“Life’s always changing. We are always being called to adapt.” – Elizabeth Lesser, best-selling author and Omega Institute cofounder
Sometimes, it’s challenging not only to keep pace with the rapid-fire and seismic nature of change in the world, but also to manage its impact on personal wellbeing. Feelings of overwhelm and anxiety can arise as we struggle to keep up with technological advancements, political upheaval, and shifting societal norms.
Resilience in the face of changing times often involves drawing upon a lifetime of experiences to adapt and thrive amidst new challenges. As psychotherapist Karen Moon says, “One thing we know for sure is the healing spirit does not wither with age.”
But how do you create the time and space to build resilience, foster stronger connections, and cultivate hope and healing? “Going on a retreat,” Moon says, “can be the perfect first step.”
About Retreats
Retreats provide a sanctuary from the chaos of daily life, offering a place for reflection, rest, and mental rejuvenation, which are crucial for building resilience. By disconnecting from constant stressors and engaging in mindfulness practices, individuals can gain clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.
Retreats often incorporate activities such as meditation, yoga, and creative expression, which foster emotional stability and a supportive community. This supportive environment helps individuals process their experiences, develop coping strategies, and return to their lives with a strengthened capacity to face challenges.
Indeed, those who have already navigated various life stages — raising children, career changes, and perhaps even retirement — come with a robust mental toolkit for coping with adversity. A retreat offers an opportunity to sharpen and diversify those tools.
It is Not a Vacation
Don’t confuse a retreat with a vacation, however. John Holland, a spiritual teacher, author, and medium, says that vacations generally cater to our physical pleasure senses rather than feeding our inner self. “We go on vacations,” he says, “for sightseeing, dancing, drinking, sunbathing, shopping, and packing as much as we can in such a short time. How many times have you gone on vacation and said: ‘I need another vacation from my vacation!’ ”
“Retreats,” Holland says, “are a time for you to step back from the pressures and distractions of everyday life, be quiet, unplug, relish in solitude, journal your thoughts and, most importantly, to be with yourself in communion. By devoting time to strengthening the connection between your body, mind, and spirit, you can create a harmonious balance that permeates all areas of your life. This time offers you a chance to look inward to connect with your spiritual center for self-discovery and clarification.”
Go on a Retreat to the Omega Institute
The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, located on 250 lush acres in Rhinebeck, New York, has established itself as a restorative haven for learners, thinkers and doers. Since its founding in 1977, Omega has offered a diverse range of workshops, professional training, and conferences that support physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
Retreats are not just about self-care — they’re also integral to our capacity for service in our communities. One of Omega’s guiding principles is that the wellbeing of the individual is deeply connected to the wellbeing of all living things. From this perspective, retreats can have powerful ripple effects.
“Chaos theory tells us that a very small shift in a complex system can have a huge impact somewhere else in the system,” Omega President and CEO Carla Goldstein says. “Every year, we witness the wondrous alchemy that happens when we all gather together — teachers, participants, and staff — and hold space for change the way one might hold space for a friend in need.”
Moon, the psychotherapist, has co-led a workshop at Omega for women who are interested in creating more meaning, authenticity, and fulfillment in the third act of life. In the Design Your Third Act workshop, participants are guided with warmth, humor and insights to explore, experiment, slow down and connect with what feels most meaningful in this next phase of life.
Additional Offerings
Omega offers more than 300 in-person and online workshops each year in a wide range of topics that foster resilience, including:
- Mind and spirit: With so many distractions in the modern world, the simple yet profound practice of mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual practices help us develop the ability to deepen our moment-to-moment awareness. Omega’s faculty include mindfulness trailblazer Jon Kabat-Zinn, 10% Happier author and podcast host Dan Harris, spiritual visionary Sai Maa and many more.
- Body and health: Self-care affords space to recharge and refuel — to connect the inner workings of the body with the mind and spirit to bolster wellbeing. Omega hosts workshops in yoga, qigong, tai chi, holistic health, fitness, energy healing and more.
- Creative expression: Self-expression comes in many forms. Whether it takes the shape of a paintbrush, pen, musical instrument, body, or voice, expressing creativity can improve the mood and boost self-esteem.
What happens on and after a retreat can be unpredictable. But as best-selling author and Omega faculty Cheryl Strayed says, “You will learn a lot about yourself if you stretch in the direction of goodness, of bigness, of kindness, of forgiveness, of emotional bravery.”
