A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises.

A time spent in prayer and reflection. In most religious communities, including the ARs, an annual retreat is required for all members. The traditional length of a retreat is one week. An atmosphere of silence* pervades the retreat to contribute to the prayerful atmosphere. A retreat is a time in which work and other concerns are to be put aside in favor of the priority of renewing one's spiritual life.

special time of meditation away from your normal life

a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet

The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable.

The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum.

The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position.

The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.

an intentional time apart to experience a new awareness of the presence of God

an opportunity for the governing body to come together and prepare to better meet the needs of the community

an opportunity to engender creativity -- a time to remove your nose from the grindstone and look to the hills, a chance to think about what ought to be -- and devise steps to get there

an opportunity to experience the transforming power of

a concentrated focus of energy, made up of the qualities and energies of every member who has ever been a part of it

a great time to begin noticing the obvious about the spiritual life which includes the wonders of the world around us

a great way to accompany a friend or partner enrolled in a workshop or to take some time out just for yourself

a great way to set time aside to thoroughly and completely focus on yourself without the demands of everyday life

To step back.

a time to find the inner steps to spiritual development, the steps common to all religions

To move away from the opponent by stepping sequentially with first the rear foot, followed by the front foot, keeping the orientation of the feet constant, relative to each other.

A closing step backward.

pull back or move away or backward; "The enemy withdrew"; "The limo pulled away from the curb"

move back; "The glacier retrogrades"

A decrease in the length of a glacier compared to a previous point in time. As ice in a glacier is always moving forward, its terminus retreats when more ice is lost at the terminus to melting and/or calving than reaches the terminus. During retreat, ice in a glacier does not move back up the valley.

The backwards movement of the front edge of a glacier.

a chance for encounter with self

a controlled flight to safety, and a rout is your last-ditch chance as a general to get your men the hell out of whatever sticky situation they're embroiled in

a time to slow down, to be still, to reflect, to restore your spirit -- a time that allows you to encounter your deepest needs, feelings, values, and impulses away from the voices and needs of others

a great time to read the reflections of other disciples of Jesus Christ and benefit from their experiences and insights

a very personal experience and it can be all that you need at this time in your life

a very personal experience and it can be what you need it to be