It seems like everybody’s going on spiritual retreats these days. One of my friends, for example, heard a Vipassana teacher on the radio, and immediately signed up for a 22-day silent retreat. That’s a pretty extreme approach, and one that I wouldn’t recommend. Most people choose a more moderate path: exploring one of the hundreds of Colorado-based retreats, each with its own flavor and program. Others (the iconoclasts, introverts, and individualist, perhaps) choose locations that encourage you to make your own plans. I’ll focus on the DIY crowd - but first, what’s all the fuss about? Why is everyone so eager to embark on a retreat, anyway?

The Spiritual Life Institute, a Carmelite retreat center in Crestone, poses these questions: “Do you find yourself giving and giving to others only to find you have no time or energy to answer your own soul's deepest longings? Does it feel like something is dying inside of you for lack of nourishment? Or perhaps you wonder why, even though you are successful at what you do, you feel a growing emptiness inside. Or perhaps none of these apply and you simply want to feed your already healthy relationship with God. In any case, a retreat is for you!”

A simple answer for me—a believer in plain talking and real-world living—is that a spiritual retreat can be almost anything you want it to be. Let’s define it for now as a sleep-away event of at least 48 hours duration, where you try to focus on the deeper things in life. It’s a time without digital distractions; a chance to feel the glory of natural beauty; an opportunity to treat your body well with walking, yoga, healthy foods, and solid sleep; and certainly an occasion to seek inspiration, whether you relate to God or not.

Maybe that comes through spiritual reading, spirit-led conversation with a retreat director or other retreatants; prayer, contemplation, or meditation; keeping a journal; chanting or otherwise repeating a prayer or mantra; or listening to that still, small voice inside. You’re the decider.

Colorado has lots of places where you can create your own retreat. The obvious choices are the big ones: Shambhala Mountain Center northwest of Fort Collins, run by the people who put Buddhism on Colorado’s map; Shoshoni Yoga Retreat west of Boulder, where the mix of spirit and body (including massages, facials and cooking classes) can be adjusted to your personal retreat preferences; or Sunrise Ranch Conference and Retreat Center, the 50-year-old commune outside of Loveland that opens its facilities and hearts to groups or individuals seeking retreat.

Heading south, Crestone also has more options. The first is the Spiritual Life Institute (Spirituallifeinstitute.org), a Roman Catholic community which welcomes retreatants of any religious hue to share in their version of the contemplative life. Nearby, visitors are invited to the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram (Babajiashram.org).  The residents don’t ask that you be of their Vedic tradition but they do ask that you live in harmony with their schedule and expectations.  For instance, plan to do karma yoga (aka work) every day. Just down the road the Crestone Mountain Zen Center (dharmasangha.org), a Zen Buddhist monastic practice Center, sometimes welcomes visitors on personal retreats. 

As a writer, I’d already visited all the aforementioned, well-established places.  But this year I wanted to dig deeper and find less-established options. Home-grown options.  Ones from more unusual spiritual persuasions.  I headed out with a spirit of adventure, and here’s my report.

Let's start with Sophia Peace Center in Dolores (SophiaPeaceCenter.org), near the southwest corner of the state.  Built in 1998, this log lodge sits atop a mesa just outside of town and belongs to a Mystical Christian group, The Order of Christ/Sophia. The order owns several individual centers around the country called “Centers of Light,” including the Sophia Peace Center.

The group got into the business of catering to the retreat crowd, if there is such a thing, because they wanted to have a place where they could set the tone and environment for their own spiritual retreats.  Their Christianity looks quite a bit different than most; there's a strong emphasis on both the divine feminine and masculine, for instance. Manager Rev. Ruth Gould says "We wanted to provide services to other groups that might or might not be considered different, as well."  Baptists, Wiccans, Pagans, indigenous groups—everyone is welcome.

 "We just surprise everybody," says Rev Ruth.  They surprised me with their combination of Crea Yoga, Gnostic teachings, and the mystical element.  When I visited a year ago, I had the pleasure of worshipping with the sisters. (While this location has only female residents, the spiritual community as a whole has men and women.)  It gave me a certain "zing" I've come to recognize when I'm experiencing other people's connection to the divine. I've felt it during chanting in Sanskrit, kneeling down in a German Catholic church, and in singing as best I could alongside Orthodox Greek congregrants.  It was good to feel it again, in my own language.

By the time you read this, Sophia will have begun funding retreats for the world's peace workers. These are people on the front lines of environmental, human rights, health or political issues around the world, and in Dolores they'll be able to get the kind of support they need to continue their missions, and have a chance to lay down their burdens. Most people’s quotidian burdens are not as intense as theirs, but the Sophia Peace Center is still a great place for us locals to lay them down, too.

Ditto at the Spes in Deo Franciscan Family Retreat Center near Montrose (spesindeoretreat.com). This is the manifestation of a commitment to the greater good on the part of the Martin family, members of the Secular Franciscan Order. Their call to service is to provide an extra three-bedroom home on their property for spiritual retreatants - Catholic, Protestant or other.  It couldn’t be more homey.  Sure, they can offer programming in spiritual direction, centering prayer, or creativity and the spirit, but the true offering is a respite from the daily grind and three square meals a day at their family table.  Or, prepare your own food and have a solitary retreat instead. 

Another option: Heart of God Hermitage (heartofgodhermitage.org) an hour west of Colorado Springs.  It’s tiny, and not entirely business-like.  But its values speak to me: the presence of God; the absence of criticism; the absence of complaint; being of service; and peacemaking.  Sign me up on all counts.

The spiritual underpinning for the Hermitage is Catholic, but all are welcome.  At least, all are welcome who like that the place is “simple, simple, simple,” as Father Timothy Corbley describes it.  In fact, it is so startlingly different from most modern lives—so quiet, so secluded-- that he begs beginners to come for no more than three days at first.   You may find yourself camping, and you’ll definitely be using a composting toilet.  Just so you know. 

If you want something less Christ-centered, try the Women’s Spirit Retreat in Cedaredge (womensspiritretreats.com) on the glorious Grand Mesa.  The 1,000-square-foot retreat cabin is equipped with pots and pans and a nature trail, and not much more. Don’t expect meals, phones, televisions, and overseers.  If you want to arrange programming, founder and director Kathy Gates is ready with spiritual- or art-based ideas, but this locale may be best for the true do-it-yourselfers who also want to include outdoor recreation with their indoor retreat.  “Value season” lasts through the middle of May.

I can assure you that going to any of these micro-retreats will be fine.  But I can’t say the same for coming back from them: the everyday world can be a challenge.  So here’s some advice from a veteran of the retreat circuit.  To avoid painful re-entry, you simply have to bring back at least one idea or practice from the retreat that you can embed into your daily life. That way, your life becomes more like a retreat, and the “retreat effect” lasts.

Wendy Underhill, a writer, parent and community do-gooder, has set a goal for 2009: “Have more fun.” Traveling the byways of Colorado is one of the big ways she’s fulfilling that goal.