1. Why should I spend money on a retreat if I have some financial struggles and so many needs that are more urgent?
- Sounds like being caught in a rat race. When it seems there’s never enough time or money, running the race even faster will not solve the problem. But a trip away from all the outdated routines and patterns might help. Let your retreat be your escape from this vicious circle.
2. Why can't I do a retreat at my home? I will save money and time.
- You cannot become a new person by doing old things. Forget your home for a while. Escape from your old life and old you. Find a different environment for your retreat. Go outside your daily routine, stress, boredom, comfort trap, unsupportive habits, annoying distractions, pain of unfulfilled dreams. Ideally, go to a place where you have never been before. Open a new page. Make a new start.
Your retreat accommodation doesn't have to be far away or cost a lot. If you are short of time and money, book a cheaper Airbnb apartment near your home or ask a friend to use his/her summer house for a couple of days. But do change your location! Find a place with which you don’t have any negative associations, a place that you will later remember as magical. By separating yourself from everything familiar, you are breaking a pattern and expanding your container. This should be the first step on your life makeover journey.
3. Why shouldn't I economize and cut accommodation and other costs to a minimum when it comes to retreating?
- Of course, you can choose a cheaper accommodation within your budget, but don’t go to extremes in your efforts to save money. First of all, an ultracheap hostel that is dirty and noisy might not be an ideal retreat venue. Secondly, when you afford yourself a decent retreat, you are developing your wealth consciousness. Despite financial constraints, you prove to yourself that you deserve this vacation growthcation. This investment will pay off tenfold in the future.
4. I am a working mom, and I cannot afford to abandon my responsibilities. I can't afford to be selfish in my current life situation. Why must I still retreat?
- Quoting Jennifer Louden, a best-selling author and retreat leader, it is your opportunity to “walk away from being a woman who exists only in relationship to others”. It is your obligation to nurture and take care of yourself first, so you can nurture and take care of others. If you never find time for yourself to nourish your deepest needs, burnout is inevitable. Please ignore all the social messages telling you that you are not a good enough mother and that you cannot be such an egoist to take time for your self-care. Think of all the women throughout history who had no chance to voice their own needs. But you do.
“You can put on your coat, pick up your purse, and say as you shut the door, “You will be fine without me.” Go. Claim your right. Forget waiting for permission. Carve out the time.”
- Jennifer Louden
5. Why can't I stick to my normal diet during the retreat?
- Whichever retreat program you choose, you want to achieve that special state of lightness, openness to changes and transformation, cleansing, detoxification, letting go of the old, and welcoming the new. You want to raise your level of intuition, clear your energy, and become more sensitive. You are here to embrace your full life makeover, and nutrition is one part of it.
6. Why should I wake up early and go to bed early during my retreat? I am not a morning person. I am much more productive and motivated at night.
- It is highly recommended to set your retreat schedule from sunset till sunrise to be in tune with the rhythms of nature. It might sound exciting to work on your favorite project till late hours, however, try to refrain from staying up late. Listen to your internal biological clock instead of mindlessly following your habitual routine.
7. Why is media- and digital detox a must?
- While the Internet can be a source of inspiration and an amazing tool on our path towards personal growth and higher consciousness, it can also be exactly the opposite – a toxic addiction that transforms us from conscious and powerful individuals into senseless and powerless zombies.
On your retreat, use the Internet with awareness. Use it to educate yourself, to follow your retreat program, to look for additional motivational resources if necessary. Disregard everything else. There will be other times to scroll through social media, count fresh Covid-19 cases or get lost in a Netflix series. Here and now is the time for something more significant.
8. Why do I need Growthcation guidance? I could organize a self-led retreat totally on my own and do only the things I like?
- Retreat guidance gives your retreat structure to rely upon. It brings you back on track when you feel overwhelmed with boredom, confusion, and uncertainty. Sometimes, too much free time might seem like the greatest challenge we have ever experienced.
On the other hand, you don’t need to obsessively follow the suggested retreat schedule, especially when you feel certain that you would rather do something else at the moment. Listen to your intuition. Go your own way when you feel the need. Come back to Growthcation guidelines if you get lost along the way.
9. Do I have to go on a retreat alone? Can I do Growtcation with my partner/friend(s)?
- Some retreat practices are best to be done alone. You need solitude to awaken your inner voice; you need quality time with yourself. If you decide to retreat with a partner or friend, please give each other space. Set different schedules. Leave your partner doing assignment tasks from the guidebook while you take your morning walk on your own. Then switch. Remember that you need time alone to begin to listen to your inner self.
10. I am a busy businessman/-woman. My business will fall apart while I am retreating. Why can't I skip my retreat?
- How can you manage your business or any other area of your life if you do not have time for yourself and your inner needs? You are not a slave to your business; you are its owner. (Similarly, you are not a servant of your family; you are its member.) If your business is already struggling, it is a perfect time to interrupt this unproductive pattern, carve out the time for a transformational retreat, and then come back to your daily life energized and full of new ideas.
11. Why are most Growthcation programs based mainly on books? Wouldn’t watching video material instead of reading be more convenient and interesting?
- The short answer is Growthcation wants you to be active during your retreat: physically, emotionally, and also mentally. Watching TV and videos can be fun and entertaining. However, it is more of a passive form of receiving information. Reading, on the other hand, is an active form of learning. It keeps you more focused, makes you look for details, learn to interpret and visualize them. When reading, you choose your pace of receiving and digesting the information. Nothing is given to you on a plate, ready to consume. You have to do the work, the brain work.
Read more about the benefits of learning through reading here.
12. I don't have time for preparations. Can I just go to my chosen retreat location and figure out on the spot what I do next?
- Citing Jennifer Louden again, doing preparations is like making a statement that you are serious about your retreat. You decided to invest your time and other resources into this transformational vacation, and you are going to do your best to get the maximum benefit from it. Reading through the packing list and pillars of a self-led retreat might take only a few minutes of your time but will give you invaluable information on necessary preparations. Preparations increase the quality of your retreat vacation.
13. I am not an artist. I don't have any big talents to uncover or develop. Why should I retreat?
- Retreat is not only for artists or writers. Every person, once in a while, needs space and time to reconnect with his/her inner desires, aspirations, dreams. You do have talents to uncover and develop. Being a smart skillful entrepreneur is a talent. Being a good motivating parent is a form of art. Organizing your lifestyle in the most sustainable and eco-friendly way is another creative endeavor. Don’t ever think that you are not creative and that you have nothing to learn. You are the creator of your own life.
14. Why is there so much physical exercise/activity in each retreat program? What if I just need a rest?
- You cannot make positive changes and take your life to a new level when feeling down and low on energy. The quickest way to change your physical state, which will instantly affect your emotional state and your state of mind too, is through movement.
If you have ever visited a life makeover event by such transformational leaders as Tony Robbins or T. Harv Eker, you already know that the trainers will make you stand up, stretch your body, and dance like crazy for a few minutes after every couple of hours. It’s not that every successful person should also be a good dancer. It’s because you need to be in a peak state to change any area of your life.
15. What if it doesn't help?
- What if it does? It’s always better to try than not to try at all. If during your retreat you manage to uncover just one belief that blocks you from achieving your dreams, if you alter at least one tiny habit in your daily routine, if you learn at least one new thing, it already helps. At the same time, there is no magical shortcut. Personal transformation is a journey, not a final destination. Every small effort, every tiny step on this path matters.
16. Why are there so many written assignments in retreat programs?
- You have, probably, read dozens if not hundreds of transformational books, but you still feel something is missing and you are not quite there yet. Have you ever wondered why? Maybe, it’s because we often devour all those books without taking time to reflect. We passively read the material and don’t apply any principles in practice. During your retreat, you will get a chance to actively work with the guidebook. You will start practicing what you read immediately. This active engagement is the key to your transformation. Coming back from a retreat, you will have a solid foundation for your further transformation. Goal Mapping and Daily Steps Worksheets will help you to stay on track when moving towards your dreams.
17. I don't feel comfortable being alone, in isolation. What is the best way for me to retreat?
- Go on your first retreats with a friend or partner until you feel comfortable retreating alone. However, retreating together, you would still need to give each other space. Set different schedules. Leave your partner doing assignment tasks from the guidebook while you take your morning walk on your own. Then switch. Remember that you need time alone to start hearing your inner self.
18. I will go on a retreat when I pay my debts / after I end an unhappy relationship / when my kids grow older / when I have less work / when the weather gets warmer / when ... (fill in the blank). Why should I go right now instead?
- It’s the same as saying “when I retire, I can finally be happy”. To break a negative pattern or an unsupportive habit, to get out of a vicious circle or just out of your tiny comfort zone, you must take action right now. Don’t wait for a perfect moment. Go right away, and your difficult circumstances might resolve naturally. During your retreat, you might come up with an idea on how to get out of debt, decide to end an unhappy relationship immediately, find a balance between work life and parenting, get more energy to accomplish your undone work, or change your workplace altogether. And even if the weather doesn’t get warmer, you might find ways to deal with it and be active and inspired all year round. Just go and see what happens.
19. Is Growthcation mostly for spiritual and/or religious people?
- No, it is for everyone who wants to improve themselves. Growthcation is for anyone interested in personal growth, independent of your beliefs or religious background. If you ever dream of altering negative habits, transforming a certain area of your life, improving your nutrition, physical, mental, and emotional state, or just going on a vacation that will help you to become a better person, then Growthcation is for you.
Almost all of the programs contain meditation and yoga practices. However, you don’t have to approach these practices through a spirituality prism. You can see them as effective tools that will aid you to achieve better results faster.
20. I understand that it is important to change my environment for the time of my retreat. But what if I cannot leave home?
- In extreme cases like lockdowns (and only in extreme cases), try to change your environment without leaving your home. Organize a dedicated room/space, move the furniture, tidy up, prepare retreat props, etc. Remember, you want to create a space with which you don’t have any negative associations. You want to go outside your daily routine, stress, boredom, comfort trap, unsupportive habits, annoying distractions, pain of unfulfilled dreams. Get creative in altering your environment.
If you haven't found the answer to your question, have any doubts or want to learn more, feel free to contact us at growthcation@gmail.com