Why You Need a Solo Retreat
When you vacation by yourself, you shed your attachments. The constant reminders of who you think you are, and who you’re expected to be.
A solo retreat allows you to express and feel (without hesitation) the version of you showing up in the moment. So all of you — the unexpected, the emotional, the poetic, the adventurous, the childlike, the intuitive, the creative — can be seen, experienced, and honoured.
And you can remember who you truly are, in your wholeness.
This article was written by a human, experiencing human things. Not AI. (Hi! 👋🏻) Because I believe that words are far more meaningful and powerful when there's open-hearted energy and lived experience behind them.
The Underestimated Power of Solitude
I recently returned from my annual solo getaway.
There’s something about the fall that flips a switch inside me. It feels like a new beginning, a time to shed the layers I no longer need, to cocoon, and to dream.
Maybe it’s from childhood conditioning — starting a new school year each September; maybe it’s ancestral imprinting — the New Year is November 1st on the Celtic calendar; maybe it’s witnessing the incredible transformation of nature; or maybe it’s just my own internal rhythm that signals it.
But for whatever reason, I feel called to shed outdated layers of myself, my beliefs, my experiences, and usher in the new. And the best way I know how to do that is a solo retreat, especially in nature.
8 Reasons You Should Go On a Solo Retreat
#1 It awakens the courageous adventurer within
There’s something about solo retreats that awaken parts of us that we typically don’t have access to.
For me, one of which is the inner adventurer. Going on a trip with someone else is enjoyable — but it’s also safe. Not in the “I-need-someone-to-protect-me-way” but in the way that a partner or friend provides a level of comfort you don’t get when traveling solo.
When you’re on your own, without any social expectations, you may find you’re more likely to try new things and awaken a sense of strength and adventure you didn’t realize you had.
#2 It provides space for stillness
It takes courage to spend time with yourself.
So often, we subconsciously distract ourselves in order to keep from facing emotion and inner wisdom that may spark discomfort.
But stillness is one of the healthiest things you can do.
It gives your body time to rest, clears your mind from clutter, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system — which can reduce anxiety, stimulate digestion, maintain a resting heart rate, relax your bladder, etc.
Stillness also allows the quiet voice of your inner wisdom the presence to be heard. And when you finally give it a platform without disruption, wow, it will speak volumes.
#3 It quiets your inner critic
It’s funny, when you don’t have anyone to share complaints with, you stop complaining!
The ego is stimulated by the shared experience of complaining. It seems to have the idea that complaining together equals bonding together. And when there’s no one to complain to, the brain stops looking for things to complain about and it slowly deprograms your inner critic.
If it’s raining, you deal with it. If the server is taking a long time to visit your table, you wait. You don’t go down the rabbit hole of negative discussion that can snowball when you’re with others.
And what’s so amazing, is that when you return home, if you complain, you notice it.
After deprogramming the inner critic, it feels awkward to complain. And by taking the role of the observer, you can most definitely catch yourself before doing it.
#4 It ignites emotional authenticity
When you’re alone, you don’t think about how someone will react to you.
If you need to cry, you cry. If you need to punch your pillow, curse, or angry dance to music, you do it.
We’re so conditioned to take into consideration other people’s potential reactions (and in turn, judgements) to our emotions that we so often oppress them either consciously or subconsciously.
When you’re on a solo getaway, there’s a sense of freedom to feel the whole spectrum of your emotions.
And by allowing them to surface and flow, you’ll remove blocks and experience a deeply detoxing release.
#5 It builds appreciation for connection
Spending so much time on your own ignites a deep gratitude for connection.
When you do meet others or chat with a server at dinner, the conversation feels different. You’ll notice you select your words more consciously, and they flow from a more heart-centered than head-centered place.
And making a connection feels like a treat.
#6 It nurtures desire
When you’re on a solo retreat, you don’t have to follow a schedule, you don’t have to meet up with anyone at a specific time, and you don’t have to collaborate or come together to make decisions.
You do exactly what you want to do when you want to do it.
A bath at 12 pm: Perfect. A nap before dinner: Absolutely. Waking at 5 am to write: Awesome.
You recenter your world around you. And you allow the child within the love and attention that (if you’re a mother) you’d usually give your own children.
You feel seen, heard, and cared for.
And you realize that your body is signaling to you what it needs throughout each day — we just so often don’t pay attention.
#7 It cultivates self-worth
This is the most transformative benefit of a solo wellness retreat.
When you take yourself on a getaway, you’re telling yourself that you matter.
Your body, mind, and soul matter.
And that you alone are worth the time off and the cost of the trip.
There’s nothing more loving than knowing your worth.
#8 It benefits your loved ones
You aren’t the only one who’ll benefit from your solo wellness retreat.
Guaranteed you will not come home the same. And everyone you encounter will experience the shift.
How to Achieve Lasting Change from a Solo Retreat
Take a mental photo
During your getaway, choose to imprint a serene moment in your mind. Not just the image, but the feeling. The stillness, the warm tea cup in your hand, the soft pace of your heart. You can return to that place at any time in the future.
I make a point to do this every time I go on a retreat, and I love the beautiful moments that stay with me forever.
Write it down
Bring a notebook with you and write down any insights, goals, beliefs, and changes you want to implement when you return home.
Before you leave, review your notes and determine what needs to be done to make the changes you want to see in your life, then create a sustainable plan with micro-actions (maybe they’re daily, maybe they’re weekly, just don’t blow out your nervous system trying to accomplish them).
Give yourself time to integrate
Sometimes it feels like I need days or weeks to really get back into rhythm. On your solo retreat, you’re doing a lot of work on an energetic level that you likely aren’t consciously aware of.
The pace of life may feel uncomfortable. Television or your children may seem louder. Sensitivity may be stronger.
Get more sleep, take evening baths, do whatever you can to nurture yourself and ease back into the flow of your life.
If insight surfaced while you had some solo time or if you haven’t had a chance to go away but want support in untangling what’s been holding you back, learn about The Somatic Uprise 13-week immersion or about my Integrative Human Design sessions.
More Photos From Some of My Solo Retreats
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Through Integrative Human Design, subconscious repatterning, and somatic expansion, Keri-Lee Larmand guides visionary women to expand into who they came here to be. Her work supports the quiet unraveling of conditioning so women can return to their natural rhythm, intuitive wisdom, and magnetism.