Meditation retreats provide a chance to step out of constant academic and social demands and recharge in a meaningful way. Instead of focusing on being “good” at meditation, retreats create space to slow down, rest, and pay attention to what’s happening in your mind without the usual noise of regular life. Many people find that even a short retreat helps reduce stress, improve focus, and provide clarity about what they’re feeling and why. Retreats can also teach practical skills—like noticing stress earlier or staying grounded during busy weeks—that carry over into everyday life. Whether you’re curious about mindfulness or just need a break that actually feels restorative, a retreat can be a helpful reset.
Here are some resources for undertaking a retreat, either on your own or with a community.
While most of these retreat centers are Buddhist centers, many offer secular meditation programming and retreats.
Metta Meditation Retreat Center
Located nearby in Elysian, Minnesota! The center is run by Triple Gem of the North.
Programs include regular Buddhist and mindfulness retreats. The center also offers four cabins available to rent for personal retreats.
Insight Meditation Society (IMS)
Located in Barre, Massachusetts, IMS is a well-known center for insight (vipassana) and loving-kindness (metta) meditation.
They offer a Young Adult Retreat (ages ~18–32) on a “You Choose” sliding-scale fee basis.
They also run a Teen Retreat (ages 15–19) for younger adults, with meditation, walking practice, and discussion groups.
Located in Woodacre, California, Spirit Rock is deeply grounded in insight and loving-kindness meditation.
Their programs include retreats for young adults, along with sliding-scale scholarships.
They also host “Insight Meditation @ Home” online retreats, which can be a great low-barrier introduction.
A Buddhist monastery in Washington State offering a week-long, donation-based retreat for ages 18–29, as well as many other meditation retreat options.
The program includes meditation, Dharma talks with Venerable Thubten Chodron, discussion, and working outdoors in the Abbey’s forest/garden.
Located in Red Feather Lake, Colorado, Drala offers a variety of retreat types — from weekend introductions to longer immersive programs.
Various programs are offered both in Buddhist meditation and secular meditation.
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies
Located in Rhinebeck, New York, Omega offers many retreats centered around mindfulness, meditation, creativity, and holistic wellness.
They often have workshops that appeal to younger adults and they offer scholarships to make attendance more accessible.
You don’t need a formal retreat center to get the benefits of a retreat. You can create your own quiet space for a few hours, a day, or a whole weekend. Below are three simple plans that rotate sitting meditation, walking meditation, and time for rest or reading. Feel free to adapt anything to fit your needs. You can also use guided meditations as part of your retreat. Insight Timer has a lot of free options.
If you have never sat a retreat before - or even if you have - be sure to let someone know what you're doing and where you'll be. Sometimes strong emotions or thoughts can arise on retreat. If you find that you're experiencing any difficulties that are causing a lot of distress, you can always stop and seek advice from a qualified meditation teacher. (Feel free to email Julie with any retreat questions.)
Retreat Options
This format works well Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. If you'd like to try a shorter retreat, you can either adapt the Saturday schedule for a one-day retreat OR use either the Friday or Sunday options as half day options.
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Friday evening
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Saturday
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Sunday morning
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This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
