Retreat Yourself and Recharge Your Soul
Types of retreats
Many different types of retreats are accessible to the average layperson—even if you’re busy with work and family obligations. From weekend to weeklong retreats, and both close to home and far away, retreat options are available to fit your lifestyle. More important, there are a variety of different types of retreats that will lead you through this spiritual experience in a way that speaks to your heart.
Those who are just seeking some private time to reflect and pray should look into a personal retreat. This type of retreat is totally self-directed. Retreatants schedule their own retreat day and are accountable to no one but themselves. Often, personal retreats are offered in retreat centers with food provided or in “hermitages” located on retreat-center property. A hermitage is a small, cabin-type building that usually has a small kitchenette, bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom. A private-personal retreat in a hermitage allows retreatants to experience silence and solitude so that they can pray and encounter God in their lives.
A directed retreat is for those who are looking for someone to guide and walk with them through the retreat experience. In a directed retreat, retreatants meet daily with a spiritual director or guide who will help them listen to and understand the promptings of the Spirit. The spiritual companion may use Scripture or other readings to assist retreatants in discovering the work of the Spirit in their lives.
A preached retreat generally has a specific theme, often drawn from Scripture, connected to the liturgical year or relating to an area of Christian spirituality. Conferences are scheduled during the day, and the presenters give talks and insights surrounding the theme. Time for private prayer and reflection is scheduled between the talks to allow the retreatants to absorb what they have heard and connect it with their own lives.