Quick Summary
- Effective self-care programming balances guided activities with plenty of unstructured time.
- The 23 activities below fall into six groups: physical, mental and emotional, creative, spiritual, social, and relaxation.
- Keep every activity optional so women can choose what restores them.
- Adjust your plan by season, and aim for two to three structured activities a day.
- Camp Tekoa's lake, trails, chapel, and porches support both quiet and social programming.
Understanding Self-Care in a Retreat Setting
Before choosing activities, it helps to remember what self-care means in a group. Women need guided experiences, and they also need free time to recharge on their own. A good schedule respects different personalities and energy levels while still building community through shared moments.
The goal is not to do everything. It is to offer enough variety that each woman can shape her own weekend. The activities below are designed to be mixed, matched, and adapted to your group.
Physical Wellness Activities
Physical self-care helps women reconnect with their bodies and release stress through gentle movement.
- Guided nature walks: Camp Tekoa's hiking trails offer settings for walks that can be gentle or invigorating, depending on your group's fitness levels.
- Lake time: Paddling, enjoying the water, or simply sitting along the shore of the 3-acre lake offers refreshing time outdoors.
- Walking meditation: Pairing slow movement with mindfulness creates a gentle practice that suits nearly every ability.
- Morning stretch session: A short, guided stretch on the lawn or in a meeting room helps women ease into the day without pressure.
Mental and Emotional Wellness Activities
Mental self-care creates space for reflection, processing, and honest expression.
- Journaling circles: Guided journaling followed by optional sharing gives women a safe way to sort through thoughts and feelings.
- Quiet reflection time: Set aside stretches of silence in peaceful places, such as the Chapel in the Woods, for uninterrupted contemplation.
- Creative writing workshops: Poetry, letters, or personal narratives let women express themselves without judgment.
- Discussion circles: Facilitated conversations about life transitions, motherhood, faith, or career changes build authentic connections.
Creative and Expressive Activities
Creativity offers an outlet for self-expression and taps into the restorative power of making something meaningful.
- Crafting circles: Making jewelry, decorative items, or gifts for loved ones channels creativity into something tangible.
- Music and singing sessions: Singing together or learning a new song brings joy and emotional release.
- Photography walks: Capturing the natural beauty around camp encourages mindful observation.
- Collage creation: Cutting, pasting, and arranging images that reflect aspirations, values, or a current life chapter makes reflection visual.
Spiritual and Meaningful Connection Activities
For many women, spiritual care is the heart of a retreat. These activities can be adapted to your group's faith tradition.
- Worship or spiritual gatherings: Structured time for worship, prayer, or Scripture nourishes the soul and anchors the weekend.
- Prayer or intention-setting sessions: Guided activities help women clarify their values and set meaningful goals.
- Scripture reflection walks: Pair a short passage with a quiet walk, then gather to share what each woman noticed.
- Gratitude practices: Gratitude circles or a shared gratitude jar shift attention toward what is already good.
Social Connection Activities
Self-care also means nourishing relationships and building community with other women.
- Shared meals: Unhurried mealtimes in the dining hall create natural opportunities for conversation.
- Small group time: Intimate gatherings encourage meaningful dialogue and lasting friendships.
- Accountability or mentoring pairs: Matching women for one-on-one conversations creates space for deeper sharing and support.
- Campfire gatherings: Sitting around the campfire circle with s'mores, stories, or simple conversation under the stars builds warmth and trust.
Relaxation and Restoration Activities
These quieter activities provide essential downtime, and they are often what women remember most.
- Quiet reading time: Designated periods in comfortable spaces let women escape into a book or magazine.
- Stargazing evenings: Looking up at the night sky from a mountain setting invites wonder and perspective.
- Porch rocking-chair time: Resting in the rocking chairs on a porch such as the Laurel Back Porch offers both solitude and optional company.
Self-Care Ideas by Season
Season shapes what self-care looks like, and a few small adjustments can make your retreat feel tailored. Camp Tekoa hosts retreats in the spring, fall, and winter, so those are the seasons to plan around if you are booking with us. We have included summer too, since many women's ministries gather in the warmer months and these ideas work almost anywhere.
Winter
Winter calls for warmth and introspection. Camp Tekoa's heated buildings are available from mid-October to mid-April, which makes cozy indoor programming easy. Offer hot tea and cocoa stations, fireside conversation circles, and extended journaling or reflection time. Blankets turn evening stargazing into a comfortable tradition.
Spring
Spring is a natural fit for renewal and fresh beginnings. Longer walks and lakeside time become possible as the weather warms. Vision-setting workshops and goal-clarification sessions align well with the season, and photography or sketching walks capture new growth.
Summer
Summer calls for light, outdoor-friendly programming. Plan shaded porch conversations, early-morning walks, water-based activities, and late evening gatherings, and schedule active sessions in the morning so afternoons stay open for rest. Camp Tekoa does not host retreats in the summer, but these ideas translate well to a summer gathering at your church, a home, or another venue, and many can be saved for a fall retreat with us.
Fall
Fall pairs well with gratitude and reflection. Cooler evenings invite campfires, and changing leaves make beautiful backdrops for prayer walks and photography. Gratitude circles feel especially fitting at this time of year.
Structuring Your Women's Retreat Schedule
A strong women's retreat schedule balances programmed activities with open time. A sample day might begin with a guided activity, such as a walking meditation, followed by breakfast and optional small group sessions. Midday leaves room for quiet activities, rest, or spontaneous connection.
Afternoon programming might include a workshop or creative activity, with early evening reserved for personal preparation before a shared dinner. Evenings can close with optional gatherings, such as a campfire or stargazing, and a gentle end for those who prefer to rest. Offering activities in different spaces at the same time lets each woman choose what serves her best.
Practical Tips for Self-Care Programming
Share your activity options in pre-retreat materials so women can anticipate the weekend and prepare. Make every activity optional, and let rest count as a valid choice. Offer easier and more challenging versions of physical activities, such as shorter and longer hikes.
Set aside calm, designated quiet spaces for anyone who feels overwhelmed. Encourage facilitators to focus on experience rather than performance. Finally, help women choose one practice to carry home, such as a journaling habit or a weekly walk, so the benefits last beyond the weekend.
Hosting Your Women's Retreat at Camp Tekoa
Camp Tekoa gives you a variety of spaces for programming at once. The Chapel in the Woods seats 100 and offers a peaceful setting for worship and reflection. Laurel Main seats 75, the Laurel Back Porch seats 60, and the open-air pavilion and campfire circle offer room to gather in larger groups.
Your group can choose from cabins and lodges of many sizes, which you can browse on our accommodations page. Food service is required for all groups, and meals are served cafeteria-style in the 185-seat dining hall. If your group wants to cook for itself, Thrushwood Lodge is available to book.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many self-care activities should we schedule each day?
Aim for two to three structured activities a day, with significant unstructured time in between. Women need room to rest, process, and connect spontaneously, so a lighter schedule often works better than a full one.
What if attendees have different fitness levels?
Offer easy, moderate, and more challenging versions of hikes and movement activities. Make it clear that rest and quiet activities count as self-care too. Every woman should feel she can participate fully at her own pace.
How do we accommodate women with different spiritual backgrounds?
Use inclusive language, and offer spiritual activities as optional choices alongside non-spiritual ones. Focus on shared themes such as gratitude, intention-setting, and community. This helps every woman feel welcome.
Should self-care activities feel structured or relaxed?
Blend both. Some women thrive with guided structure, while others prefer flexibility. Offering both types throughout the weekend lets each woman find her own rhythm.
Can women take part in more than one activity at a time?
Yes. Scheduling different options in different spaces at the same time lets each woman design her own experience based on what she needs.
Plan Your Women's Retreat at Camp Tekoa
A women's retreat centered on self-care can leave a lasting mark on everyone who attends. If you are still shaping your plans, our guide on how to plan a group self-care retreat walks through each step, and our ideas for your women's retreat offers themes and workshops to build around. To talk about dates, lodging, and programming, contact our team at Camp Tekoa Retreats in Hendersonville, NC.