Patricia Johnson    

 

 

 

Regular & Post Intensive Retreats

            The “Regular” Centering Prayer Intensives have a major educational component, both with the first day having an in-depth look at the practice itself, and then 6 days during which you see 2 videos per day from Fr. Keating’s Spiritual Journey tapes.  Also staff read to you from Open Mind, Open Heart during the breakfast and lunch meals.   You get more immersed in the conceptual background of the spiritual practice with a regular Intensive. 

 

With the Post, you are assumed to have this foundation fairly well in place and the focus is on the practice itself.   The Post is much more silent, in that no videos are shown, the sits are done in 30 minute segments rather than 20 minutes, and all meals are in silence.  There are 5½ days of the Post which are called the Grand Silence, when you are asked not to even make eye contact.    Typically most retreatants on the Post Intensives have been doing the practice fairly long, so the silence can be very deep.  But some regular Intensives have also been quite silent, as well.   We recommend that folks attend a regular Intensive before doing a Post, but obviously you are the best judge of what's appropriate for you.  

 

            The Advanced Retreat in February is mid-way between the regular and the Post.   There are only 5 videos shown  -  -  a newer series that Fr. Thomas recorded in 2002, called The Heart of the Christian Spiritual Journey.    Prayer periods are in 30 minute segments and all meals are in silence.   There are 3 days of the Grand Silence.   [Please note that the February Advanced retreat will have a different format and content.   See separate description for that session.]