The Art Of Retreating

When I think of the word “retreat”, I can’t help but going back to the history classes earlier in my life and remember what teachers would tell us about the greatest retreats in history, such as “The Ten Thousand” retreat, the one of Sir John Moore to Corunna in the Peninsula Way in the 1800’s and the famous Battle of Dunkirk.

Retreating is defined as the act of withdrawing from enemy forces and doing so at the right time, which has saved entire armies in many occasions throughout human history. 

Retreating assisted those in charge to try alternative tactics and strategies in order to impede the enemy's progress. Even though in modern times, we use the word “retreat” as a synonym of refreshing and revitalising, the benefits of retreating can be compared to those from the battles of the past.

When we are feeling exhausted and wondering how we are going to sustain our energy over the coming months, then, it is possibly a good time to retreat. ‘Retreating’ as a practice is making a come-back because withdrawing from our day to day activities is something that has the power to make us ‘sustainable’ as leaders (and human beings).

This can be done by:

1. Getting closer to nature to regain a sense of rhythm and pace.
2. Practising activities we enjoy doing, which are usually abandoned with busy schedules (yep! the enemy forces of today)
3. And finally allowing time to self-reflect so that our brains can be better positioned to plan and strategise about the future.

In the times we are living, it has become an imperative to give our brains an opportunity to experience some ‘down time’ in order to feel healthier, more innovative, inspired and rewired. Creating the space to recharge is key to develop an improved version of ourselves so we can take on life’s daily challenges with joy and courage.

The is our ‘down time’ from ‘business life’ and ‘busyness’. This Program is about spending four days with people and experts from all walks of life (neuroscientists, sleep scientists, gut specialists, design thinkers, systems thinkers). This retreat is a good reminder about the importance of slowing down, in doing so, we can explore our intuition, personal goals and vision.

This program is open to business leaders, consultants, coaches and anyone who wants to learn more about their leadership, brains, hearts and guts so that they can take these new insights back into their lives. Not only do we explore fascinating new science-based concepts, but we also strive to create belonging and a new understanding of what we need to do as humans to feel expansive and fulfilled.

Check out our Showreels for 2015 & 2016

Teachers from the 2016 i4 live retreat