A retreat day

Setting up: things to consider

Being able to stop, pause and rest never mind relax can be elusive and difficult to achieve when you live with a fatiguing health condition. Fatigue can lead you to mainly feel wired, anxious and exhausted.  Mindfulness may be suggested but it can also feel difficult as who wants to be aware of anxious racing thoughts, painful body? Additionally, thinking clearly can be effortful and thwarted by brain fog which makes the whole rest thing even harder.

Before going into a day of retreat, consider:

What would like to get out of a retreat day?

Is it rest?

A way of connecting with mindfulness practices and others who use this approach?

is it about deepening and exploring the practices within a group that understands and experiences fatigue?

Or are you just intrigued and curious as to what it could be like to have several hours of sustained practice?

Or are you a mindfulness teacher or yoga teacher curious about the adaptations we have made and want to investigate how it aligns with your practice?

Or something else?

What will support you with your intention?

Here is a rough outline of what we will be doing:

You will set yourself up to be comfortable, coming just as you are; logging on and meeting everyone - but you do not have to have your camera on or say anything, it is entirely up to you. After that it will just be practices, less discussion than the usual course but there will be a break out room at lunch time and at the end for those who want to meet each other.

Those of you who know me will know that the movement component is an exploration of movement and can be very gentle or may be vigorous, but that is up to you- we are not trying to achieve anything apart from supportive curiosity

The timetable will be approximately this:

10am - arrival and introductions; making self comfortable; setting intentions; embodied landing practice

11;15 break

11:30 practice (probably very gently movement exploration and bodyscan)

12:30 lunch (optional break out room)

1:15 relaxation

2pm break

2:15 awareness

2:45 integration

3:15 pm close with optional break out room

3;45 zoom room will close

What might be needed?

• Comfy clothes; cushions, blankets, somewhere to lie down, somewhere to sit down; a place on your own; hot drinks; snacks.

• For lunch you could either have something ready or you may wish to use the time in mindful activity preparing something simple.

• You may wish to have a notebook and pen for reflections (or deceide tonot do this and see what unfolds)

• It might be nice to prepare your space a little tidy it up a bit and maybe have something you like there- a photo, an object, plant, but main thing is you are comfortable.

• You may want to plan the previous day or so so that you are not expreincing too much post-exertional symptoms whcih can make mindfulness uncmfortable and may get in the way of your reason for doing this.

• You may know you will really need a rest that day, so preparing yourself to be very gentle with the practices and how you engage with the sessions.

• The main thing is you do this how you want to do it and what you know will support and nourish you.

• If you haven’t completed the check in form please do so here: check in form

What about afterwards?

You may feel you want to be quiet afterwards and to integrate the practice gently. You may have noticed some things you want to take forward, that can be really powerful and it may help to write them down.

We will record the practices so you can revisit them at other times, or even do the whole day again!

Do get in touch if you have any queries and I’d love to know how you find the retreat.

Love

Fiona