Micro-Retreats: Quick Escapes to Deepen Self-Connection and Bond with Others

Remember 2021? The first full year of the pandemic had passed, and we were still in it. After enduring months of strict national restrictions, Argentina finally began to open up, albeit in fits and starts. It was during this time that I realized just how much we, as humans, need to be around each other and connect on a deeper level than mere surface-based conversations.

To address this need, I started organizing "campo weekends" with my friends, taking us out of the city's confines and into the open air of the province. These weekends became a time for us to cook together, ride horses, play games, and strengthen our bonds. By collectively decompressing and appreciating the moment, we bolstered our own resilience. Over the remainder of the pandemic, campo weekends became a mainstay in our lives.

When I transitioned to full-time coaching in 2023, my purpose became clear: to build and strengthen connections within ourselves, with others, and with something greater than ourselves. Connection has always been the central thread in my life. One of the ways I accomplish this is through retreats. I thought, what if I took the idea of the campo weekend and transformed it into a mini or micro retreat experience? I could keep the same purpose—connection with others—and expand upon it, incorporating more intentional aspects of integrative coaching into our time together outside of our daily environments.

And that is exactly what I did. For just 24 hours over a weekend in June, I organized a micro retreat for an incredible and diverse group of women. The entry point was movement - as a Pilates instructor, most of the participants are also my reformer clients. But the experience was about much more than all of us moving our bodies in tandem. The theme of the brief reprieve was connection.

So we moved together. We ate together. We breathed deeply together. We reset our nervous systems. We laughed. We shared stories. We found points of commonality in our uniquely lived experiences, proving again that although we are all different, we are still all human.

I realized that coaching doesn't always have to look like a formal session on Zoom. It can be experiential, guided, and structured, yet still organic. The bonds formed in just 24 hours were a powerful reminder of the importance of connection in all its forms. These micro-engagements, even in their small increments, make a significant difference.

I guess all to say that in addition to regular five day retreats like the one I am co-hosting in November in Patagonia, I will definitely be organizing more micro-retreats.