Spiritual retreats are a time to gain something more from your travels than lying on a beach and soaking in the sun, although that of course may also be part of it. Many times, spiritual retreats are not based on any one religion but rather on a belief that all religions and philosophies hold their own truths. You gain confidence, clarity, and spiritual growth from these kinds of retreats. It requires more than packing a suitcase to get the most out of one. Here are a few ways to make sure you prepare for a spiritual retreat.

Make a commitment. One of the hardest things to overcome in modern-day society is breaking away from your distractions in order to focus solely on your retreat. It will be difficult for most, but you really must commit yourself to breaking away from the noise and busy-ness of your everyday life so you can quiet your mind. In our world of hyper-communication, we feel we must always be available to others or look at multiple feeds of what’s going on in the world and in our social sphere. There’s an addiction element to this so you may find it difficult, so make the commitment to yourself to truly break away during this time.

Set your intention. Ask yourself what you really hope to receive from your spiritual retreat. Is it clarity on a nagging issue? Letting go of something negative that happened to you? Finding true relaxation for once? The purpose of a spiritual retreat will be different for every attendee. You might take time to journal about what you want to accomplish with this time away. Think about what you write down and turn these thoughts into one or two specific intentions for attending this retreat.

Be ready to reflect. Many people are looking for a level of growth or renewal from a spiritual retreat. Reflection is an important part of this change. Many retreats focused on the spiritual allow you a lot of time to be with your thoughts—considering where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. Self-reflection involves an honesty with yourself and about your decisions. So be prepared to dive deeply into yourself and your motivations.

Spiritual retreats are unique in that very little other activity replaces this time away to think about your life. Journeys to Heal offers spiritual retreats on a regular basis. In the recent past, we have visited Costa Rica, Peru, and Mexico as a part of our retreats. Our journeys include coaching, applying techniques and exercises for growth, meditations, and other sacred ancient healing modalities that guide participants to release the old and bring inner peace. Make a plan to embark on a miraculous spiritual journey through one of these retreats.