Sleep Retreat DIY

If you're struggling to get away, or finances just won't stretch to you going off on a sleep retreat, you can treat yourself at home.

Your health and wellbeing are everything. If you want to perform at your best and enjoy life to the full, you have to invest in yourself. That doesn't necessarily mean spending a lot of cash, but it will mean investing time.

Even in the ancient days of early Ayurveda, health and well being were highly valued.?If we consider the abuse with stress and poor diet we subject ourselves to in today’s world, one could think we don't care about our health.

We think that by taking a number of supplements every day and keeping a punishing gym schedule, we are being healthy.

There really is no vitamin pill in the world that can replace your need for rest.

If you are feeling exhausted consider doing a DIY retreat at home?

Choose a weekend where you can tell everyone that you are not available.?I know if you've got kids, you may not exactly be able to disappear, but get organised with some child care.?This weekend I'm proposing is not necessarily about detoxing, it's about nourishing.

Physical well being depends on proper food, good digestion and time for reflection. One can’t improve the nature and function of the body and mind without a clean nutritious diet with the appropriate rest.

Your weekend programme is as follows:

1. Eat lightly for the weekend. No sugar, white bread or glutens. Eat fruit and vegetables that are easy to digest.
2. Self massage: Abhyanga is the word for warm oil massage in Ayurveda and believe it or not, you can do it yourself and feel great. Self massage is a bit like absorbing self love through the pores of your skin and will make you feel nurtured and loved by the most important person in your life…You! Massage releases healing chemicals and hormones from your inner pharmacy and detoxifies the bodies tissues, helps circulation, calms the mind and enhances the immune system. All you need is a nice Ayurvedic massage oil (usually sesame oil with some herbs like Ashwaganda, or you could choose Neom Organic's skin treatment warm oil candle) and a few nice warm towels. Click here and download instructions for self massage. Do this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
3. Do not work, no physical work and no mental work, which means turn off your computer.
4. Set aside any worry you have and give the cares of the world a rest for the weekend.
5. Go to bed early Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
6. Do Yoga Nidra?Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday evening before bed.?You can download my free recording here together with all the information you'll need to do the practice.
7. Do this simple breathing exercise to relax the shoulders and free up the chest so you can breathe.
8. Avoid crowds and noise: Stay in a peaceful place for the whole weekend. That could be your home or a retreat centre in nature.
9. Avoid stimulants like coffee and alcohol.
10. Meditation: Meditate in the morning and the evening, just watching your breath for 15 mins.
11. Contemplation or spiritual teachings can be helpful: Read something spiritual but not too stimulating. Here are a few examples:

• Yoga and the quest for the true self, Stephen Cope
• The wisdom of yoga, Stephen Cope
• Invisible acts of power, Caroline Myss
• Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran

Let me know how you get on! Enjoy!