Relearning How to Be With Yourself

Why Retreats Are Less About Getting Away and More About Coming Back

Many people think they book a retreat to get away from something: work, noise, responsibility, stress.

But what actually happens is quieter and more profound.

When the distractions fall away, you meet yourself again — not the curated version, not the productive version, but the unoccupied one. This can feel unfamiliar at first. Without constant engagement, the mind fills the space with unfinished thoughts, old questions, or long-delayed feelings.

This isn’t a problem. It’s the process.

Retreats create conditions where self-reflection happens naturally rather than being scheduled. You don’t sit down to “work on yourself.” You notice patterns while making coffee. You realize something important while watching light move across a room. You feel a sense of calm that hasn’t been available in years — and recognize how much you’ve been carrying.

Nature plays a critical role here. Being surrounded by land that doesn’t ask anything of you creates permission to stop performing. Trees don’t measure output. Mountains don’t care about timelines. In that neutrality, self-judgment softens.

This is why people often leave retreats with fewer answers but better questions. They’re more aligned. Less reactive. More patient with themselves.

Reconnecting with yourself doesn’t require transformation. It requires space.

And space, intentionally held, is one of the rarest forms of wellness today.

If this kind of space feels supportive right now, you can learn more about the retreat and its setting here.