A Back to School Retreat for Hubby and Me

Truth be told, I've been wanting to go to the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies (in Rhinebeck, NY) for the past five years.  I first learned about the place when thumbing through their catalog at a doctor's office.  With women's leadership conferences; yoga and meditation workshops; spiritual workshops; financial workshops; and more, I just knew I had to swipe the catalog off the coffee table and bring it home.

Fast forward five years later, and now I've made sure that I'm on Omega's mailing list.  They send catalogs straight to me, and each year, I circle a handful of workshops I would like to attend--if only I had 1) the time, and 2) the money.

This August, I looked through the catalog and circled a workshop called "The Power of the Soul."  Just like each year before, I put the catalog back on my bookshelf  in a space known as the "maybe one day area."  However, the very next week, I surprised myself.  I grabbed the catalog from the shelf, took out my credit card, and scheduled the retreat, as if my mind was on autopilot.  It would be a birthday present for my husband and me (his birthday is in Sept., and mine is in Oct.) and a little reward for all the work we do doing the school year, i.e. our full-time administration jobs, teaching classes, serving as Cub Scout Den and Pack Leaders, etc.

The walk to the Meditation Room.  (There was a handicapped accessible one, too, but I like this one!)

The Meditation Area - It was beautiful!

A Koi Fish Pond

I swear purchasing the trip must have been divine intervention because shortly after, a dear friend of ours, age 45, left this world way too soon.  The news felt like a punch in the gut to both of us.  (I wrote about him last year at this time because he bought us front row tickets to Hamilton.)

The next few weeks felt empty, and yet, during this very dark time, knowing the retreat was coming helped us keep our sanity.  "Just one more week," I would tell a grief-stricken husband who couldn't stop sobbing each day.  Thinking about Michael's death, brought back memories of his father's death, and then lead to worry over his own.  (My husband has some serious health concerns.)

We went to the retreat initially hoping it would help us bond, relax, and feel more spiritually connected.  We left the retreat having achieved all of this and more.  Guided imagery exercises helped us find our "soul" and the spiritual energy that connects all living things.  Through prayer and meditation, we found healing, purpose, and forgiveness.  We also found joy, laughter, and gratitude.

We arrived to Omega with heavy hearts but left with light ones.  My husband had joked when I first signed us up for the retreat that I would be forcing him to eat "twigs, nuts, and berries" for the weekend.  He now admits the food (organic/farm-to-table) was delicious and that the retreat was exactly what we needed--to believe, to reconnect, and to remember our higher calling.  All I can say is, thank goodness for divine intervention and synchronicity.  I will never doubt prayer again.

From the deck of the cafeteria.

Our cabin.  They have "tent" cabins, too, as well as platforms for tents.  It was cold the weekend of Sept. 22-23.

Like my shorts and winter coat look?  This was my "fashionable look"
for most of the weekend as I didn't want to give up summer.

Keeping a Gratitude Journal

I firmly believe in the power of the written word. While I don’t necessarily believe I’m going to become “wealthy” by writing my goals down (as portrayed in The Secret), I do believe that writing is the first step towards creating a concrete goal and making it become part of my daily life. (If a long-term goal isn’t written down, well, then, isn’t it just a daydream?)

Since writing has the ability to turn a mere thought into something tangible, living, and real, I’ve decided that I could benefit from keeping several journals by my bedside—a blog journal, a food and exercise journal, and now, a gratitude journal.

In the past few months, I’ve noticed that the “envy dialog” in my head has become more frequent. For example, when I drive by that $800,000 house in my neighborhood with lush green grass and a beautiful, picturesque garden, I catch myself saying something like this: “Why can’t we have the money to own a beautiful house like that? Why can’t our grass look like that? I want a garden that’s perfectly manicured and cared for, too.” Of course, similar dialog enters my head when I spot a thin, beautiful woman or a happy-go-lucky married couple in my presence as well. The envy dialog, of course, belittles all the wonderful things I have in my life and often dampens my mood.

This week, I started a Gratitude Journal so I could minimize or even stop all the envy dialog in my head. Since I don’t have much time (like really, who does?), I simply jot down three things at night that make me thankful. Since it’s easy to get into a pattern of writing the obvious, I try to be more detailed in my journal. For example, instead of saying, “I’m thankful for my little boy,” I say, “I’m thankful for my little boy’s adorable, raspy laugh.” By looking at details, I find that I become more appreciative. It also makes me learn that I have so much more to be thankful for than I ever imagined. I end up feeling much more fulfilled in the end. After all, I don’t just have a 23 month old boy; I have a boy with an adorable little laugh, a sweet disposition, a melt-your-heart smile, and squeezable baby thighs. (I can name a lot more, but I’m saving it for additional entries in my gratitude journal.)

In the few days that I’ve been keeping one, I’ve noticed a substantial difference in my attitude. I’ve started recognizing the little everyday blessings in my life that I’ve often ignored or overlooked. (In other words, I’m finally seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty.) With this new attitude, my stress level has lowered, and I’ve been walking around with a lighter heart.

When my little boy is older, I’m going to teach him about keeping a gratitude journal too. In the beginning, I will help write the words for him, but as he gets older, he will be able to take pride in being able to keep one for himself. Sure, some of his entries might sound like, “I’m thankful for Blue's Clues, the color blue, and my favorite blanket,” but isn’t that the cutest, and, isn’t that exactly the point? Yes, I’m thankful for all those things too because it means that we have the gift of sight to be able to see Blue's Clues and the color blue, and the gift of touch and emotion to be able to feel the warm blanket and associate it with both the comfort and security of (yet another blessing) a warm, loving, home.