silent retreatCultivating the Joy of Silence
Cultivating the Joy of Silence at Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa — Phoenicia
HAND-PICKED EXPERIENCES
Editor's Picks
Curated events selected by the BrightStar team — transformational gatherings worth your time.
20 events curated
silent retreat
silent retreatCultivating the Joy of Silence at Menla
Cultivating the Joy of Silence at Menla at Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa — Phoenicia
silent retreatYoung Adult Retreat
A four-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock designed for young adults ages 18 to 32. Led by experienced teachers including Matthew Brensilver, Cara Lai, and Vinny Ferraro, with movement instruction from Hakim Tafari, this program welcomes practitioners to step back from the constant stimulus of daily life and return to direct experience. The retreat centers on mindfulness and loving-kindness practice, grounded in the recognition that sustained looking inward reveals not despair but cause for compassion. Through dharma talks and one-on-one meetings with teachers, participants are guided in examining what it means to be human, moment by moment. The silence itself becomes the container for this work, allowing participants to clarify what they truly care about and how to engage with the world from that ground of understanding.
silent retreatPersonal Retreat at Moulin de Chaves
Personal Retreat at Moulin de Chaves at Moulin de Chaves
silent retreatMindful Inquiry Silent 5-Day Retreat with Stan Eisenstein and Rob Creekmore (Online)
Mindful Inquiry Silent 5-Day Retreat with Stan Eisenstein and Rob Creekmore (Online)
silent retreatNature of Dharma: Nature as Refuge, Teacher, Beloved
Like the Buddha himself, meditators throughout history have turned to the natural world as a source of refuge, clarity, and wisdom. This five-night silent retreat takes place in the hills and meadows of Spirit Rock's upper campus, where participants engage in sensory-based and stillness practices designed to deepen awareness and reveal nature's teachings on impermanence, release, and radical interdependence. Through receptive, embodied mindfulness, the retreat explores how listening to natural systems opens insight into our own capacity for resilience and wise action. Days include nature-based meditation and movement practices, Dharma talks from experienced teachers, and ample time to be present in the landscape as part of a contemplative community. The retreat maintains silence except for teacher-led inquiry, small group meetings, and designated practice sessions. Participants should come prepared for solitude, mystery, and the unexpected moments of clarity that arise when the mind settles and the senses fully awaken.
silent retreatStepping Into Silence Retreat
Quiet your mind, release anxiety and stress, and experience profound rejuvenation through the transformative power of silence.
silent retreat17-Night Retreat: Concentration (Samādhi) & Fall Insight Retreat
This 17-night residential retreat combines two complementary programs designed to deepen meditation practice through a progression of concentration and insight work. The first 10 nights focus on samādhi—the steady unification of mind—cultivating stability, focus, and the qualities that support absorption states (jhanas). The second week grounds practitioners in vipassanā practice rooted in the Thai Forest Tradition, emphasizing the settling of mind, opening of heart, and cultivation of clarity through seated and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and individual teacher meetings. The retreat is silent except for teacher-led sessions and small group meetings. Led by seven experienced teachers including Tuere Sala, Tempel Smith, Eugene Cash, Brian Lesage, devon hase, Vance Pryor, and movement teacher Hakim Tafari, this offering is designed for practitioners ready for extended, integrated work. Participants must have completed at least one prior silent residential insight retreat of 9 or more nights.
silent retreatSimply Always Awake Silent Retreat
Awaken your true essence through meditation, self-inquiry, and sound healing.
silent retreatThe Power of Silence: A Silent Retreat for Body, Mind, and Spirit at Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing
The Power of Silence: A Silent Retreat for Body, Mind, and Spirit at Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing at Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing — Cragsmoor
silent retreatThe Power of Silence: A Silent Retreat for Body, Mind, and Spirit
At the Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing, a five-day silent retreat offers participants a sanctuary to deepen meditation practice and quiet the mind. Set on 90 acres of wooded grounds in Cragsmoor, the program combines shamatha and guided meditations with gentle yoga, contemplative walks through fall foliage, and extended periods of reflection. The carefully structured schedule balances formal practice with personal time, creating conditions for genuine inner work. Participants typically report enhanced clarity, emotional release, and a more grounded relationship to daily life. The retreat is suitable for both seasoned meditators and those new to practice.
silent retreatRains Retreat 2026-27
The annual Rains Retreat at Plum Village draws from a tradition extending back to the Buddha's time, when monastics gathered during the rainy season to deepen their practice and study. This 90-day retreat welcomes both monastic residents and lay practitioners to explore mindfulness in community, learning to live in harmony with themselves, each other, and the natural world. Participants may join for the full three months or for shorter periods of one or two weeks, practicing alongside the residential sangha. The retreat is structured around the rhythm of monastic life rather than themed teachings, creating an immersive experience in collective contemplation and healing. English remains the primary language for teachings and mentoring groups, with French and Vietnamese translation available where possible. Plum Village's three hamlets—Lower Hamlet, New Hamlet, and Upper Hamlet—each host the retreat, with accommodations arranged thoughtfully to support practitioners of all genders.