For episode homepage, resources and links, visit:   Description These days, disengaging, even briefly, is seen by many as self-indulgent and unproductive. Yet creating space for solitude, reflection and deliberate restoration and rejuvenation is a basic human need. Everyone can benefit, whether it’s for a weekend, a month, or a lifetime. Through her book, In Praise of Retreat: Finding Sanctuary in the Modern World, author Kirsteen MacLeod takes readers on an engaging and inspiring journey into our modern ways of retreating ― where we go, why we’re drawn, and how it’s urgent. Included is a historical perspective of retreating, but also Kirsteen’s own personal experience on retreats, from pilgrim paths to forest cabins, rented hermitages to arts temples and quiet havens for yoga and meditation.   Guest Bio Kirsteen MacLeod is a writer and yoga teacher. Her debut collection of short stories, The Animal Game, was published in 2016. Her fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction have appeared in prominent literary journals, including The New Quarterly and The Malahat Review; scores of her articles have been featured in leading Canadian magazines; and her work has been a finalist for the CBC Literary Award in creative non-fiction, among other awards. She divides her time between Kingston, Ontario, and a riverside cabin in the woods near Bancroft.   Host Bio Kristen Manieri is certified both as a habits coach and mindfulness teacher. She specializes in: stress reduction, energy management, mindset, resilience, focus, habit formation, rest rituals, and prioritizing personal well-being. As the host of the weekly 60 Mindful Minutes podcast, an Apple top 100 social science podcast, Kristen has interviewed over 120 authors and thought leaders about what it means to live a more conscious, connected, intentional AND joyful life. Learn more at https://kristenmanieri.com/work-with-me/.   Mentioned in this Episode Guest’s website: https://www.kirsteenmacleod.ca/   Guest’s book: In Praise of Retreat: Finding Sanctuary in the Modern World https://bookshop.org/books/in-praise-of-retreat-finding-sanctuary-in-the-modern-world/9781770414730 Connect with the 60 Mindful Minutes podcast   Web: https://kristenmanieri.com Email: Kristen@kristenmanieri.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/60MindfulMinutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenmanieri_/