Home Retreat Practice Guide

General Guidelines

- Only drink water, coffee, tea, vegetable and/or fruit juice

- Follow a healthy balanced diet (consult with your primary care physician)

- No additory sugars or artificial sweetener(s)

- Eat at least one meal Mindfully each day

- Meditate formally twice a day.

- Set the intention to perform activities Mindfully throughout the day (For example, brushing teeth, bathing, Cleaning, Cooking, eating, walking, driving, Speaking, listening…)

- Only check your phone, email, or social media twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening. If you have small children still have your phone on standby but don’t respond to any messages or notifications unless it is an emergency)

- No television and Social media unless you are spending time with others for bonding.

- Only use the computer and internet for business and professional purposes

- No radio or music

- No reading

- Don’t buy anything other then groceries or gas (unless you have small children and need to purchase school supplies for an upcoming project)

- Creative writing and journaling are strongly encouraged

Extended retreat practice(s) are excellent opportunities to unplug from everyday Life as a way for observing the present moment with enhanced clarity. The controlled setting provides an stable environment for allowing the surface levels of distractions (responding to texts, voicemails, emails…). To settle enabling practitioners to rest more deeper into the still waters of Self Awareness. Although sustained practice has been shown to have many benefits the reality is not everyone is available and/or have the resources needed to schedule an extended retreat away from home.

Again, this is just a list of suggestions to follow whenever you feel the need to detox and unplug from daily life. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to practice this Home Retreat Practice Guide. The Mind and Body will let you know when it’s ready to return to your normal everyday activities. Also play around and experiment with the guidelines. Don’t feel the need to follow all of the recommendations all of the time. If you notice yourself struggling with one or more of the suggestions maybe leave it out for now until a later time. You know yourself better than anyone else. Consider this a personal experiment and become your own researcher. The Mind and Body will tell you all of the answers once you are able to quiet down enough to listen.