“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.”

— Alan Watts

What if retreat itself was leverage?

Our October retreat will wait, but retreat in its truest sense is here now. It’s not about escape or achievement, but about loosening your grip and noticing that life is already happening. That’s what The ROOTED Weekly is for: a simple practice each week to ground you in presence. And as our vision grows, you’ll be the first to hear how future retreats, offerings, and services are taking shape, each designed to bring us back to what matters most: presence, connection, and joy lived fully.

🪷 Reflection

Retreat doesn’t always have to mean leaving everything behind. Each week we’ll simply offer a small invitation. A micro-retreat you can do on your own: a chance to unplug, reflect, spread joy, be present, and look inward.

If your time feels fragmented, if you’re questioning your direction, or if you notice the cycle of achieving one goal only to chase the next, you are not alone. Life can start to feel like a tightrope.

From Aristotle and Caesar to today’s founders and CEOs, leaders have always turned to retreat for clarity. What if retreat itself was a form of leverage you could use? A short practice of presence can ripple through the rest of your day.

🌿 Watering the Soil: The Invitation

Even ten or twenty minutes of quiet can bring surprising clarity. Flowers at the edge of your vision. Birds outside your window. These moments are always there, waiting for you to notice.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Meditation isn’t about “getting it right,” it’s simply about showing up.

Here’s a simple breathing practice to try this week:

How to begin:

• Find a comfortable seat.

• Breathe naturally, noticing the inhale and the exhale. Try to breathe into your belly.

• Pay attention to where you feel the breath, at your nose, in your chest, or in your belly.

• If it helps, count: one on the inhale and exhale, then two, then three.

• When your mind wanders, simply start again.

• Picture your thoughts as clouds drifting across the sky. They appear and pass without weight unless you hold onto them

✨ Resource of the Week

Try Waking Up Free for 30 Days

I’ve found real value in the Waking Up app by Sam Harris. It shifted my view of meditation; not as a goal to achieve, but as a direct exploration of consciousness itself.

It’s not just another meditation app:

• Step-by-step Introductory Course with Sam Harris

• Practices grounded in science, free from fluff or dogma

• Courses from leading thinkers on life’s biggest questions

Try Waking Up for Free

This is your chance to retreat, even for just a few moments today. Breathe, be, and notice the clarity that follows.

If you try this practice, We’d love to hear how it felt. Simply reply to this email and share your experience.

“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”

- Alan Watts

With love,
Andrew 
andrew@therootedway.co