So you've been on a retreat, for a day or a weekend or a week. Maybe you've been away with a group or you've whisked yourself off for a solo retreat with an online version. Either way, you've uncovered and recovered some of the best parts of yourself. And now it's over. Cue the letdown. How can you maintain the energy of retreat once you return to real life? Here are a couple of tips...

Rest

Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, you likely need time to recover from the experience once you get back. Reflection, learning, connecting with others, emotional release, and vulnerability--these are all activities that make retreat so powerful and transformative. They also tax our nervous systems and require large amounts of energy. So be gentle with yourself. You may need more sleep, hot baths, and quiet time to yourself once you get back. Recovery is also a part of the retreat!

Process

There's something incredibly human and powerful about processing an experience with a friend or confidante. Whether with a friend, or with your trusty journal, here are a few prompts to explore and help you integrate what you learned:

What surprised you most about retreat?

What was most challenging?

Did you change your mind about anything?

What would you like to do differently moving forward?

Incorporate

Instead of trying to continue the energy of retreat, think about how you might incorporate elements of the retreat into your daily life. What was most impactful for you? Can you take time to sit for meals? Can you journal 10 minutes each night? Even small changes can make a big impact in your overall wellness.

Stay Connected

Finally, it can help to maintain some level of contact with the other attendees. Attend yoga classes together if you belong to the same studio. Or connect directly, if you exchanged contact information. You can also look back through any of the materials, notes, and photos you took from retreat to help you stay connected to the experience, if not the attendees.

I offer my students a free, monthly support group called The Kriative Sangha, which allows me to continue to support retreat attendees and help them to stay connected.

Retreats are a powerful way to break up old patterns and a catalyst for making real change and shifts in your life. But coming home can also be an adjustment. Remember that life is full of cycles of activity and retreat. Both are needed!