Four Types of Retreats
By Theresa Shay
Yoga retreats are on my mind: the one I’ll be hosting in June and the one I’ll be attending in April with Kaliji. Retreats, yoga and otherwise, have been powerful places of growth for me over the past 30 years. Incredible awareness rises when you step away from your usual activities for a different pace, place and focus. Though it can feel hard to carve out time to get away, the effort pays off.
The retreat experience varies greatly depending on the type of retreat you attend. Here are four (of many) types.
1. The Programmed Retreat
On a programmed retreat, the leader creates an experience by bringing expertise to the group, sharing practices and knowledge, and designing the rhythm for the retreat. These are the types of retreats I currently lead and the types of retreats I attend, focused on TriYoga practices. At larger retreat centers, you will find weekend and week-long programs (or longer) on many topics. I’ve been known to choose a retreat because the leader was recommended or because the dates of the program fit my schedule, not just because I was drawn to the topic. All these experiences have been fruitful.
2. The Silent Retreat
Stepping away from daily life to enter a period of silence is a powerful way to tune into the subtleties of existence. This type of retreat involves some aspect of solitude that keeps one inwardly focused, though silent retreats can happen in a group. In my early years of living in a cabin on top of Centre Hall Mountain, I regularly took silent retreats at my own house. I would turn off the phone, turn off the computer, and set work aside. My plan would be minimal. I knew I could rest, do yoga, walk in nature, play piano, maybe journal, but I went in with no agenda. I would tell those close to me that I had planned a quiet weekend so they wouldn’t call or stop by. I also prepped my food ahead of time and cleaned the space, so chores did not beckon. Then I’d let the weekend unfold.
3. The Directed Retreat
Usually in conjunction with a silent retreat, a directed retreat includes meeting with a spiritual director, guide, or mentor to navigate what rises during the retreat. My husband introduced me to this kind of retreat. Pre-pandemic, I would annually attend an 8-day silent directed retreat. I often spent the first couple days sleeping long hours, shedding the exhaustion that I had carried with me into the experience. In addition to the scheduled meals at the facility (and optional mass), the only program was a daily meeting with my director. I would talk with her about what I was noticing, wondering, experiencing, and struggling with. She served as a witness, loving companion, and wise woman during the time.
4. The Personal Retreat
Stepping out of your regular rhythm to explore something that needs your attention or to give yourself R&R can be achieved through the types of retreats mentioned above. But there are many other ways to retreat. Some retreat centers offer unprogrammed retreats where you can enjoy the facilities and the prepared meals as well as connect with others informally. Or you might design a retreat around a landscape that inspires and take yourself to the ocean, the mountains, or the desert. You might rent a room somewhere so you can write or draw or dance all weekend. Different than vacation, a personal retreat is not about seeing what’s out there, but seeing what in there! Note: if you take a “retreat” hoping to get caught up on your responsibilities or duties while you’re away, this will not quench your soul’s thirst. The soul longs for spacious freedom.
Knowing that retreats can take many forms, be aware and honest with what you need, and definitely stay flexible. If this is not the season of life for stepping away for a big expanse, give yourself a mini retreat by taking a long hike instead of folding the laundry. To quote my director on one of those 8-day silent retreats, “God works in whatever amount of time God is given.”
Note: Next week’s Wisdom for the Week will focus on retreat facilities Theresa has encountered over the past 30 years of attending retreats of all types.
Theresa Shay is the founding director of TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania, where she teaches weekly yoga and meditation online and trains others to teach TriYoga®. Each week, she shares wisdom cultivated from decades of TriYoga study and practice.
Learn more about her here. Theresa can be reached at Theresa@PennsylvaniaYoga.com. Find her on Instagram @theresa_of_triyoga for more inspiration and light.