The importance of taking retreats

Click on the photo above to watch my full conversation with Kidd O’Shea on Good Morning Washington.

Having just returned from Colorado in December I wrote down these thoughts about retreat. I had the opportunity to share many of these thoughts with Kidd O’Shea on Good Morning Washington.

What does retreat mean to me and why do I do it?

Retreat is a gift to yourself. An opportunity for deep self care. Time to slow down and create the space to reflect on what is important in our lives, what makes our lives meaningful and fulfilling.

How is a retreat different from vacation?

A vacation offers rest and an escape, a retreat offers renewal and reflection. Rather than shutting down you remain gently engaged. In my past life at business conferences I used to hear speakers talk about the difference between working in your business vs working on your business — the strategy and planning. A retreat offers time to work on our lives away from the busyness of working in them. 

So, how does that work? How do we work on our lives?

We quiet the noise — electronics, the busyness of daily life, and the voices in our heads — so we can listen to our hearts, to what is really important to us and what we really need. Then we give ourselves the space — time that isn’t filled in by checking our phones, or having the TV on in the background — to let those thoughts develop.

What has retreat brought me?

I have spent more than five months on retreat in the past two years. I have found a new calm and peace. I have reprioritized what really matters, what brings me joy. It has affirmed my belief that we are here in this life for two reasons: to care for each other and to experience joy. And that life is one centered in joy, rooted in connection — our greatest source of joy, and elevated by freedom from the voices in our heads — self doubt, shame — leaving us free to choose our authentic joy and be fully present in connection with others.

I am hosting my first retreat this February. Is this new? Most people think of me as a cook.

I’ll still be cooking, but I’ve been having these conversions for a long time from my TedX talk to my TV series. This new retreat experience is three nights, for an intimate group, in a beachfront home on the Outer Banks. It combines experiencing joy, connection and freedom and having conversations about how to bring it home into our daily lives. It is an opportunity for deep self care and to begin the work of change and identifying what we want to prioritize in our lives.

How about the food? 

I don’t show up without great food. The folks there will get to enjoy my cooking — deeply connected to the producers and farmers whose ingredients inspire me in the kitchen — and do some cooking in the kitchen with me.

Where can you find out more information?

Visit Jonathanbardzik.com/retreat to register today.