Spiritual Retreats to Refresh and Revitalize Your Spirit

We've all felt it at one time or another - as if we're just another rat in the rat race, running as quickly as we can from one place to another, trying to get ahead and climb the corporate ladder, just to find out that we're no closer than when we started to our goal. With this realization comes feelings of frustration, anger, and resentment, and we're left feeling entirely depleted at the end of our day. Without a source of rejuvenation and refreshment, these negative feelings continue to build up until we can hold them in no longer, resulting in an explosion of sorts: focused either inwardly or outwardly. Inward-facing explosions lead to mental deteriorations or breakdowns, while outward explosions result in the deterioration of interpersonal relationships. One way to combat these negative feelings is by retreating from the everyday to clear your mind, and spiritual retreats are a great way to get away from the grind. In this article, we will explore three types of spiritual retreats: two different kinds of pilgrimages, and monastic stays.

Pilgrimages are a traditional method of spiritual retreat. For centuries, many of a religion's faithful make destination-based pilgrimages, usually to a site considered to have religious significance. Some popular destinations include Jerusalem, particularly for the followers of three major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Mecca is another popular destination for Muslims, as is Bethlehem for Christians. These destination are generally determined by specific events, such as the martyrdom of a saint or the sighting of a prophet, or objects of spiritual significance at these places, such as relics or important graves. For destination-based pilgrimages, the destination is the aim of the venture, with the journey thereto serving to prepare the journeymen spiritually.

A second less well-known type of pilgrimage is one in which the route itself is considered as much as or even more important than the destination. Typically this involves a journey undertaken by a saint, on which something significant happened, thereby elevating the status of this particular journey. People undertaking such a pilgrimage generally travel in groups and focus their thoughts during the journey on prayer and self-reflection. Examples of such a pilgrimage include the Way of St. Brigitte of Sweden, the Way of St. James, and the Via Francigena.

Monastic stays are another type of spiritual retreat that are usually open to people wishing to live for a short period of time at an abbey or monastery. In such a setting, the guest would typically participate to a certain extent in the life of the monastery, usually at least partaking in meals with the residents of these places. The extent to which someone involves herself in the life of the monastery is usually left up to the visitor herself, ranging from participating in all daily activities to only a select few. The type of monastery or abbey also is a factor in how involved a visitor may be in the community life.

Each of these three types of spiritual retreats, destination-focused pilgrimages, journey-focused pilgrimages, and monastic stays, allows the participant an experience outside of the ordinary, focusing one's mind away from the everyday and onto the spiritual. Such an experience is guaranteed to clear the head, enhance the senses, and refresh the spirit. When one's spirit is rejuvenated, it is possible to start over emotionally with a clean slate, and to avoid falling victim to the rat race of life!