Solitude and Silence in Meditation: Part 1

Solitude or time to oneself becomes increasingly important as meditation becomes a way of balance in life. It matters not whether the individual is active or contemplative by nature, solitude becomes a prerequisite to deepening spirituality through meditation.

Perhaps the best way to practice solitude, at least initially, is through retreats oriented to reflection and periods of silence.  The retreat may last for several days or weeks in a setting apart and away from our regular lives and workday world.  Many retreat centers are located in rural or natural settings and may be directed or undirected as one chooses.  

Retreat centers may-also provide facilities for groups and individuals and-some even provide separate hermitages.  A semi-annual or annual retreat will allow the person on retreat the opportunity to renew the practice of solitude and integrate it into her or his daily life.  

Time apart and alone in nature – the woods, the sea, the plains, the desert, or the mountain top – where one comes into a direct encounter with God’s creation, is another way to renew in solitude without undertaking a formal retreat. 

It has been my practice for many years to take a self-directed retreat at a Trappist monastery in a remote area deep in the Missouri Ozark mountains. The contemplative life of the Monks as they pray the Daily Office (the office includes several interludes of individual and community prayer during the day which begins with Vigils at 3:30 am) is the perfect tempo to extract oneself from the “noise” of the world and renew the spirit in the quiet of the surrounding mountains. 

Whether it be deep in the interior of the woods on the endless logging trails, fishing in the stream that runs through the 3400 acres, or in the chapel chanting the psalms with the Monks, God is encountered everywhere. 

The human spirit comes to rest and is renewed in the wonderful grace that is restored upon every visit, no matter the problems or issues that seemed to persist upon arrival. 

Click to check out Solitude and Silence and Meditation: Part 2