You’ve done the hard work of designing your retreat, filling the spots, and getting everyone to your beautiful venue. But let’s be real – none of that guarantees a powerful, connected group experience.

Creating that magic of community – where your participants feel safe, seen, and supported – starts well before your retreat begins and hinges on those crucial first hours together.

So if you want to go beyond the surface and cultivate true transformation, here are 10 simple-yet-potent things you can do to lay the foundation for authentic connection and trust.

Whether you’re leading a spiritual pilgrimage, a business mastermind, or a wellness escape, these ideas will help turn your group of individuals into a bonded soul family.?

Before the Retreat: Laying the Foundation

1. Create a Private Group or Chat Thread Give your participants a space to meet each other before arriving. A private Facebook group, WhatsApp chat, or Slack channel works beautifully for this. Encourage light engagement with fun icebreakers like “Where are you coming from?” or “What are you most excited about?” This simple digital gathering place begins to dissolve the walls between strangers.

2. Host a Pre-Retreat Zoom Gathering A pre-retreat Zoom call can ease nerves and spark early bonding. Keep it casual – you might do a round of introductions, share your vision for the retreat, or guide a short visualization. Participants get a taste of the vibe and start building trust with you and each other.

3. Send a Personalized Welcome Email or Video A personal touch means a lot. Record a quick video or send a heartfelt welcome email to each attendee, letting them know how excited you are to meet them. Share a little about yourself and offer a warm reminder that this retreat is going to be deeply meaningful.

4. Invite Participants to Bring a “Sacred Object” or Small Gift Ask each person to bring something meaningful with them – a crystal, talisman, photo, quote, or a small gift to share in circle. This invites vulnerability, storytelling, and heartfelt connection right from the start. If you like, you can take all the objects and place them on a group altar and folks can add to it throughout the retreat.

At the Start of the Retreat: Setting the Vibe

5. Start with a Powerful Opening Circle Set the tone with an intentional opening circle. Ground the group, invite breathwork or meditation, and create space for authentic introductions. Ask soul-stirring questions like: “What’s your heart craving right now?” or “Why did you say yes to this retreat?”

6. Establish Group Agreements or Sacred Guidelines Co-create a safe, respectful container by inviting the group to help form shared agreements. These might include confidentiality, active listening, no fixing or rescuing, not talking over others, no interrupting, and honoring each other’s emotional process. This empowers everyone and builds trust.

7. Incorporate Fun & Low-Key Icebreaker Activities Not everyone opens up through deep sharing – sometimes it’s laughter and silliness that create the glue. Try playful activities like human bingo, movement games, or “two truths and a lie” to help people loosen up and get to know one another in a low-pressure way.

8. Create a Community Ritual or Shared Practice A daily ritual builds rhythm and connection. Light a candle together each morning, do a group check-in with one-word shares, pull a card from your favorite deck (mine is from The Four Agreements), or gather in a circle for a few breaths of presence. These small, consistent practices help anchor the group.

9. Be Radically Present and Warm as a Leader Your energy sets the tone. Be fully present as each person arrives. Know their names. Offer a hug or handshake. Ask how their journey was. When you model grounded, loving leadership, others relax into their own openness.

10. Model Vulnerability Right Away Don’t wait until the closing circle to share your heart. Open with a story about why this retreat matters to you. Share your hopes, your fears, your truth. When you show up fully, your participants will feel safe to do the same.

Sheri’s Wrap-Up:

True connection doesn’t just “happen” – it’s created through thoughtful intention and care. When you intentionally welcome your participants before the retreat and guide them into connection at the start, you create the kind of safe, sacred space where transformation can thrive.

So whether this is your first retreat or your fiftieth, remember: It’s not just about the logistics. It’s about the energy you weave from the very beginning. And that’s where the real magic begins. Let me know your favorite way of creating community and connect on YOUR retreats!