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Retreat as Sacred and Sanctuary
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Dear Reader, I'm all about retreat, and I bet you are too. Living in this world as a sensitive = Needing to step away! I'm reentering the regular world after my own retreat in Costa Rica. I was working on our 2026 Luxury Retreat, with boots (bare feet) on the ground in the rainforest at Imiloa, and though I was working, it was still quite the life-changing experience. I returned home just in time for HSP Spirituality Month, and perhaps you have seen my or Elaine Aron's notices about our special month of April. If you have found me on social media, you have noticed that I am posting content about spirituality every day. Missing it? Here is a link to Sunday's post. Remember, Spiritual Health is the Key to Mental Health for HSPs, and actually, for everyone. This week, let's talk about retreat and sanctuary. We can create sanctuary and the sacred at home, but it is also a very important component of HSP retreat, one I always incorporate into my events. I'm leading a community webinar on Sunday (April 13th, 1pm PDT) called Retreat as Spiritual Practice in case you aren't registered yet (click this link.) I will be holding it again on April 16th, 8am PDT, and you only need to register once. Want to be sure you get my emails? Please add areyouhighlysensitive@gmail.com to your contacts so your email server will show you them! Read below for a sneak peak of the lesson on Sacred Space and Sanctuary from the Spirituality and Sensitivity mini-course. Sacred Space & Sanctuary(An excerpt from the Spirituality and Sensitivity mini course by A. Freund) Sanctuary, refuge, safety, haven… sounds great, right? As highly sensitive people living in a world designed by and for the majority without the trait, we need sanctuary from that world in order to thrive. We need a place to retreat and recharge, a shaman’s hut. The Shaman’s Hut: Indigenous cultures honored the shamans who lived on their own, separate from the busy community. Their basic needs were met so they had time and space to retreat to do the deep inner work a sensitive person needs to realize their potential and to serve their community. You probably already have a space that is sacred to you in your home or yard. Perhaps it is somewhere you go to feel your best self. The special objects we gather to honor our spiritual practice and sacredness have importance and power. The space with the objects becomes a shrine: A place for you to practice and do your personal work. If you don’t have a shrine, you deserve one. It can be a little nook or corner somewhere in your room or office or even outside. Make it special, comfy, and yours. Sometimes, it might require opening a drawer or closing a door. If you don’t have space to designate a permanent shrine, gather your sacred items on a shelf or in a special container and arrange them when you practice. Today’s lesson is about intention and attention. Look around at your special corner or room or seat in the yard. Or decide now to designate a place to be your shrine, Does it pull you into your sacred realm? What would make it more sacred? As you create your space and practice with your special sacred objects, they gather sacred energy. HSPs are uniquely drawn to the sacred, so we all have little collections of special items. The difference is choosing those that hold special significance and bringing them into your spiritual practice with intention... (Register to read more.) At our Costa Rica retreat, we will create personal shrines as well as a community one. You will be invited to bring a sacred talisman to share and one to soak up the sacred and return home with you. [Even your partner is encouraged to create their own shrine, but no one has to. :-)] For now, I hope to see you at the webinar where we will explore the critical place retreat holds in our spiritual practice as highly sensitive people. Alane PS UPCOMING EVENTS at Are You Highly Sensitive (online unless noted)
Alane Freund, MS, MA |
Hi! I'm Alane Freund.
Are you highly sensitive? Check out the resources I offer below and sign up for my newsletter!
Dear Reader, We’re just two days away from Ask Alane Anything — Retreat Edition! If you’ve been curious about the Cleanse, Clarify, Create Retreat in Costa Rica at the Imiloa eco resort in February, this is your moment to get all the details and hear my WHY. 🗓 Saturday, December 13th ⏰ 1:30pm US Eastern 📍 Live on Zoom (right after HSP Tools & Topics)I will be sharing my Whys like:Why February? (Hint: It's about mental health.)Why Retreat? (Hint: It's about burnout, prevention, reset.)Why...
Dear Reader, Jungalow Bathtub How often do highly sensitive people describe a soak in the bath as a spiritual practice? OFTEN How often do highly sensitive people list a bath as the best place for a self care reset? OFTEN How often do highly sensitive people crave time in nature to soothe their nervous system? OFTEN How do you bring it all together? How about a sacred soak in the rainforest? Heck, I would sacrifice a LOT just to have one of these tubs in my home! Imagine your private hot...
Dear Reader, Jungalow Bathtub How often do highly sensitive people describe a soak in the bath as a spiritual practice? OFTEN How often do highly sensitive people list a bath as the best place for a self care reset? OFTEN How often do highly sensitive people crave time in nature to soothe their nervous system? OFTEN How do you bring it all together? How about a sacred soak in the rainforest? Heck, I would sacrifice a LOT just to have one of these tubs in my home! Imagine your private hot...