NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by an AI tool. Please forgive any typos or errors. Video Crafting Your Affordable Retreat: Expert How-To Guide === [00:00:00] Cara: My intention today is simple, yet profound. I'm on a mission to provide you with a practical insights and strategies. That will empower you to craft your own transformative retreat, Tailored to your unique vision and resources. I'm debulking. The notion that transformation is reserved to those with lavish budgets. [00:00:20] Cara: Instead, I'm here to guide you through the art of designing an impactful retreat within various budget constraints. [00:00:28] Cara: whether you're navigating a tight budget or seeking to maximize every resource available. Get ready to unlock the secrets of curating a retreat. That holds the potential to spark profound, personal transformation. Let's embark on this journey together and discover how we can curate a retreat experience. That transcends financial boundaries. And fosters. unparalleled growth. [00:00:52] Cara: Let me tell you that the thing that kept me afloat during the pandemic being locked in a house with my family was creating [00:01:00] retreats. [00:01:00] Cara: They would be maximum 24 hours, but I created these retreats to have a profound impact for that 24 hours that I devoted to myself. I barely left the house and I still had these moments. I hope that this episode empowers you to create a retreat, even if it's only 24 hours to devote to your mind, body and soul. If there's one episode that I want you to dive into and implements immediately, this one's that this is so powerful. And I can't wait to dive in. [00:01:32] Intro --- [00:01:32] Cara: Welcome to an episode that shatters The myth. that transformative experiences come with a hefty price tag. Today, we're diving into the world of transformative retreats, a space where your personal growth and profound shifts can happen regardless of your financial boundaries. [00:01:51] Cara: Here's the promise. Imagine embarking on a journey of self discovery, rejuvenation and growth, not hindered by your [00:02:00] budget constraints. We're here to uncover the immense potential within each of us to create a powerful and life altering retreat experience. One that transcends financial limitations. [00:02:13] Step 1: Budget Assessment --- [00:02:13] Cara: Step one budget assessment. What if I told you you could curate a retreat for $0. Do you know why I know this is because I did it ultimately throughout 2020. I created the ultimate 24 hour retreats, multiple times costing $0. It was in the same house my family was and it took. Learning and boundaries for me to be able to create a space where I could rejuvenate, refresh whatever my purpose of. This retreat was supposed to be. But it's important to figure out what your budget is. [00:02:46] Cara: And the first step is where it's going to be, because ultimately that's going to take. The most amount of money. [00:02:53] Cara: Like I said, you can create every treat in your own home. You can be in your bedroom while your family's [00:03:00] downstairs. But it's going to take you setting the boundaries with your family to say, I'm taking the next 24 hours. I need this time. I need this space. So if we can work out a schedule where I can be in certain places to focus on myself, And sometimes it may take a few times of doing that for the boundaries and the expectations to be met. But no, you can create. [00:03:23] Cara: Uh, rejuvinating retreat in your own home. It just takes a little extra work. And clarity with those around you who will be affected. [00:03:32] Cara: I've also curated at retreats at retreat centers or on vacations. I have tried to take every single vacation I've taken by myself or with my family and curated a retreat experience for me within those trips. ' cause for me, if I'm taking time off or I'm traveling, I still want to have this factor of. [00:03:53] Cara: Investing in myself. [00:03:55] Cara: making sure that there's an aspect of a [00:04:00] retreat in every trip has become a part of. My planning. [00:04:04] Cara: I have also taken retreats at staying at a hotel for just one evening. And so again, it takes. Planning out the 24 hours that you have at this hotel and making sure you're maximizing the time. if you have a few hundred dollars and you want to leave your house, then use that you can curate as a retreat at the regular old Hampton and down the street from your house. [00:04:28] Cara: Just understand that the lower the budget, the more creative and clear you need to be with what you're going to need money for. So the first step in budget awareness is where is it going to be? The next step is food. You have to make sure that. You're going to be covering your nutritional needs. In this time. [00:04:49] Cara: Once you've covered housing and food, then you have the freedom to use the money. In any way that you want, if you want [00:05:00] to be able to go to an in-person workshop. If you want to be able to, you do free videos on YouTube. It's up to you, how you want to spend it. If there's someone that you've been wanting to do a session with, Then that would be the point you would want to start with. [00:05:15] Cara: So once you have your budget aside, then you're just going to want to make sure that the place. Is set first. The food is next. And then from there we can distribute the money. If any, to the activities that you like, and remember, you can do this for free. We'll go over that. [00:05:31] Cara: And the next few steps. [00:05:33] Step 2: Duration Consideration --- [00:05:33] Cara: Step two is duration consideration. Now if your budget is on the lower end, I would consider just working with 24 hours. I have gotten so much. Out of my retreats. When I've planned only 24 hours. So just because you can't go on a days long retreat doesn't mean it's not going to be impactful. [00:05:55] Cara: If you are looking for something that is longer, I would [00:06:00] consider the idea of camping. [00:06:01] Cara: There's so many ways that you can reduce costs in how much it costs to stay somewhere and use that in other areas. [00:06:11] Cara: Now, like I said before, a lot of my retreats have been built into family vacations. I built in. Just a few hours and a family vacation to nourish my mind, body and soul. And these are things that I have conversation with my family ahead of time. So expectations are already. Communicated so that they know what to expect of me, and then they can help me be able to achieve that. [00:06:37] Cara: I've gone on 11 day trip. [00:06:39] Cara: while it wasn't a retreat, I implemented so many things to help nourish my mind, body and soul. Within that. Trip. [00:06:48] Cara: Now the longest retreat that I've been on was actually only three days and it was at a retreat center. And so the beautiful thing Is, if you find a retreat center [00:07:00] that has almost everything that you want into it. You can always implement those other things if possible. So for example, when I went on this three day retreat at the art of living center, There was some other aspects I wanted involved in it that I had to plan Aside for myself. There was someone who I wanted to have a session with. [00:07:22] Cara: And so I made sure that her schedule met up with my schedule while I was on this retreat. [00:07:28] Cara: I also wanted to do a hiking excursion. And so I just communicated with my family that when the retreat was over, I was going to go on a hike and then get in the car on the way home. So while the retreat center checked, the majority of the boxes. I filled in those other areas that I wanted to truly do for myself. I also kept in mind that there was a lot of things that I was able to do in the hotel room to help. With my mind, body soul connection. so it's up to us [00:08:00] to. Think ahead of time of what we want and to be able to follow through with that after. [00:08:04] Step 3: What type of retreat? --- [00:08:04] Cara: Step three. What type of retreat are you wanting to nourish your mind? Body and soul. What is the intention that you want when you put this time and energy into yourself? [00:08:17] Cara: Now mind you, you don't have to choose just one, but you have to be clear on the different aspects that you want to incorporate in your retreat. Is it going to be personal growth? Is there going to be self-reflection. Is it going to be primarily for rejuvenation? Fitness health. Self-regulation awareness, spiritual. [00:08:39] Cara: The next part is going to take a little time and reflection to see what's going to nourish myself fully. What are the activities that I would want to do? And just make sure that you have one to three intentions or types of activities that you want to have in this experience for [00:09:00] yourself. [00:09:00] Cara: So say for example, I want to invest in my business. And myself on a retreat. I have courses that I've taken in the past that I still have access to. And so instead of spending money on a new experience, I can go back through on things that I've already invested my money in. And revisit those things. And so it's a way that you can still invest into whatever you want to do. [00:09:28] Cara: And so look at the things that you've already invested in. That's like, oh, I did this course, but I didn't give it my full attention. I like to revisit it. Or there's so many podcasts and YouTube. Videos that can help you. In what you're looking to do. So again, you can invest in yourself without having to actually spend money to do it. [00:09:49] Step 4: Energy Alignment --- [00:09:49] Cara: Step four is energy alignment in activities. What does that mean? This is actually primarily why I created [00:10:00] these retreats for myself. The first factor that I would take into places. Where am I in my cycle? Because if I am in the follicular phase, This is a great time for me to try something new. And maybe plan out some things in my business. [00:10:15] Cara: If I'm bringing my business into it. [00:10:18] Cara: If I'm around my ovulatory phase. This is maybe when I want to actually go out. I want to see people. I want to actually do a workshop with other people. And engage. Do things have more adventure into my life. [00:10:34] Cara: Now if I'm in my luteal phase, I am energetically wanting to retract. And so I might not want to be in a space where there's a lot of people. I want to be a little bit more on my own. This is when my intuition is the highest. So I really like to have time to meditate and really be able to connect with myself without having the outside distractions. And then lastly, if I'm on my period, I want to just nourish myself [00:11:00] in the best way. I actually went on a retreat with a friend and we both ended up being on our period and we honestly drove around. And it was raining outside and we did a little hiking, but we didn't do anything strenuous. [00:11:14] Cara: We were more just. Letting us go with the flow. We had ideas of things that we wanted to do. We wanted to eat good food. I'll get more into that with step five, but understanding where you're at energetically, understanding where the seasons are at energetically. Are really helpful in deciding what type of activities that you want to do on this. [00:11:37] Cara: And honoring where you're at energetically, not forcing yourself to do things just because you had planned to do them. [00:11:45] Cara: So if you're wanting to do more adventurous stuff and you have a regular cycle, Then consider planning this trip around your cycle, but sometimes we don't have that luxury to be able to plan a trip around our cycle. [00:11:59] Cara: So [00:12:00] it's just having the awareness of ultimately what your energy is going to be like. In the activities that you plan. [00:12:07] Cara: So that of course takes. You having the practice of what your cycle is like also keeping in mind with the moon phases are when you're going to be traveling. Just so you know, energetically, maybe what you're coming up to [00:12:20] . [00:12:20] Step 5: Create a mutable experience --- [00:12:20] Cara: Step five is creating a mutable experience. That is something that can adapt to your individual needs and your energy. So it's just being mindful of where you're at and not forcing yourself to do things because you think you should, this is meant to be something to fully invest into yourself. So if you're forcing yourself to be adventurous, when you need more rest and relaxation. Consider that. sometimes. We can't plan things exactly to where we're at in our cycle. So if there's something that you could maybe plan last minute and not set yourself up for disappointment or failure and leaving [00:13:00] for the mutable experience and for you to be able to. I assess how you feel and plan enough. Ahead of time, but to be able to move with your energy while you're actually in it. [00:13:14] Step 6: Establish a safe space --- [00:13:14] Cara: Step six is establishing a safe space. So it goes back to finding a location that you can feel safe in investing in yourself. So, like I said, you can do a retreat in your home, but it's going to take that communication with the people affected that. Maybe your timing of where you're going to be so that you can avoid being interrupted. [00:13:40] Cara: If you're trying to meditate, if you're trying to journal, if you're trying to take a bath. it's understanding that maybe. Going to a hotel for a night might be better within your budget so that you can have that safe space. [00:13:55] Cara: Of course going to a retreat center is going to offer that feeling of a safe [00:14:00] space and make sure that you do plenty of research before you go anywhere. You can consider going to an Airbnb if you truly want to be on your own. So just think about what you want the experience to be. If you want to be on your own, if you want to be around other people and making sure that you create that safe space for yourself so that you can really embody what you're trying to do on this retreat that you curated for yourself. [00:14:26] Step 7: Activity Planning --- [00:14:26] Cara: Step seven is planning the activities that you want to do. There's so many things that you can do for yourself. They can be paid, they can be free. think about it. If you're deciding that you want to do this retreat for something specific, really think about what your budget is, of course. [00:14:44] Cara: And go from there. Like I said before, you can revisit past courses or workshops that you've done. If you're wanting to invest in certain areas of your life. If you want to be around, people consider going to a [00:15:00] yoga class or some sort of workshop in person. So it's going to take some reflection on what you truly want and this experience, and then planning your activities around it. But it's also, having that mutable experience, making sure that you can pivot. On what your energy is like. [00:15:18] Cara: When I went to a retreat over the summer. There was someone who ultimately just needed to spend time. For themselves and I'm sure they didn't plan it that way, but I think sometimes when we set expectations on ourselves, That we can't actually uphold. It doesn't make it for an enjoyable experience. try and plan the things that, you know, no matter what your energy levels are, you can do. [00:15:43] Cara: And then the other ones, if you can plan last minute or plan around or take the loss. You know, something that you had to pay for, and then back out of just know that that can always be a possibility. [00:15:55] Cara: You can go for a walk to move your body. You can [00:16:00] dance and have your own dance party. if you're already a part of a community, you can work in one of those workshops while you're on this retreat that you're created for yourself. [00:16:11] Cara: Like I said before, I actually went to a retreat center. Specifically for a program they had, but I integrated my own activities because they were important to me. And they took my retreat experience to a whole nother level. [00:16:25] Step 8: Closing ritual and integration --- [00:16:25] Cara: Step eight is by far the most important, and that is integration and having a closing ritual. Making sure you reflected on the retreat experience. What are you leaving behind in that experience? What are you taking with you? I had mentioned before when I went to an actual retreat center that I wanted to go on a hike afterwards. And it gives me time by myself because I do my best reflection when I don't have anybody else around. it was really important for me to be able to go on the hike. Ponder on the [00:17:00] things that I was able to take away and the things that I wanted to bring with me forward and how I can integrate the important parts of their retreats in my daily life. [00:17:11] Cara: Because how many times do we go to a workshop, to a retreat You know, you're in this spiritual bliss and then you go home and you're back to your day to day. So how can you integrate those special moments you experience? Into your work and home life. [00:17:26] Cara: Now, when I went to the retreat center, they did have a closing ritual and they had all the things that really checked the boxes. [00:17:32] Cara: But for me personally, I need that time to ponder the experience I had. what I wanted to take with it. Moving forward. [00:17:41] Conclusion --- [00:17:41] Cara: As we conclude our exploration into curating a transformational retreat. Let's recap, the essential steps we've uncovered. To help you create. A profound and impactful experience regardless. Of your budget constraints. Step one budget assessment. [00:18:00] Begin by understanding your financial boundaries and explore it creative ways to maximize your resources. Step two. Duration consideration. Reflect on the length of your retreat, understanding how it influences the depth of personal exploration and growth. [00:18:16] Cara: Step three. Retreat type identification, choose a retreat type aligned with your goals, whether it's fitness, self-regulation awareness or spiritual growth. Step four. Energy alignment in your activities. Tailor your activities to match your energy levels, optimizing engagement and impact. Step five. Create a mutable experience, embrace flexibility in your retreat structure to adapt individual needs. And journeys. [00:18:44] Cara: Step six, establish a safe space. [00:18:47] Cara: Prioritize a nurturing and supportive environment for yourself to foster a personalized experience. Step seven planning activities. Curate your [00:19:00] activities aligned with what you're trying to get out of the retreat to maximize your growth opportunities. Step eight integration and closing ritual. Reflect on how your retreat experience integrates into your daily life through a meaningful closing ritual plan on how it is actually integrated. [00:19:19] As I've unpacked these steps, I encourage each and every one of you to consider embarking on your unique journey of self discovery and growth. You hold the power to design a retreat experience that resonates deeply with your aspirations, resources, and intentions. [00:19:35] Cara: I [00:19:36] Cara: remember transformation isn't solely confined to a grand budget. Or exotic locations. It's about the intention, the commitment to growth, and the willingness to embrace the journey within [00:19:47] Cara: your personalized retreat, curated with intention and purpose holds the potential for profound shifts and lasting change. So take that first step, design your retreat, immerse yourself in the [00:20:00] process and allow it to be a catalyst for your personal evolution. [00:20:04] Cara: Your transformative journey begins. The moment you decide to mark on it. Embrace the possibilities. Discover the depths of your potential and embark on a retreat experience that nurtures your growth and self discovery. I've actually created a retreat planner and I want to revamp it. So hopefully by the time this episode comes out, I have. Made it, everything that it needs to be with these steps so that you can curate your perfect retreat for exactly where you're at. [00:20:34] Cara: As we wrap up this episode, remember that hitting the like button, leaving a comment and sharing this content. [00:20:40] Cara: You're not just supporting my channel. You're actively contributing to the flow of the seven universal laws. Together, we're cultivating a vibrant flowing stream of wisdom and positivity. So keep riding that cosmic current, keep sharing the love and until our next rendezvous stay true to your unique flow. So you and the [00:21:00] next adventure we'll chat soon. [00:21:01] Cara: If you want to learn more, check the show notes and all the links mentioned at caradempsey.com 98.