Tips for Reintegrating After A Yoga Retreat
Transitioning back to daily life after a yoga retreat can sometimes be a challenge. It’s normal to feel the rollercoaster ride of emotions as you reflect on your experience while getting back into your daily routine.
After hosting our sixth retreat last month in Taos, New Mexico, we thought it was time to share our recommended tips for reintegrating after a yoga or meditation retreat. Keep in mind that these tips are just our perspective. You may use some or all of them. We just encourage you to do whatever feels right for you.
Tip #1: Consider Journaling
We’re big fans of journaling at Rooted Renewal. We recommend to every person who attends one of our retreats that they bring a journal. It’s helpful to write about your experience while it’s fresh in your mind. But often things become more clear to us after they happen.
Considering reflecting about your experience a few days after the retreat. Maybe you set an intention during your time there. Did you follow through with that intention or did things change? Or maybe you learned something new that made you curious.
When we journal, it gives us the opportunity to open the flood gates of the mind and clear thoughts that may be taking up unnecessary space. It also helps us determine what’s next or what action(s) we can take to move forward in life if we have specific goals. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just put pen to paper!
Tip #2: Try to keep your schedule light
In an effort to ease back into your daily routine, consider giving yourself some runway before scheduling social events or too many tasks. I know this one can be tough, but give yourself some space to come down from what you just experienced. It can be a lot emotionally and the last thing we want to do is overwhelm ourselves immediately.
Tip #3: Continue Practicing
Whether it’s meditation, yoga or both, continue your practice. We do a lot of yoga at Rooted Renewal retreats. I even find myself a little sore from the consistent daily classes. But I always find myself craving more yoga as I return home.
Ride this momentum. Return to your favorite local studio or online membership. It’s a great way to continue building a sustainable yoga practice.
Tip #4: Pursue Creative Endeavors or Passion PRojects
Returning from a yoga retreat can often leave you feeling inspired and motivated. If you have personal or professional projects that you enjoy, considering pouring into them. This isn’t to say you have to return to “work” or your laptop right away. But if you are feeling full of creative energy, harness that and invest it into the things in your life that light you up. You never know what new opportunities might come your way or what new ideas may come to you!
Tip #5: Be Gentle on Yourself
Our last tip is to simply be gentle with yourself. Squeeze the juice from all that you gained from your time in retreat. Whether that was rest, knowledge, connection, introspection or something else. Soak it in!
Give yourself time to process things. It’s different for everyone.
Bonus Tip :)
If you’re feeling extra motivated, look for ways to mix in your learnings or doings from the experience into your daily or weekly routine. Whether that is practicing yoga daily, avoiding screens during specific times/days or doing a restorative yin yoga before bed. This is a great opportunity to build or improve habits in our lives.
