Street Retreats; The Inside Scoop on This New Form of Homeless Spiritual Retreat

I only heard about street retreats recently, but I'm already an advocate. This is the latest form of spiritual retreat and apparently has nothing to do with the recent economic woes. I spent a brief period of my life homeless, and I've also been on meditation retreats, and the idea of combining the two seems great to me.

I once felt a bit ashamed of the fact that I ended up on the streets of London; I was in my early twenties and alcohol abuse was destroying my life. These days I no longer feel any regret about that time and know that there were lessons learned during that period that have served me well since. In fact the education you can get through making it through addiction and a period of homelessness is priceless. I really believe that I'm a better person because of it.

These street retreats involve 'normal' people making themselves homeless for a few days. These plunge experiences are meant as a spiritual practice. The participants are expected to wear old clothes and not to bring any money. For the duration of their retreat they will be expected to live on the streets and beg for money. Some of these street retreats are quite organized in that you get to have a homeless teacher to introduce you to the world of the street person.

In the past I have received a lot of benefit from the spiritual retreat, but it seems to me that this type of voluntary homelessness could benefit people more than the same time spent meditating. It is probably only something you would need to want to do once in your life, but you are sure to see the world differently. Street retreats can open people's lives to the reality of homelessness and show them how it is a complex issue.

For many people the worst thing that could happen to them is that they lose everything and end up without a roof over their head. Many people refuse to even acknowledge the possibility that it could happen to them; only losers end up on the street. The reality is that mental illness, addiction, or bad times can hit anyone. I have met plenty of previously successful people who ended up on streets during my time in treatment centers and working as nurse. Street retreats are a way to see the reality of why people end up in this situation.

Some people might think that it is a bit voyeuristic or in bad taste to go on this type of spiritual retreat. It may even seem like a bit patronizing to the person who is stuck on the streets. I don't agree because the more we can understand each other the better our life can be. Breaking down stereotypes and moving away from black and white thinking is always a good thing. I really do believe these street retreats are a great idea.

More information

http://www.peacemakerinstitute.org/BW_street_retreat.html

http://mystreetretreat.blogspot.com/