Why We Retreat - Stepping Back to Move Forward
Having just returned from a week on a meditation and yoga retreat, I’m using this week as an opportunity to rest, so we are revisiting my post from 2018 on the importance of stepping back to tune in. Enjoy.
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In business, the concept of ‘retreat’ can carry a negative connotation – a failed deal, not fulfilling obligations, stepping back from the opportunity, and ultimately not winning.
But in a mindful practice, where we observe both the human self and the spiritual self, to retreat gives us the opportunity to step back, check in with our emotional state, and rebalance to find the clarity to move forward.
By nature, we are constantly in a state of doing, creating, managing, and evolving. But we must also make space for our spiritual selves, where we can silence the mind’s chatter, find space to return to our true selves, and connect back to what our spirit and soul truly craves.
I believe that any opportunity you can create to step back and identify what is truly important, take it. Taking any small step back helps to peel back the layers and offers the ability to observe the patterns, habits, coping mechanisms, and created realities we use to stay safe and functioning in the world.
A retreat space does not need to be elaborate. The best location may be right in front of you. Maybe it’s a favorite reading chair, your comfy spot on the couch, a yoga mat, or a hot bath at the end of the day. What’s key is that the location is easily accessible, so the mind is less inclined to create reasons why you can’t go there.
When sitting in meditation, it can help to find a focal point to calm the mind. In some meditation traditions, it is customary to place the left palm up in the lap with the right palm laid on top with thumbs connected and focus your attention. This simple hand placement, mudra or “seal” is known as the dhyana mudra, and is believed to reconnect the spiritual and human self.
When you are sitting in meditation, notice what comes up. What are the stories you tell yourself, or think about yourself? Would you talk to your dear friend or soulmate in this manner? If not, then consider how you may find a way to be just a little kinder to yourself.
Ultimately the effectiveness of any retreat comes down to a willingness to DO the practice. So nominate a sacred space in your home where you can retreat. Also, no matter how short a time you spend there, some relaxed breathing, and quiet time may be all you need to step away from the harried and busy, to return to a peaceful and calm state and remember why we are here.
To live our lives fully and in service, from a place of openness and love.
Namaste,
Beck
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Can the Olympics Change How We Think About Mental Health? By Elizabeth Svoboda for Greater Good Magazine
This year's Olympics is raising questions about the relationship between success and well-being.
The Medical Reason for Why You Feel Worse After Quitting Drinking, by Gillian May on Medium.com
Most people know there is a withdrawal period, but many don’t realize how serious it can be.
Missing Your Motivation? Here’s Why, by Grace Blair for Psychology Today
Motivation is hard to find when other needs are unmet.
Parents: Time to Rethink Your Child’s Relationship with Screen Time, by Sarah Krongard for Harvard’s Graduate School of Education
Tips for relaunching media limits after a pandemic free-for-all.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community profession so dynamic.
Meg Kwarcinski, Financial Services Associate (by day), Vineyard Volunteer and Winemaker (by night), New York City and Western Massachusetts (USA)
Years in the Industry:
Five years. I had just moved to New York City fresh out of college to start a career in the financial services industry, but found myself awestruck by the extensive wine menus I’d see at the restaurants and bars I was exploring. I picked up a copy of Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course to educate myself on the basics, and I dipped in my toes by taking a few industry exams, including the WSET Level 2.
Before I knew it, I was diving into the wine industry headfirst! I moved my life out of New York and boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to Adelaide, Australia, where I completed a Wine Business grad program at Uni Adelaide and secured a job at a local wine bar and bottle shop. These days, I’ve been volunteering at Black Birch vineyard in western Massachusetts, gaining hands-on viticultural understanding. I’ve successfully made my own (very small batch) wine at home, I bottled Cabernet Franc in May 2021, and have a batch of Pinot Noir in the making.
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:
People pleasing. I like to think I can do it all and I hate the idea of letting others down, so I’ll regularly take on way more than I can realistically handle.
Finding comfort in the “now.” I tend to fixate on the future to a point where I’ll disassociate from the present, falling into a “never stopping to smell the flowers” sort of cycle.
Imposter syndrome. I often second guess my abilities and downplay my success, accrediting it more to “luck” or being in the right place at the right time.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
Setting boundaries. I’ve made it a point to make plans on at least two weekday evenings – something I never used to do – to encourage myself to say ‘no’ to end of day work requests (ones that can truly wait another day) in order to step away from my desk at a reasonable time to see someone or do something that brings me joy.
Running. It’s been great for my headspace. It’s my opportunity to zone out and focus on my momentum and breathing – things I can control in that very moment in time. I almost always run outside so I can get some fresh air and admire my surroundings too. Even a quick run helps me reset and recenter myself.
Taking a compliment. When I’m praised on a work deliverable, personal achievement, etc. I try not to be so quick to brush it off or shift attention to someone else. Instead, I remind myself that taking credit for something I’ve worked hard for is not being conceited, and that it’s okay to celebrate myself every so often :-).
What Inspires Me:
I am most inspired by people who, as Brené Brown explains it, have the courage to show up and be deeply seen when we have no control over the outcome. I wrote an entire research paper on “vulnerability” back in college for a course called “Literature of Success,” where we studied how well-known figures in history – politicians, writers, artists, inventors, etc. – defined “success” for themselves, whether it was driven by money, fame, love, health, community, etc. Ultimately, I defined success as “the willingness to embrace vulnerability.”
A Quote I Love:
“A poet once said, ‘the whole universe is in a glass of wine.’ We will probably never know in what sense he meant it, for poets do not write to be understood. But it is true that if we look at a glass of wine closely enough, we see the entire universe…” – Richard Feynman
You can connect with Meg on Instagram.
