Due to the popularity of the 1 Day Retreat in Tokyo, I thought I'd show you how you can build your own DIY 1 Day Retreat, wherever you are in the world.
Alone or together?
First let's decide if you would like to do your DIY retreat alone or with some friends. Plus for the alone style one is that you can do what you want when you want. That is something that mothers with small children especially lack and so this might seem like a very attractive option. If you are more introverted on the spectrum, then it might be even more attractive.
I would encourage you to do a small group retreat. 2-4 people is great. The reason I suggest this is that if you chose 2 or 3 people who actually give you energy you will come away from your 1 day retreat feeling very energised. If you go alone, then you may feel quite isolated and even lonely by the end of the day. Whatever you choose, #knowthyself!
Activities
Relaxation time: Build in some self-care. If you are doing this alone, this could be in the form of buying yourself some luxurious bath salts like these from SOAK the Project. Or splashing out on some really good face masks. You could also book yourself in for a massage, facial or just go along to a spa where the whole atmosphere is designed to help you relax and enjoy yourself.
More active?
If you'd prefer something more active then, yoga is the deal. It's calming and refreshing, which will leave you feeling amazing long after you finish the class.
Feed your body:
When we go out without our kids in tow it can be tempting to splurge and drink and eat whatever we feel like because we do not have several pairs of little eyes watching us and trying to eat all our food.....or is it just me? Anyway, if you are going out, choose a restaurant where it will be easy to make healthy choices and where you will come away from the meal feeling amazing, instead of bloated or guilty.
Here is the schedule we followed recently at the 1 Day Retreat in Tokyo:
10:30 Meet for coffee
11:30 Vegan restaurant for lunch
13:30 Spa time!
14:00 Foot massages!
14:30 Smoothies
15:00 Relaxation time until you are ready to head back to the real world.
Would you like to create your own 1 Day Retreat with a group of girlfriends, but nobody can be bothered to organise it? If you are in the Tokyo area, I can recommend the following plan:
Vegan lunch at Ain Soph in Shinjuku
Spa visit with massages and smoothies at Terumae Yu in Shinjuku, just a 5-10 minute walk from the restaurant. You can reserve massages in advance too. Japanese necessary.
You can still join the Capture Kyoto Retreat in September 2017 here!
Also Helen Iwata and I are organising an amazing self development weekend in Fukushima, read more about that here!