How to Recharge your Creativity and Refresh your Spirit

I spent the weekend on a spiritual retreat. It's something that I've done in the past and I've been wanting to do again. I finally found the time to get away from everything for a few days. It was incredibly challenging at the same time that it was reinvigorating.

One of the main challenges was the cold temperatures. My fingers are still stiff from spending about 40 hours outside when the temperature didn't get above 40 degrees. I huddled around the fire, and the first night I did so underneath an umbrella since it was raining too. But in the midst of the cold and rain, I had time to completely unplug. I didn't have cell coverage out there, so I couldn't be posting my experience on facebook. I had no entertainment, no distractions (except for the cold and wet) and no more excuses.

It was time for me to have all those thoughts that have been building up over time. Time for me to sit and ponder the ponderables. I prayed, sang a bit, thought through ideas, discarded those ideas, picked them up and thought through them again.

I hiked, stood by the lake, slept late and just enjoyed my time outside and away from it all. I need that time to reflect and rejuvenate. In the future I'll probably rent a cabin, or at least take more firewood. I was pretty cold. But it was worth it for the time I got to spend away from my normal life. It was a Sabbath time for my spirit and my creativity.

How do you refresh?