deeper level of connection that we all need and crave yet can be so hard to find in our day-to-day lives.

That freedom to drop your guard often leads to the kind of breakthroughs and inner healing that can shift everything, including your relationship with yourself and others, and the way you show up at home and work. I still remember the most powerful retreat I went on, where I found myself crying uncontrollably, being witnessed by 25 strangers. It was the most cathartic release, where I felt so deeply seen (and vulnerable). Being seen and validated by people coming up afterwards to share that they felt similarly and appreciated my courage to share was more healing than any therapy session.

4. I return with new tools, rituals, and inspiration

Every time I go on a retreat, I bring home new tools and daily rituals that I bring to my own life as well as my clients. I often come home with new morning rituals, a mindfulness practice, or simply a more intentional way of moving through my day. Other times it’s a meal I loved, a journaling habit, or a grounding practice I learned.

While you can’t replicate the entire retreat experience, you can weave pieces of it into your daily life to keep that feeling of inner peace and harmony alive long after you’ve returned home.

5. I am a better version of myself for my kids, family, and clients

The time, money, and energy I invest in myself when going on retreats helps me be a better mom, wife, therapist, coach, and human. When I go on retreats, I'm not just investing in my own well-being. I can't stress this enough. I know it can be hard to invest in yourself - especially for moms, and yet, when we invest in ourselves, we are investing in our children's well-being. The more we invest in our own healing and growth the more we have to offer our children. We break generational cycles, and create a new more intentional way of living and mothering.

You're also not just caring for yourself, you’re modeling for your kids what self-respect and self-care looks like. You’re showing them that it’s okay for mom to have her own needs and desires met. For many moms, the idea of leaving their children for an extended period of time is anxiety provoking. Moms often worry about how it will impact their children, they worry about the burden the other parent has to take on, or they worry that things won't get done the way she does things. While these are common fears, they are not reasons to go on a retreat and invest in your well-being.

Taking this time for yourself isn't just for you, it's for your children and partner. When you do, you’re proving (to yourself and your kids) that other people are capable of caring for them (even if they do it differently). You learn that just because things aren't done your way, life goes on. The kids and your partner not only survive, but your partner gains more confidence in their ability to juggle all the parenting responsibilities (and might even gain more appreciation for all that you do on a daily basis), your children get special solo time with their other parent, and you return a better version of yourself. You are rejuvenated and return with more presence and patience with your kids. It's a win all around.

Your invitation

If you want to experience the magic that can happen on retreats and are craving a pause to rejuvenate and reconnect, I invite you to join me for my upcoming Mother’s Self-Renewal Retreat, happening January 16–18, 2025 in Woodstock, Vermont.

It’s a weekend designed for moms in all seasons of motherhood to step away from the caregiving, the noise, the expectations, and to come home to themselves. You’ll experience nourishing meals (you don't have to cook or clean up after), embodied movement, meaningful connection, restful space for reflection, nature, and immersive workshops that inspire and bring clarity - all that will stay with you long after you return home.

Learn more and reserve your spot here → [Mother’s Self-Renewal Retreat | New England Women’s Retreat in Vermont]

Because you deserve this time, and your family deserves the best version of you.