Retreat

Can I truly retreat?

Retreat: a withdrawal, a place of refuge, seclusion for religious devotion.

I would just like to add a quote from John Donne:

” No man is an island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main “.

 With Mr Donne’s expression in mind my question remains: Can I truly retreat in modern day life?

 I often see adverts for retreats, weekend breaks where I could go and attain some level of enlightenment and growth. I guess these holidays would encompass the definition given above completely. On the other hand, seclusion for some may mean not sharing any human contact for days or weeks. Indeed, others would find it difficult for a matter of hours. However, eventually something happens where we need to make contact with other humans in order for us to grow physically, financially, socially and emotionally. We go to school,  to the shops, to the office, to the golf club, wherever. Do I withdraw? Resist that contact? Can I grow without it?

Nature beckons us to join in with others on one level or another in order to satisfy a particular need. We do this through personal choice to experience pleasure or through pain if we resist closing a chapter in our lives when our soul wants a new one to begin. 

To help me through these painful transitions I began to learn to meditate some years ago and I am aware that this skill takes a long time to master, but it is possible. I firmly believe it can be achieved through practise in your own time, in your own space, in groups or alone. It is the only retreat I have found to be true. It has no walls, no floral garden and no fields surrounding it. It is somewhere I can now carry with me everywhere like having a piece of heaven in your hands. It is a retreat  I have found in my mind which is accessible whenever I need to find it. I have found that it can enable me to let go more easily, something that can make me feel better without withdrawing from humankind and it can enables me to share in what I discover.

 It is up to each and everyone of us to attain that place where we can dwell for a little while away from the trials and tribulations even when we are in a crowd of people.  So, do I believe that we can truly retreat in modern life? Yes I do.