Have you ever wondered what takes place on a silent retreat? Or maybe you've even asked yourself why on earth someone would want to spend so much time in silence. Read on, and all your questions about silent retreats will be answered!

What is a silent retreat?

Essentially, a silent meditation retreat is a chance to come out of your everyday life and spend a given amount of time in silence, with regularly scheduled meditation sessions throughout the day.

Retreats vary in terms of length, techniques, and teachers, but the thing they all have in common is a schedule featuring a lot of meditation practice and the rule to not speak during the time you're there. 

You're advised not to communicate in any way (that includes eye contact!), and instead to bring your awareness inwards. A well-known (and particularly challenging) silent meditation retreat is vipassana meditation, where attendees spend their time watching their breath with very little instruction.

Silent retreats differ from other retreats like wellness retreats, or even yoga retreats as the focus is on silence. All of these retreats can be very supportive to your wellbeing, but a silent retreat is specifically a time to be quiet, go beyond the chatter, and discover an inner peace that is hard to access with all the noise of daily life. You will meditate a lot, you will relax, and you will find peace within yourself.

Why would anyone attend a silent retreat?

If you've never been to a silent meditation retreat it can seem very daunting, and you might even wonder why a person would willingly do this!

While it does feel a bit strange at first when you "go into silence," you get used to it pretty quickly. It becomes nice to not spend so much time and energy on small talk, and to instead dive into meditation.

What's a typical day like on silent meditation retreats?

It's hard to say exactly what a daily schedule is like, as there are many different types of silent retreats, but I can tell you about the silent retreat we run! We offer silent retreats almost every week from our retreat center in Boone, NC.

On our retreats you have plenty of structure to help you stay on track, but you also have enough free time to rest, be in nature, and explore yourself.

You start with a group meditation in the meditation hall with the other participants, followed by a break for breakfast. There are four sessions a day in total for you to attend, each helping with self-exploration, reducing stress, and discovering your inner being.

There are also daily yoga classes, plus access to our meditation app to help you keep your momentum when you go back home.

What are the benefits of a silent retreat?

So many! Where do I start?! For me (and many other people) silent meditation retreats are life-changing!

Reported benefits include:

• Less stress
• Reduced blood pressure
• Increased mental clarity
• Greater focus
• Reduced anxiety
• A healthier, better regulated nervous system
• Deeper access to your inner self
• Enlightenment (maybe...)

Final thoughts

Silent meditation retreats are an amazing gift for yourself. They go way beyond just a digital detox (which is also great!), and can have a profound impact on your entire life. You will find yourself relaxing and accessing your own internal truth.

Whether you're a seasoned meditator looking to go deeper, or are newer to meditation and just getting started, our retreats are designed to support you. They are filled with wisdom and useful, practical teachings, while being gentle enough that they're accessible to newer meditators too. In fact, they are a great deep dive for people who are wanting to start a meditation practice. Immersion is a great way to learn.

Yoga and meditation classes help to support your well-being, healthy food helps you feel good, and the beautiful nature at our retreat center helps you connect to your true self. Somehow everything just makes sense when you're in nature!

Click on the image below to discover the power of silence and get ready to dive deep into stillness.