Retreat at home
Reclaiming your radiance through midlife transitions with a lush home retreat. By Desi Bartlett and Dr. Natiya Guin
Reading time: 4 minutes
Have you always wanted to go on a retreat but, for whatever reason — money, time, or uncertainty — it just hasn’t worked out? You’re not alone. Many people dream of stepping away from daily demands to immerse themselves in deep nourishment, yet finding the right moment can feel elusive.
But here’s the truth: You don’t have to wait for the ‘perfect’ time. You can create a retreat experience at home, honouring your body, mind and spirit while navigating the profound shifts of life, including perimenopause and beyond.
Why midlife demands deep care
Perimenopause is a threshold — a passage into a new era of wisdom, strength and self-awareness. Yet, society often frames this time as something to be managed, rather than honoured. It involves the profound changes and eventual reduction in hormone levels including oestrogen and progesterone (and to a lesser extent testosterone) that spans an average of 10 years, often during a phase of intense work and responsibility for many women. It takes grace, strength and supportive tools to navigate this season of life feeling nourished and empowered.
As hormones shift, we experience physical, emotional and energetic changes:
Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats) ask us to regulate and cool. Sleep disturbances remind us to slow down and restore.
Weight fluctuations signal the need for balance, both nutritionally and emotionally.
Yet, beyond these biological shifts, there is an invitation, a calling to tend to our inner world as much as our outer. A retreat, whether in-person or at home, offers the space to do just that.
The ideal experience: a retreat away
When possible, stepping into a retreat away from home is a profound gift. Immersing yourself in nature, sacred sisterhood, and guided wellness practices allows you to fully disconnect from routine and reconnect with yourself.
At our Radiant Renewal Retreat, we embrace the wisdom of the elements — Earth, Fire, Water, and Air — to guide women through this transformational stage of life. Each element represents an essential piece of the perimenopausal journey:
Earth (Grounding & Nourishment): Rooting into your body, stabilising energy, and nourishing from within.
Fire (Metabolism & Passion): Honouring hormonal shifts while stoking inner radiance.
Water (Emotional Release & Renewal): Letting go, allowing flow and trusting transformation.
Air (Expression & Expansion): Breathing deeply, claiming your power and stepping into wisdom.
But if travelling isn’t an option, you can still bring the retreat home — one breath, one ritual, one moment at a time.
How to create your own retreat at home
Even if an in-person experience isn’t feasible right now, you can create a deeply restorative and transformational retreat in your own space. Here’s how:
1. Set sacred space
Choose a place in your home where you feel at ease and can move freely. Light a candle, diffuse essential oils and remove distractions. This is your sanctuary.
2. Plan your elements-inspired days
Choose a place in your home where you feel at ease and can move freely. Light a candle, diffuse essential oils and remove distractions. This is your sanctuary.
Day 1: Earth – Grounding & Nourishment
Start with a slow, grounding yoga practice.
Eat warm, nourishing meals.
Meditate with a focus on stability and gratitude.
Learn about the seasons of your hormonal life and increase your connection to yourself.
Day 2: Fire – Passion & Strength
Engage in a strength-focused yoga or movement session.
Reflect on what no longer serves you—write it down and release it (burn or discard).
Learn something new that excites you.
Learn the functions of your female hormones and be ignited by their powerful messaging in your body.
Day 3: Water – Flow & Emotional Release
Take a salt bath or spend time near water.
Journal about what emotions need to be released.
Practice slow, fluid movement like yin yoga or stretching.
Acknowledge the hormonal shifts that have caused blockages in your energy and overall health (often in the form of low libido, sleep problems, decreased bone density), and learn tools to support them, so that you can flow in alignment with your highest health.
Day 4: Air – Breath & Self-Expression
Practice deep breathing techniques and meditation.
Speak affirmations aloud: I am wise, I am whole, I am radiant.
Express yourself — write, create, or simply share your truth.
Learn tools to support your endocrine system (hormone producing gland network) and simultaneously increase the health and radiance of your skin, feeling empowered and confident as you step into the world.
3. Minimise distractions
Put your phone on airplane mode, set an autoresponder, and let those around you know that this is your time for deep self-care.
4. Nourish and hydrate
Support your body with nutrient-dense, hormone-balancing foods and plenty of hydration. Herbal teas like raspberry leaf and ashwagandha can support hormonal balance.
5. Engage in stillness
Retreats aren’t just about doing, they’re about being. Sit in silence, listen inward, and allow space for insight to emerge.
Your radiant renewal starts now
Whether you join us in person at our Radiant Renewal Retreat or create your own retreat at home, the most important thing is this: You deserve this time.
Perimenopause and midlife are not a time of decline — they are a time of awakening, of stepping into your fullest expression, of reclaiming your radiance.
Are you ready to begin? Join us in person, or start your own Radiant Renewal retreat today. Because this is your time to shine.
Discover more about the Radiant Renewal Retreat at: desibartlett.com/radiant-renewal
Photos: Dr Natiya Guin (drnatiya.com)
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
