Sometimes I feel amazement when I examine my life and I wonder, “How did I get here?” I’ve come to realize that all of my major life changing decisions happened while I was retreating.

I can vividly remember the exact moment I chose to leave western medicine. This was also the moment I realized my purpose on this planet. It was on a vacation during my first year of residency. I was sitting on the beach, retreating at an Ashram in the Bahamas. Crystal blue waters sparkled in front of me as I looked out to the sea beyond my happy, sand covered toes. I had just finished reading The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. I felt at peace with a journal, pen in hand, and I vividly saw my future unfolding before me.

I truly believe the reason I love my life is because of the choice to live guided by the realizations I’ve had while retreating in all parts of the globe. Sometimes we need to remove ourselves from the everyday to see the bigger picture. Now I offer retreats as a way to work more deeply with people as a way to connect them to their heart centers so that they may live the life they always dreamed of.

5 Reasons to Retreat:

1. Relaxation

Modern day living is all about how much we can do and achieve in any given day. Non-stop working and doing can lead to stress and exhaustion. It’s common for people to feel burnt out. Even weekends become filled with side projects or other things to do around the house. Even vacation time away from work becomes filled with things to do.

Retreats provide the perfect space to relax, unwind, and just be. Taking intentional time to relax is imperative to the maintenance of our health. Even when we sleep we aren’t fully relaxing. Retreats are all about relaxation. They nurture the mind, body, and soul. Retreating to a beautiful place in nature, with time to just be leaves us feeling refreshed, rested, and inspired to return to life.

2. Find Clarity

We live in a world full of noise and distraction. It may be challenging to know what we truly want. There are so many options and it can be difficult to make decisions. We may even feel paralyzed with fear about making the wrong decisions.

Retreats remove us from day-to-day environments that are full of distractions so that we can find inner peace and clarity. In the space of just being we discover what truly matters to us and why we are here on this planet. Even if our lives are pretty close to perfect retreats are the perfect space to find clarity and evaluate where we would like to go next.

3. Enhance Listening

When was the last time you truly listened to your heart or to another person? Our lives can get so busy we forget to listen to our hearts and we continue on with robotic schedules and to-do-lists. The next thing we know ten years have passed and we have forgotten to live life to the fullest. Life can get so busy that we don’t have time to sit down and dedicate space for a meaningful conversation with a loved one sans phone in hand.

Retreats foster a space for listening, not only listening to our hearts and all of its guidance, but to those retreating with us. Sometimes the act of listening to a stranger inspires things in our lives we weren’t even aware we wanted. When we listen, we can hear and see the signs guiding us to create a life we love.

4. Connection

How much connection are you experiencing in everyday? With technology ruling our lives and cell phones becoming another appendage, it may seem like we are overly connected, but in reality this creates a lot of disconnect. Though social media has provided us the opportunity to stay connected with loved ones around the globe, it has dampened our connections in person. How many times have you sat at a dinner table and everyone was texting on their phones?

Retreats provide the space to disconnect in order to reconnect. Doses of digital detox occur in the retreat space that really allow us to be in the moment. The connection that occurs between people both of new acquaintance and old is remarkable and heart opening. Retreats foster a deeper connection with the self–the you you came here to be–as well. Retreats enhance our ability to connect more deeply with others and ourselves in a constructive and life enhancing way.

5. Inspiration

This life is meant to be inspiring and full of joy. Some people may feel like robots in their daily lives. Wake up, commute, eat, work, eat, work, commute, eat, watch TV, sleep. Life is not meant to be stagnant or mundane. Life is meant to be spontaneous, experiential, and exciting with constant wonderful surprises.

Retreats ignite inspiration within us! Retreats provide the space for us to dream. The first step in creating a life we love is to dream up a life that inspires us to take action and create. After a retreat we feel inspired to take action and make the changes in the direction of our dreams, to create a life we love.

And beyond this list, there are many more reasons to retreat. The most recent retreat that inspired this post was in conjunction with Life Source Retreats, the photos you see within this post, and you can view more photos here. The next retreat I’ll be hosting is August 1-3. Join me in Ojai, California for an amazing, healing, inspiring experience. For more info and to register visit w ww.drnikkinoce.com/empower/ojai-nature-retreat.