So you’re thinking about going on retreat…
Sugar Creek Retreat Center log cabin
Wellness Retreats of all sorts abound these days. Whether you want to travel across the world to meditate in the tropical landscape of Bali, bask in the sunshine and soak in the Vitamin D as you sail the Adriatic, or enjoy the thermal baths in Iceland, you can find hundreds of different exotic retreat options online. You can also find single day wellness workshops and local weekend-long getaways all within the wellness realm. So how do you choose which one is right for you?
I signed up for my first wellness retreat in early 2023 (to attend in the fall of 2024) via friend/colleague Adam whom I’d met at a yoga camp several summers earlier. I connected with his energy upon first meeting and trusted that what he was building (his retreat business) and offering (international wellness retreats with a deep intention for belonging) were legit and would be of great value to me. I committed to a payment plan for one of his international journeys and gradually inched my way towards the launch date. But before I attended that faraway event, I dipped my toes into a local all-day wellness retreat at a peaceful, idyllic, remote center in nature about an hour northwest of where I live. There was yoga, meditation, journaling, cacao ceremony, an autumn release ceremony, nourishing meals and snacks, and time to rest, walk the labyrinth, or simply be. It was a life-changing day and helped me reset not only for my week ahead but for the chapter I was beginning in my life at the time.
Local, domestic, and international retreats can all be of great value. It’s helpful to understand your personal goal/intention as you’re seeking the right fit. You might ask yourself “what is my intention?” or “what do I need most?”
As I prepared to travel with Adam, et al to South Africa I looked at the itinerary and saw yoga, meditation, journaling, a couple day excursions, meals, and other special workshops. I also saw a lot of unscheduled hours on the calendar, which made me a bit nervous. I thought “what are we supposed do with that downtime?” My partner suggested “you could rest!” “What a concept!” I realized.
Deep rest is not something I’m used to as my life as a single parent, business owner, freelancer, dancer, drummer, volunteer, and engaged community member doesn’t have a lot of space in the margins. It’s a life I’ve curated to find balance in parenting, relationships, nature, travel, self-care/fitness, creativity, and life maintenance. I sleep well at night and enough (for the most part), I get time with friends and my daughter, and I have occasional swaths of “me-time” that I savor. But it’s rare that I get a clear, unscheduled block of time to integrate all of what I’m learning and experiencing on a daily basis. It’s not often that I simply sit and stare into the distance just BEING.
Retreats can be good for that, especially ones that allow time for yourself and are loosely structured amid meals, movement practice, or meditation. As I tell my yoga students “my cues are merely suggestions, this is your practice so do with it what you want.” A retreat can also be a loose outline of what could engage you over the course of a few days or a full week. The retreats I’ve attended always allowed space for guests to choose to do less depending on what their mind, body, and heart desires on any given day.
So as my colleague Tolu Augustina and I plan to host our first wellness retreat “Nourish” in Waveland, Indiana September 17-20, 2026, we encourage you to consider what you need and how our offerings could serve you in finding balance between active and passive participation. Learn more about the Sugar Creek Retreat Center nestled near two gorgeous state parks in west central Indiana. Our Early Bird price last through January 31, 2026. Consider this an investment in your wellness and commit to making time for yourself to just be in the new year.