Going on Retreat

The day after we arrived, I began my retreat discipline, and within hours I was into a routine of absolute silence.  After a few days my concentration intensified, and as frequently happens to me on extended retreat, I remembered once again what I always forget when I am engaged in the world:  I remembered what it feels like to enter the sweetness of complete release into silence—no appointments to keep, no deadlines, no time demons, nobody to engage, nothing but the simplest routine in a safe, warm dry sanctuary.—from Rabbi David A. Cooper’s, Entering the Sacred Mountain

    How often do you take time off to nurture your soul?  Have you taken one-half day, a full day, one week, or a month, to open yourself up to nourishing that part of you that calls out to be fed?  One way to “feed yourself” is to participate in a spiritual retreat.

What is a Retreat?

    Retreats come in many forms:  some take place in a specific religious community; others take place in non-denominational locations, or locations that aren’t dedicated to a particular religion.  Some have pre-determined schedules, others provide some scheduled activities with free time, and still others allow you to create your own retreat.  For some retreat centers, the focus is on taking a few hours, a few days, or longer to live in a mostly quiet atmosphere, where you can slow down, read, meditate, listen to talks, pray, or any combination of these or other activities.  Other retreats, such as Buddhist retreats, are silent, structured retreats with specific periods for meditation, work practice, meals and breaks; some meditation retreats are formal, and others are informal.

    There are many variations on these descriptions, but the main goals are pretty much the same:  providing time for reflection, contemplation, stillness, and nurturing your spirit, that part of you that connects with the everlasting and the infinite.  These goals are extremely difficult to attain in our everyday lives.

Why Bother Going on Retreat?

    Although the reasons for going on retreat may be appealing, they might sound self-indulgent to you.  There you go, “feeding” yourself while the rest of the world is speeding ahead without you, and the burdens you leave behind may have to be managed by someone else.  These conditions are probably true.  But can you be the most productive worker, spouse, parent, friend, when you are “driving on cruise control” with no time to fill that part of you that supports you in feeding the lives of others?  If you feel you need more justification to attend a retreat, consider the following:

v      You may have periods of feeling overwhelmed, out of control, or simply irritable.  How is your health affected when you have no down time to connect with your spirit?

v      You probably spend a lot of time meeting your duties and obligations (and no question these are important).  How much time do you allow for meeting your commitment to God, to the universe, to those you love, to nurturing yourself?

v      A retreat allows you to “create space” for buried wisdom to make itself known, and for you to tap into gratitude for your life.  How well does your daily life create that same space?

v      In taking time for meditation and contemplation, and as you slow down, you have a renewed understanding of the nature of time, its regularity, our conditioning to it, and our being dominated by it.  You experience both the restfulness and energizing effect of walking, resting, talking (when appropriate), and reflection.  Does your spiritual life deserve that kind of care?

We rarely have the opportunity to honor our spirit from one day to the next, and over time our spirit can become malnourished and weak.  A retreat feeds us in many different ways.

Why Do I Go on Retreat?

    I love going on Zen retreats, but they aren’t for everyone.  They are demanding, both physically and emotionally.  Long hours of meditation allow me to open, to soften, to relax, to reflect.  Sometimes I learn something new about my life; sometimes I learn an old lesson in a different way.  I appreciate the learning that comes from being still and silent; experiencing the beauty of nature; being with people who attend not only to deepen their own practices, but also to support mine.  I appreciate the beauty of ritual at formal retreats, and dropping all the trappings to flow into a mellow simplicity at informal, or what we call “bare bones,” retreats.  I love knowing that I don’t need to be responsible for establishing a schedule at retreat; I just need to show up at the appointed times, and honor the guidelines of silence and meals and working that we all try to respect and support in each other.  In many ways, I believe whatever depth my practice has reached comes from the retreats I attend, and my daily meditation maintains that cultivation of my practice, my spirit and my soul.

    The next time the world seems to be running your life, and you realize your spirit is suffering, consider a retreat.  There are many centers around you that would love to have you as their guest, as people join together to feed each other’s souls...........

In addition to her spiritual practices, Susan R. Quinn of the Quinn Company has been an independent consultant and trainer since 1978.  She specializes in facilitation of problem solving for teams and groups in conflict.  She is certified to train using the DiSC Personal Profile System.  Her other best-received training programs are “Dealing with Difficult People,”  “Managing Conflict,” and “Learning to Live in the Eye of the Hurricane.”  She also offers values clarification workshops, and strategic planning services in partnership with her husband, Jerry.  You can reach Susan at the Quinn Company, 246 Via Presa, San Clemente, CA  92672, (949) 366-5890, or email susanquinn@earthlink.net.