Retreating - An Ancient Practice

I have began preparing for the Living What You Know Retreat, coming up this September, and this time I had created a waiting list for those who are interested to put their names so that they can receive dedicated retreat related email. Instead of relying on the newsletter for updates.

I expected the waiting list to have a mix of seasoned retreat-goers and curious newcomers. What surprised me was that nearly everyone on the waiting list, in fact ninety-five percent has never attended a retreat before.

It was a pleasant surprise because it told me that more and more black women are willing to try something completely new. To try something that is not merely to escape their lives, or to over indulge, but that there’s a growing longing to step away, to breathe, to heal and to reconnect with ourselves, to retreat…

This longing is not new, retreating is an ancient practice.

Long before retreats became part of the wellness industry, human beings understood the value of withdrawing from ordinary life for a period of reflection, prayer, contemplation, healing or learning. In African traditions, initiation often meant time apart from community, returning later with new wisdom. Across cultures, retreat has always been part of the human journey — not as an escape, but as a way of returning differently. Even Jesus retreated into the wilderness for long periods at a time. The Buddha himself is said to have retreated often to sit beneath a tree for days on end.

Returning with new insights, downloads, clarity and a renewed spirit.