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Product Description
This collection of step-by-step practices from ancient cultures, world religions, and psychological disciplines provides readers with the self-renewing, spiritually, uplifting rewards of retreat anytime, anywhere. We all crave periods of silence and introspection, but with lives lived at an ever-increasing pace most of us find fewer opportunities to fill that need. Now, psychologist Rachel Harris has come to the rescue with this unique collection of 20-, 5- and 1-minute mini-retreats-short periods of meditation, contemplation or self-discovery drawn from traditions and practices as varied as Buddhism, the Quaker faith, Sufism, art therapy, ritual magic, Gestalt therapy, and Jungian dream analysis. Provocative sidebars, stimulating quotes, and touching first-person stories make this book as inviting to read as it is practical to use. With these brief retreats, readers of any age or occupation will be able to catch their emotional breath regardless of what is happening in life, to pause to listen to the sounds of their souls, and to reemerge balanced and refreshed.
Amazon.com Review
What can you accomplish in a few minutes? Eat a meal, fold laundry, talk on the phone--or refresh your spirit. Just 20 minutes a day is all it takes to retreat in tranquility and reconnect with your soul, according to Dr. Rachel Harris, a practicing psychotherapist and associate of Big Sur's (often celebrity-studded) Esalen Institute. "In our fast-paced lives, we desperately need retreats to regain our perspective, help us balance our inner and outer lives--a retreat gives us a chance to just say no to incessant stress and time pressure...." she writes.
Incorporating into her book the wisdom of multiple world religions and spiritual masters from Buddhism to Jung, Harris offers a variety of flexible approaches to finding that quiet place. She provides practical advice about finding the right retreat setting, as well as the appropriate tools to enhance the experience. Organized around 12 universal themes--faith, forgiveness, gratitude, healing, intuition, joy, love, patience, peace, relaxation, self-acceptance, and self-care--each chapter provides step-by-step instructions on structuring a self-led retreat to fit one's personal needs. Because "a retreat can be anything that allows us to intentionally enter another world," Harris advocates such varied practices as expressive drawing, journal writing, and dance as well as centered prayer, ritual magic, and music. Liberally scattered throughout the guide are personal observations and intriguing case histories drawn from Harris's 30 years as a practicing psychoanalyst. Recognizing that setting aside even a small amount of time each day can be a challenge, Harris also includes suggestions on how to "retreat" for just one to five minutes at a time. What's a one-minute retreat like? Look at babies, she suggests--gazing into one's eyes will make you feel instantly joyful. -Marianne Painter
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