When To Go On Your First Meditation Retreat?
Updated: Aug 24
When summer rolls around I find myself talking to people about making time to step away. Time for vacations, time for rest, more time for creative pursuits and also more talk about retreats, especially meditation retreats.
In and out of my NYC therapy practice people ask me, "why go on retreat?" Or more specifically, "I think I want to go on a retreat but how do I know what to pick?". Like any choice we might make there are options and we can get it wrong but that doesn't have to stop us.
Most people I am talking to about the questions of "where do I go to retreat?" or "when will I know it's the right time?" already have a meditation practice. So that is where you start. How are you practicing meditation now? Who are your teachers? What books are you reading or apps are you using? If you have been putting your roots down with a favorite Zen book then chances are your first weekend retreat or longer retreat will be at a local Zendo or Zen monistary. If you are like me and your first dharma book was by Pema Chodron then maybe you will find a Tibetan Buddhist shrineroom to practice in.
It is important to be realistic about how much time or money you have for any retreat. You don't want to spend the entire retreat in an anxious spiral about why you just spent so much money to do this!
Retreats can be as short as a weekend or as long as a month (or longer). Starting with a weekend or week long retreat is probably going to be realistic for most people. Everyone is different so the key here is to ask yoursef, "what feels right to me?"
Sitting with others can be a profound and inspiraing experience. Many of us today feel busy with our lives, overwhlemed with the state of the world and somewhat disconnected. The longing to get off the phone or away from the next netflix bindge can be strong but it can be hard to make the jump to do something else or try something knew.
Start where you are, then take a leap.
Because I live and work with folks in the NYC area I know most about retreat centers here on the East Coast. Here are a few places to check out if you are interested in seeing what is out there when it comes to retreat centers:
Sky Lake Lodge
Dharma Drum Retreat Center
Garrison Institute
Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa
Karme Choling Meditation Retreat Center
Omega
Written by Alison Pepper, LCSW Alison Pepper is a Therapist and Meditation Instructor working with adults, teens, and couples dealing with mental health and life struggles in a trauma information practice in New York City.
“I believe all people have the tools to heal ourselves; grow, learn, and reach our full potential. No matter what your age or life circumstances therapy is a safe space to do that work.”
Learn more about my upcoming retreat here
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