Article

It was one of those mornings when you wake up feeling like you’re running late, even though you’ve just opened your eyes. My alarm blared for 20 minutes before I finally forced myself out of bed. My mind was foggy, but the usual to-do list started piling in: email responses, a project deadline, grocery shopping, picking up the dry cleaning, and the ever-growing list of things I needed to ‘catch up on.’
It didn’t help that the house was silent. The air felt heavy, like it was trying to catch my breath and wouldn’t let me go. My body was sluggish, and I felt like I was carrying a weight that wasn’t there but somehow felt real. I wanted to move, but I didn’t know where to start.
I looked at my phone. Another notification. “You’re going to crush it today!” the app cheerfully exclaimed. That was the last thing I felt like hearing. The only thing I wanted was to crawl back into bed and disappear for just five minutes of peace.
But I couldn’t. Life doesn’t wait. The world doesn’t stop because you need a break. So I rolled out of bed, started my morning routine like I always did, and powered through. I’d gotten used to the constant buzz of “just keep going.” But today, something felt… different.

A Chance Encounter with Retreat
I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone during a lunch break when I stumbled across an ad for an app called Retreat. It wasn’t your typical wellness ad, filled with fake smiles and hashtags about finding balance. No, this one caught my eye. It was simple, calm, and spoke to something deep inside me. The tagline said: “Reconnect with yourself. Rediscover your peace.”

I almost swiped past it. I’d tried meditation apps before, I’d read all the books on mindfulness, and yet I still felt like I was racing through life without actually living it. But something about this app felt different—less about “getting things done” and more about being.
So, I downloaded it.

The First Step: Taking a Breath
I opened the app and was immediately greeted with a soft, welcoming tone. There was no hustle, no pressure. Just a voice telling me I was allowed to pause, to take a breath. That’s it. Just breathe.  
I didn’t even realize how badly I needed that reminder. My chest had been tight for so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to let go. I followed the guided breathwork session, and slowly, my body began to relax. The tension building in my neck and shoulders started to ease. My thoughts, which had been racing in every direction, began to slow down.  
I didn’t fix myself at that moment, but I felt something. A shift, perhaps. It was like I had just been handed permission to pause and feel.

The Calm After the Storm
A few weeks into my journey with Retreat, I started to notice subtle changes. I wasn’t so quick to react. I wasn’t rushing through conversations with loved ones, trying to squeeze in one more thing before the day ended. My mind felt clearer. I could feel my emotions more deeply and respond to them in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming.
At work, I noticed I wasn’t constantly burned out. I was still busy, but I was taking breaks. I was asking for help when I needed it. I was making decisions with clarity instead of reacting out of fear or exhaustion. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was doing things for myself—not just because I had to or because I should.
But the most unexpected part of this journey was how it affected my relationships. I had been so caught up in my head, in my stress, that I hadn’t realized how distant I had become from the people I loved. Now, I showed up differently. I listened. I was present. I wasn’t just there—I was with them, emotionally and mentally. And I could see the difference it made in our interactions. My conversations felt deeper. My connections felt real.

A Journey into Self
Over the next few days, I began exploring more of what Retreat had to offer. The more I delved into the app, the more I realized it wasn’t just about meditation (which, if I’m honest, had always felt a little “meh” to me). It was about transformation. And for someone like me, who was stuck in autopilot mode, this was exactly what I needed.
There were somatic breathwork sessions that felt like deep cleanses for my soul. I began unlocking emotions I didn’t even know I had stored inside. It was like opening the door to a part of me I had locked away to survive the day-to-day grind.
But what hit home for me was something called Internal Family Systems (IFS). It sounded a little complicated, but once I dove in, it was like I had found a roadmap to my mind.
IFS helped me identify parts of myself I hadn’t acknowledged in years. The “overachiever” part who pushed me to get up at 6 am every day, never allowing myself to slow down. The “people-pleaser” who was afraid of saying no, constantly worrying about letting others down. And then there was the part of me that was simply tired—tired of pretending I had it all together.
The best part? Retreat didn’t tell me to get rid of these parts. Instead, it taught me how to work with them, and how to integrate them into a more balanced version of myself. I didn’t need to banish my anxiety or perfectionism; I just needed to understand why they were there and find healthier ways to cope with them.

Where Retreat Takes You: The Future Is About Community
I’m not saying that Retreat is a magical cure-all. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. But for me, it was exactly what I needed to start the journey of self-healing. And here’s the thing: Retreat isn’t just about the tools. It’s about the community.
I discovered that there were others on the same path. Through the app’s upcoming community features, I was able to share my experiences and connect with like-minded people who were also on their journeys of healing and self-discovery. There was no judgment—just support, encouragement, and the shared desire to be better versions of ourselves.
And this is where Retreat takes you: it’s about evolving, not in isolation, but as part of a collective. Ash Moraca, the founder of Retreat, created this space because she understands that healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When we heal, we heal the world around us. Our transformation becomes part of a global shift in consciousness.

The Future of Healing: Consciousness Coaching Meets AI
And it gets even better. The future of Retreat includes AI-driven Consciousness Coaching—a feature that will help users measure their vibrational state and provide personalized insights and practices to elevate their energy.
Inspired by Dr. David Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness, this coaching tool will guide you through your spiritual growth, helping you understand where you are on your journey and offering practical tools to get where you want to go.
This is a game-changer, combining the best of technology and spirituality to make personal transformation more accessible than ever before. It’s like having a coach in your pocket—one who’s not just there for motivation, but to help you dive deep into your soul’s evolution.

The Invitation: Ready to Start Your Journey?
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re living life on autopilot, Retreat might be the invitation you’ve been waiting for. It’s not about fixing yourself. It’s about discovering who you are underneath all the noise and the hustle. It’s about living instead of just surviving.
So, if you're ready to take the first step toward transformation, I invite you to try it. Start your journey today with Retreat. Let it help you reconnect, heal, and grow into the best version of yourself.
Because at the end of the day, you deserve more than just a to-do list. You deserve peace. You deserve Retreat