My silent treatments started 15 years ago. Stressed out, worn out and wigged out, I wanted out – of town, that is. But I was in no shape to make travel plans, so a friend of mine took one look at me and, over my feeble protestations, signed me up for a retreat in the Los Angeles mountains shepherded by a Benedictine monk. A silent retreat. No talking allowed.
This article introduces you to the world of silent retreats and some of their locations.
Lent is a time to reassess our relationship with God, and it’s difficult to do that if we’re busy all the time,” Father Pierson said. “It’s helpful to just get away for a little while and slow down and reflect.”
There are many kinds of retreats available to suit different personalities and different spiritual needs. Here are a few to consider during the Lenten season.
The Internet has opened a door for those individuals and groups to locate a retreat center and events without much trouble. The seeker of these retreat facilities usually uses a Search Engine like Google to search for places and workshops in the locale that interests them. The “search terms” vary but the most popular words include a combination of the following: retreat, retreat center, conference center, ‘state’ retreat center, spiritual, religious, health, etc… There are online directories that charge a nominal fee for retreat centers to advertise themselves and their events. In addition to your own web site, advertising with some of these retreat directories is an excellent way to effectively promote your retreat and conference center.
Can your retreat facility be found on the Internet? One way to test whether your center can be found is to run Google Search with words that include the state and city, the name of the facility, key words mentioned above and spiritual words if appropriate. With this test you are wearing the cap of a retreat seeker and seeing if your facility can be discovered quickly. Most likely, they will not know the name of your center but are searching within a specific geographical area. If retreat directories rank high in your search, you might wish to contact them about advertising.
Social media is becoming a popular way to advertise your retreat center and events also. It is free and can be used to direct traffic to your website. Popular programs include FaceBook, YouTube and Twitter. Some retreat centers are using blogs to generate articles that will promote them.
Once an inquiry is made about your facility and their activities, be sure to capture the information from the inquirer, including name and email address. Then you are able to use direct marketing techniques to send out newsletters and announcements with tools like Constant Contact to those in your database.
A few of the Online Retreat Directories publish information not only about retreat and conference centers, but the following: retreat events calendar, retreat jobs, retreat centers for sale, spiritual directors, retreat leaders, retreat books and retreat articles.
The Internet provides an automated meeting place for the seeker and provider of the retreat experience to discover one another. Computer technology is improving and the price to acquire online advertising is low compared to the benefits derived. Advertising your retreat center online is a low risk, high return investment with only a short term commitment to measure the benefits.
Christ the King is operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse NY as a special address in the community: “It’s a peaceful place,” says Anne Richter, a member of the House staff of seven people. “You kind of feel God here.”
The diocese welcomes visitors of all faiths to the retreat house, “for either a casual stroll around our peaceful grounds” or overnight guests there for a retreat.
Click here for more about the history of Christ the King Retreat House
When driving south from Boston this month, your attention may be captivated by a rather unexpected sight along Route I-93S: a giant billboard proclaiming that “All are Welcome at Glastonbury Abbey.”
Glastonbury Abbey in Cohasset, MA, provides a place where men and women can enrich themselves spiritually. The Abbey is a place of welcome, prayer, and peace in a time fraught with spiritual and economic uncertainty. The beautiful and peaceful grounds provide visitors a setting in which to find an oasis away from the pressures and frenetic pace of contemporary life.
The Monks encourage all to experience a Benedictine approach to life – to sit quietly, ponder, pray, and be renewed. All are welcome.
Three women in capri pants lounge on wicker chairs in an enclosed porch within sight of the sea. One has pierced ears, another has dyed hair, the third is wearing a T-shirt with a Winston cigarette logo.
They don’t look like nuns. But the dress code changed significantly after Vatican II. And besides, these sisters are on retreat here at St. Mary-by-the-Sea in Cape May Point, N.J.
This place is increasingly popular among laity for whom spirituality has supplanted religion — even among secular members of the Jewish community.
Click here for the whole article written byDianna Marder for The Philadelphia Inquire
Whenever sunlight streams through the stained glass windows of the chapel at the Stella Maris Retreat Center, Sister Clare McNerney understands why her predecessors some six decades ago chose to locate their spiritual oasis atop a seaside cliff in Long Branch.
But with major repair work needed on the bulkhead protecting the property, the sisters have turned to fundraising to make up for shrinking revenue and rising costs. On Saturday night, the sisters are hosting their annual gala “Spirit of the Shore,” a fundraiser honoring restaurateur and musician Tim McLoone at the retreat center.
Click here to read this article written byMaryAnn Spoto/The Star-Ledger
“To balance work and life, one must understand the entirety of what he is trying to accomplish in the earthly years given to him and prioritize them in order of importance. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) One must continually adjust his goals and ambitions according to his current circumstances and phase of life.”
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To help us adjust, there are several very good, local retreat centers which offer morning, evening, and weekend retreats as well as speakers and classes throughout the year.
Click here for Monica Check’s full article in the DC Catholic Examiner
“It is the abundance of spiritual capital, not money, is the ultimate cause of a rich and fulfilling life” , says Connie Miller.
Will money fill that empty hole inside of us? What is the attachment to things outside of us for love and security? Maybe itis not the money that is the problem but our relationship with it.
More and more people today are seeking both places and messages of solace during these hectic times. Retreat centers and spirituality oriented conference centers are providing respite and hope for those that are looking for both places to rediscover their God and to hear sanguine messages of trust and love from those leading events and workshops. Both the spiritual ambiance of the retreat facilities and the divine expertise of staff and retreat speakers and leaders add to one’s “retreat experience”. In this article the people that one meets while attending a retreat, a conference or a spiritual workshop will be featured. They are the ones that generate spiritual synergism to make a retreatant’s experience one of love, rest, adventure, hope and transformation.
Most spiritual retreat and conference centers not only provide a place to be alone in prayerful union with their God, but programs designed to motivate, educate, escape and reintroduce spiritual concepts including prayer, discernment and music. These events are led by retreat leaders that are dynamic experts in their subject matter and help attract retreatants to visit the center. Some programs are designed for small workshops, while others are directed towards larger conference groups. My focus in this article will be on those events that are spiritual in nature, like those listed on www.seekaretreat. These events encompass many subjects including prayer, meditation, wellness, health, silence, religious, art, nature, personal transformation, women’s retreats, men’s retreats, yoga, dreams, saints, metaphysical, mysticism and the contemplative journey. All faith traditions are represented in these events.
Many of today’s retreats are transformative in focus; connecting with both yourself and the Divine to transform your physical, mental and spiritual faculties. Dr. Kevin J. Fleming, President/CEO of Grey Matters International is a former neuropsychologist, Spiritual Director and Life/Executive Coach that leads retreats that are designed to awaken the truest of spiritualities underneath our decision making, our relationships, and ultimately our life’s goals. Dr. Fleming introduces “practical wisdom” about the brain’s inner workings around faith. He also reveals truth of transformation and growth, which is what everyone is seeking on a retreat: to feel different, to spark a change, to relieve a pain and to align spirituality and the brain so hope actually bears fruit. Dr. Fleming also integrates solid spiritual rigor with humorous and deep insights that create a transformative experience full of “practical wisdom” typically not experienced in retreats. (http://www.seekaretreat.com/leaders/virtual.html). To learn more about these retreats, email Dr. Fleming at kevin@greymattersintl.com.
There are many other retreat leaders that hold spiritually transformative retreats. A few listed on SeekaRetreat include:
Retreats that are oriented towards prayer are also very popular. Prayer methods including vocal, meditative and contemplative are presented by a wide array of retreat leaders.Patrick Cleary-Burns is a retreat leader and spiritual director that specializes in discernment retreats using Ignatian meditation as a focus. Patrick teaches that discernment is a gift of wisdom that has been passed down by the holy women and men who came before us. Practicing discernment helps us to open our hearts to watch and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. ( www.patclearyburns.net ) More retreat leaders that use prayer as a focus include:
Retreats that are oriented towards healing and wellness are being conducted in many retreat centers. Topics might include Return to Wholeness, Yoga, Healing and Wellness. A few of the retreat leaders that conduct these retreats and workshops include:
There are retreats that include the experience of nature as a spiritual reminder of the Divine. There also are retreats that are for women that are looking to grow and return to wholeness. Some of these retreats are:
Retreat leaders are experts in there area of expertise and can add a special touch to a retreat. There are many overlapping topics for spiritual retreats and workshops that include: Meditation, Silent, The Saints, Metaphysical, Adventure, Enneagram, Pilgrimages, Near Death Experiences, Nature and many more. A few more retreat leaders include:
Retreat leader training is made available by a few of our clients. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a retreat leader, visit these web sites:
Feedback – Retreat Leaders need feedback from those that attend retreats. You are invited to visit this page and make your suggestions. The Results will be published on SeekaRetreat.com.
Many of today’s retreats are transformative in focus; connecting with both yourself and the Divine to transform your physical, mental and spiritual faculties. Dr. Kevin J. Fleming, President/CEO of Grey Matters International is a former neuropsychologist, Spiritual Director and Life/Executive Coach that leads retreats that are designed to awaken the truest of spiritualities underneath our decision making, our relationships, and ultimately our life’s goals. Dr. Fleming introduces “practical wisdom” about the brain’s inner workings around faith. He also reveals truth of transformation and growth, which is what everyone is seeking on a retreat: to feel different, to spark a change, to relieve a pain and to align spirituality and the brain so hope actually bears fruit. Dr. Fleming also integrates solid spiritual rigor with humorous and deep insights that create a transformative experience full of “practical wisdom” typically not experienced in retreats. (