Create a Personal Mental Health Retreat
Alluring Window of Time
Late summer is once again upon us. It is a subtle, yet alluring window of time during what can be a busy season. Our gardens are established, in full bloom and at peak performance. The promise of autumn is in the air but still a few weeks away. Late summer days are a bit slower. We become aware of the sun setting earlier and thus we breathe a bit deeper, enjoy the earthy scents, vivid colors and joyful sounds of summer with keen awareness. Now is the time to take a cue from nature and slow down, reflect and check in with your own mental health. The following is a short list of self-care activities that will help you create a personal mental health retreat.
Consider a Cultural Approach
Adopt another culture’s perspective on daily life. There are many to choose from, here are just a few to get your started:
Central America
Cacao Ceremony – a traditional Aztec and Mayan civilization ceremony to open the heart and bring your awareness inward. There are many ways to conduct this healing ceremony. It can be conducted as a singular or group practice and yes, it involves chocolate!
https://www.embuecacao.com/pages/5-easy-ways-to-do-your-own-cacao-ceremony
Sweden
“Lagom är bäst“- is a Swedish term that is roughly translated to “enough is as good as a feast”. A lagom perspective helps you achieve balance, by embracing a concept of striving for “just enough”. Having too much or too little creates an imbalance in life.
https://blog.siegfriedgroup.com/the-secret-to-lagom/
https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/lagom-scandinavian-lifestyle-sweden
Japan
Embrace the ancient concept of Wabi-Sabi-“finding beauty in imperfection”. We are conditioned to recognize perfection as beauty. Wabi-Sabi encourages us to find beauty outside of the constraints of perfection. The link below is a short video “The Lesson of the Cracked Pot” that exemplifies the concept of Wabi-Sabi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyk9Bl13P6s
https://positivepsychology.com/wabi-sabi-lifestyle
Italy
“La passeggiata”- an Italian word that means “stroll” and refers to a traditional Italian pastime of walking for no particular reason at all.
https://lifehacker.com/health/how-la-passeggiata-changed-my-evenings
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la-passeggiata-italian-habit-37412149
Netherlands
Digital Detox Café – “Turn off, tune out and drop in!” These cafes are really catching on in Dutch cities. Reap the benefits of digital detox café in your home or garden.
https://www.positive.news/society/dutch-digital-detoxers-unplug-will-the-world-follow
Become a “Deliberate Amature”
Acquiring a growth mindset and a desire for personal enrichment is all that is needed.
Star Gazing
Just looking up at the night sky from your own back yard serves up some amazing mental health benefits. For many of us the Aurora Borealis will be visible this August!
https://aerialbvi.com/blog/stargazing-benefits-for-mental-wellness/
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/stargazing-basics/
Bryology
HTI Blog co-contributor, Isabelle Boucq is a past student at HTI and now a practicing psychologist working in Paris. Earlier this year, she traveled to Japan to immerse herself in Shinrin-yoku and the anticipated awe of the cherry blossoms, only to be dazzled by another plant family…mosses that are often used in Japanese gardens. Read about Isabelle’s awakening to the wonders of moss in an interview by FFJNS-French Federation of Gardens, Nature and Health.
This article is written in French but can be translated with DeepL.
https://allabout-moss.com/what-is-moss/
https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/37086
Botanical Dyeing
This creative endeavor involves many different techniques to produce colorful dyes using flowers, leaves, roots, kitchen scraps, even insects! Take a class or strike out on your own.
https://blog.fabrics-store.com/2020/01/21/an-introduction-to-natural-dyes
Explore Analogous Practices
In the HT/TH field, we spend much of our professional time working in gardens and with plants, why not try something different to benefit yourself?
Forest Therapy
Ok, so this is still working with plants, but the focus and approach are different, and it is always beneficial to put yourself in the role of participant. https://www.forestbathingfinder.com/find-a-walk
Blue Therapy
The British have embraced blue therapy exercises which can include wild swimming, walking along the banks of a river or in sight of the seashore, sitting on a beach and listening to the waves crashing around you. Some therapists believe blue therapy is as effective as green therapies in improving mental health and quality of life. https://sophiecrossley.co.uk/2024/02/27/my-blue-therapy-positive-effects-of-blue-space-on-mental-health/
Music Therapy
Learn how to create a personalized mental health play list. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/202012/5-steps-help-you-make-mental-health-playlist
Somatic therapies
A holistic approach to mental health that incorporates practices like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation to help unlock insights into the mind-body connection and facilitate healing.
Somatic Yoga
This differs from other styles of yoga as it focuses on how movements feel to you from the inside, rather than how they look to anyone else.
https://denizaydoslu.com/what-is-somatic-yoga
Breath Work
3 Breathing Techniques for Better Health with James Nestor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qOMTqedPrk
Micro Meditation
Begin with this master class conducted by Jon Kabat-Zinn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WnZisfYMsE
Yearn to Travel?
Why not try a cinematic escape that offers stunning scenery?
Africa
Out of Africa-1985
This classic cinematic retelling of Karen Blixen’s 1937 memoir, about life in what was then British East Africa, is about as accurate a representation of the actual location as was possible to film. The dramatic shots of the picturesque Chyulu Hills, and the overall effect is utterly transporting.
Dare to Be Wild – 2020
Filmed in Ethiopia, Ireland and England. Based on the true story of Irishwoman Mary Reynold’s journey from rank outsider to winner of a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.
China
The Red Lantern-1991
China in the 1920s. After her father’s death, Songlian is forced to marry the wealthy Master Chen. With three wives already, each living in a separate house, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained. Filmed in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
France/Provence
A Good Year-2006
A British romantic drama set in Provence, in the south of France. With the amazing views and the wonderful atmosphere of this land as a backdrop, the action unfolds, captivates and enthralls and it may just make you want to leave behind the hustle and bustle of city life for good.
Iceland
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty-2013
This whimsical, adventurous rom-com traverses some gorgeous, rugged landscapes. It’s a visual tour-de-force which has Iceland stand in for both Greenland and the Himalayas. All that and it plays itself, too, with scenes shot on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, the Skogafoss waterfall and mountainous Vatnajökull National Park.
New Zealand
Whale Rider-2003
Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
US Yosemite National Park
Free Solo-2018
National Geographic Documentary Film is a stunning intimate and unflinching portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream, to climb the 3,000 ft. El Capitan without a rope.
Global
The Salt of the Earth-2014
This documentary is an account of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who traveled for 40 years through four continents and as he went, traced the effects of recent historical events on natural settings.
Take a Break From all Screens
Pick up a book from historical fiction and biographies to romance novels, there is nothing like getting lost within the story of a good book. This would be an ideal activity for your own digital detox café!
Start (or end) each day with a measure of Good News. Subscriptions and podcasts that soothe the mind and refresh the spirit.
Reasons to be Cheerful – https://reasonstobecheerful.world/
The Optimist Daily – https://www.optimistdaily.com
The Daily Good – news that inspires. https://www.dailygood.org/
Positive News – Good journalism about good things. https://www.positive.news
Podcasts
Happiness Break – from Greater Good Magazine Science Based Insights for a Meaningful Life. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/series/happiness_break
Terra Firma – from Colorado Public Radio https://www.cpr.org/podcast/terra-firma/ Seize the opportunity to integrate a personal wellness retreat into your busy life, one in which you are the designer, director and beneficiary. Such a retreat doesn’t have to come with considerable time or financial commitments. You decide all the details; what, where and when, of your personal wellness retreat. Maybe it occurs over the period of a week, or a weekend, perhaps it happens during sunrise or sunset each day. The theory being that if your retreat fits your lifestyle, you are more apt to follow through and thus benefit. So, grasp this seasonal opportunity to tap into the rhythm of late summer for a much-needed dose of serenity, tranquility and self-care.
