Another effective way to turn your home into a place of escape is to set up a retreat for a couple of days. Whether this takes a spiritual or creative focus, it's bound to have you feeling better at the end. The guidelines below will help make sure you get the most out of this method.
Establishing your sacred space
Although the phrase "sacred space" will often bring to mind a church, temple, synagogue or mosque, it can also be wherever you establish the intention for the space to be sacred. This can be as small a space as your yoga mat or a special rocking chair with a great view of the porch: anywhere that's a safe haven, where your soul can fly free.
Cleanse your space before you start
Although we can't see it, everything that happens in a place leaves an energetic imprint. So before you start, you need to cleanse your space. As well as vacuuming, dusting and clearing away any physical clutter, you need to clean on the energetic level too. Great ways to do this include using a bunch of incense sticks or a smudging stick, available online or from New Age shops. The most usual fragrance for cleansing is white sage.
Starting in the east and finishing in the north, light the sticks. Then walk clockwise in a circle around the edges of the place where you want to establish your haven, before setting the stick down to burn out in a safe place. Another way cleanse a room is to add a little salt and olive oil to some boiled and cooled water, add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, then use a plant sprayer to freshen the room.
If you've completed any Reiki or other energy work training, you might also want to draw the appropriate symbols in the corners of the room. Some practitioners prefer to use a drum, a bell, or a metal or crystal singing bowl to cleanse the working space first. This is especially important if there have been any arguments or disharmonies in the area or if it hasn't been used for a while.
Don't forget to cleanse yourself, too. This can be done by taking a bath or shower before you start, with a couple of spoons of salt added. Rock or sea salt are best, but table salt will work in a pinch. It's all part of the ritual, and rituals help get you in the right frame of mind to make the most of your retreat at home.
The practical stuff
To get the best out of any retreat at home, unless you're planning a group meditation, you also need to plan it for a time when you're on your own and unlikely to be disturbed. However much you love them, banish the kids and the spouse, and make sure pets are fed and have toys to play with. Plan how long you'll spend on your retreat. If you have a cat, though, don't be too surprised if she or he wants to join you: they're notoriously sensitive to energy as well as incurably curious.
Spirit, mind and body
The word “retreat” tends to bring to mind spiritual or mental concepts, but other options include turning your home into a yoga or Pilates studio for a short time. Turn on a DVD, push back the furniture, wear loose clothing, drink plenty of water, turn off the phone, and roll out your mat. Then concentrate on postures and breathing to help you cope with the stresses of modern life.
Hold a group meditation session
You don't have to do the retreat on your own. There's no reason you can't invite some like-minded friends along and turn it into a group activity. If you do, make sure you set some ground rules first, like arrival times and whether you'll close the session with a group meal, and if so, what contributions are expected. Given the state of the Earth and humanity right now, even if you're not religious, holding a group healing meditation for the planet or for a particular area in distress is a kind-hearted thing to do. At the very least, it will make you feel better.
Get a therapist in and have a retreat party
If you'd rather escape from the world with a group of friends, then think about hiring a therapist for the evening. Many reflexologists, aromatherapists, Indian Head Massage practitioners, and others are mobile and happy to arrange home visits. Enjoy the benefits of a therapeutic treatment in the comfort of your own home and feel completely rejuvenated afterwards. If you're a little wary of allowing a complete stranger, however well trained, to touch your naked skin, and then try one of the non-invasive therapies, such as Reiki or Shiatsu.
Creative escape
If you want to work on your creative side rather than the spiritual, then many of the above principles still apply. It's only the details that are different. You still need to prepare your workspace and make sure you won't be disturbed. But rather than yoga mats and incense, your tools of the trade will depend on your particular creative streak. If you're a writer, it will include copies of the current Writers' Market, back issues of magazines or journals you're particularly interested in, and copies of their writers' guidelines. If you like to draw, it will include different media, types of paper, and models, whether still life or the cat. And if cakes are your thing, it's likely to involve a lot of sugarcraft and food coloring. A great book to get you started on the creative path, whatever you like to do, is The Artists' Way, best-selling title by Julia Cameron.
Sustaining the escape
Once your retreat comes to an end, you need to think about how to sustain the sense of escape. One way to maintain this is to set a regular date at least once a month for a retreat. Another, if you're lucky enough to have the space, is to designate a room or part of a room as your area for escape.
Another way to keep the mood going is to keep a journal. Whether it's a dream journal, or the type of journal you used to keep in your teenage years, reading it back can sometimes offer astonishing insights into what you're really thinking and how to deal with problems. Keeping a dream journal in particular allows you to tap into your subconscious and unlimited intuition and can yield surprising insights into problems.