Earlier this year [2008], the moderator of the online community, Gaia [now ceased, 2011], asked the following in their 'Questions and Reflections' feature:
If you were to create a retreat, or found a retreat center, what would it be like? Where would you locate it? What would you offer?
At the time of writing, there have been about 75 responses and it was fascinating to review them, in the light of my own interest in helping others create eco-spa-retreat venues.
Dictionary definitions give two basic variations on 'retreat': a place of privacy or safety, a refuge from the world; and a period of group withdrawal for meditation and study. Most of the responses on Gaia fit one or the other category.
However, there are probably going to be significant differences between 'an intimate, not commercial, setting', 'an open house atmosphere', and a place for 'business and community education'!
There was an interesting subset of the first (refuge) group, who felt that 'the space you live in needs to be your retreat' or recommended that it be your 'own heart'. For these people, retreat is 'just for me'.
I appreciated that because I see retreat venues as providing opportunities to return to this sense of a self at peace. For me, that extends to being at home wherever we are, but particularly in the natural world.
Retreats can model this and provide respite from life situations where that no longer seems possible. Healing modalities and a variety of activities may support this but only in an atmosphere of safety and connection.
Terms like hibernation, sanctuary, quiet solitude, peaceful space, and comfort came up in the responses. Quite a few referred to a healing effect of being in nature, especially by water, and to simplicity and beauty.
I've envisaged being of service to 'visionaries who want to build dreams that reflect their values', and all the responders who either already had or hoped to manifest their own retreat venue, gave shape to their values.
Some facilities were described as offering a whole host of physical activities, others promoted mind practices like meditation, or communication skills (NLP and NVC), while some equated retreat with 'holistic wellness center' (including spa treatments).
Recovery from specific challenges such as chemical addictions (detox), traumatic brain injury, sleep problems, and dealing with weight issues, were put forward, often by those who have been affected by these.
Space for religious reflection (all kinds), a spiritual disneyland, an art colony, a place for writers and mothers, and even retreat for animals came up (there are already spas for them too). Many of these options can be found in online retreat directories.
Just a few people wrote of the ethos of retreat, often in irreverent but insightful ways [example no longer accessible online]. These unofficial philosophers and anthropologists are valuable since they look under the trends for the hidden human drives.
Our needs (and values) are based on what we believe will enrich our lives and give us a sense of wellbeing. Fundamentally we all share the same needs, though we may (and do) choose to meet them differently.
Recognizing that is crucial for anyone who dreams of creating and running their own venue. You've got to get really clear about what and why, including your own motivations, before you fill in the details. That's part of the service offered by Vision Spa Retreat.
Many people are attracted to the images of health and reinvigoration associated with retreat, and particularly spa-retreat. Turning image into reality is not easy. It's an ongoing challenge that requires great awareness.
One person wrote: 'I envision exquisite aftercare offered so the effects aren't short lived'. This concern is reflected in one of my business tag lines 'soulful and sustainable'. What really makes a difference?
Our individual well-being is linked with our sense of belonging to the world, and ultimately with the health of the environment. It's about our deepest nature (fundamental character) and about Nature (all living things).
I've found it helpful to associate both personal and planetary health with the health of water: an element of physical (essential for life), emotional (our 'unconscious'), and spiritual (holy water, creation myths) qualities.
I like to think that when we begin to relate to water at a deeper level than we usually do, we are more likely to respect, value, and protect it. And that will have positive repercussions for our natures and for Nature itself.
This is why I find the ancient Asclepian sanctuary so fascinating - these offered sabbatical from normal life, cleansing rituals using water, means of soul recovery, and were sited near places of natural water beauty.
At that time, concern about the demise of the natural world at human hands was not paramount. But the value of removing oneself from the hubbub of human life to a natural and internal space was understood.
I want to share a more extensive quote from one respondent [full version no longer online, 2011] who moved me greatly (she has come back from 5 years in a coma after traumatic brain injury):
I would provide the peaceful space for them to sleep, while their body repairs itself in peace, without having to be in the energy of a hospital, or a house full of people, who are concerned, and do not understand.
Here, everyone will understand. And let you heal in peace.
And when the patients are ready, and in a space where they are ready to integrate again, they can take it as slow as they need to. And wake up to a beautiful environment to be in. Without having to deal with the sensory over load of the city around them.
Asclepian sanctuaries had abatons (couches) on which people would lie (after cleansing themselves for several weeks) to dream their healing dreams. In a way, we are all recovering from the coma of human life. What better way to awaken?
I'd like to finish this post with another response from a Gaian that captures perfectly and poetically the essence of retreat for me:
close to water
raw wood
silence
....and at least one full moon
It's the week of full moon now and I am sitting in a forest cabin enjoying the generosity of wood heat and contemplating a walk to the nearby river through the fall leaves; a young doe just strolled calmly by.
If you were to create a retreat, or found a retreat center, what would it be like?
Comment below,
For more on Vision Spa Retreat's Services see the left-hand column of the website.
