Not all rest looks the same—and that’s the beauty of it.
For some, rest is curling up with a journal in a quiet cabin. For others, it’s dancing barefoot at sunset, plunging into a cold lake, or getting lost in the scent of eucalyptus in a steam room.
Whether you're stepping away from your role as a caregiver, public servant, health professional, or simply someone who’s been in “go mode” for too long, a retreat is most powerful when it honours your natural rhythm.
This is where the idea of sacred pathways comes in. It's a breakdown of retreat styles inspired by a book by Gary Thomas that highlights 9 ways to connect with God.
Many people find deep rest and renewal by blending multiple pathways together.
Explore a list of 9 Sacred Pathways to find the ones that speaks most to you—and imagine how you might blend two or more to create your own personal retreat.
🌿 1. The Naturalist
You feel restored by nature, movement, and the outdoors.
If your idea of peace involves wind in your hair and your feet in the earth, you might be a Naturalist. You thrive in open skies, forests, and lakeside trails. Even a single day unplugged in a nearby nature preserve can offer clarity and calm.
Your Retreat Style:
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Forest bathing or eco-retreats
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Hiking, kayaking, or gentle outdoor movement
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Gardening or nature photography
🎵 2. The Sensate
You come alive through sensory experiences—beauty, sound, texture, aroma.
If a perfect retreat day involves candlelight, music, massage, or delicious food, you’re likely a Sensate. You relax through sensory immersion. Pro tip: Keep your phone away. Let your senses do the absorbing.
Your Retreat Style:
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Cuddling with a blanket and a beautiful essential oil diffuser
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Slow multi course dining experiences with live music in a beautiful ambiance
🕯️ 3. The Traditionalist
You find comfort in tradition, history, structure, rituals, and meaningful routines.
You may enjoy setting intentions, journaling at the same time each day, or repeating a personal mantra. For you, structure creates space for reflection.
Structure can be healing when it feels chosen—not imposed.
Your Retreat Style:
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Guided wellness programs or structured day retreats
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Visiting museums, art galleries, historical churches
🌾 4. The Ascetic
You recharge through simplicity, solitude, and silence.
You’re not escaping people—you’re returning to yourself. You crave minimal distractions and value inner stillness. Remember: Solitude is not loneliness when it’s intentional.
Your Retreat Style:
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Silent retreats or unplugged weekends
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Monastic settings or minimalist cabins
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Journaling, meditation, and stillness
🛠️ 5. The Activist
You feel energized by justice, purpose, and taking action.
Yes, some people find retreat in giving back. Your reset doesn't have to mean doing nothing if that feels daunting. It can simply mean doing something different—without urgency. Let this time clarify your mission—not drain it.
Your Retreat Style:
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Outreach, fundraising for a meaningful cause
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Volunteering in new ways (e.g., environmental clean-ups or creative projects)
🫶 6. The Caregiver
You feel deeply fulfilled when nurturing others.
If you're a professional caregiver—nurse, therapist, parent, support worker—your retreat needs to be different from your everyday giving. You still crave connection, but in ways that don’t require emotional labor.
Give care in ways that nourish you, not deplete you.
Your Retreat Style:
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Caring for plants, nature, or yourself (facials, hair days, etc)
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Creative projects that express compassion (like making herbal oils or care packages)
🎉 7. The Enthusiast
You thrive on joy, movement, and celebration.
You light up during group activities, spontaneous fun, or anything with music and movement. Let yourself feel free, loud, and unstructured—it's your medicine.
Your Retreat Style:
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Dance therapy, or creative workshops
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Joy retreats focused on laughter, play, and music
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Travel-based getaways that spark your sense of adventure
💗 8. The Contemplative
You long for deep emotional connection and stillness.
You may find healing in meaningful conversation, heartfelt reflection, or sitting quietly with yourself or someone you trust. You don’t need to do much. You just need to be with what is.
Your Retreat Style:
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Guided journaling or deep self-reflection exercises
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Heart-opening practices like intimacy workshops & healing circles
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Retreats centered around emotional healing or connection
📚 9. The Intellectual
You feel alive when you're learning, analyzing, or thinking deeply.
If you're someone whose work revolves around constant mental output (think doctors, strategists, educators, program managers), your retreat shouldn’t mean more of the same. Learning can still be leisure—if it feeds a different part of you.
Your Retreat Style:
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Taking a course or seminar on a subject matter that is totally different from your normal domain
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Leaning new things, spending time on intentional research, writing a book
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Explore an entirely different field—art if you work in science, storytelling if you're a data person
Reflection: What’s Your Pathway?
When planning a retreat—whether it’s one hour, one day, or one week—choose the experience that meets you where you are, not who you think you're supposed to be.
The key is to be honest about what you need right now—then choose what supports that.
Whether it’s a deep conversation, a quiet walk in nature, or a full day at a Nordik spa with eucalyptus steam, cold plunges, and silence between saunas…
Give yourself permission to rest. To reconnect. To retreat.
And remember to breathe.
To give your legs a mini retreat everyday, book a free consultation to learn about how compression wear can support you!