A week in silence may sound like a dream to anyone drained by the constant stimulation of modern life. But the reality of a silent retreat can be far from what you might imagine. Beyond the immediate ...

A heartbroken mother has emotionally recounted how her 22-year-old “free spirit” daughter killed herself during an intensive 10-day meditation retreat — and is warning others about the potential ...

Chevlen is a journalist and screenwriter from Youngstown, Ohio, now living in Los Angeles. Her writing regularly appears in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Slate, among other ...

“I gave my watches away—ain’t got no time for that!” This mantra hummed in the back of my mind every time I craved my phone, a book, or even a pen—anything that allowed me to escape into communication ...

Few people have guided me through mindfulness and meditation quite like Janet Solyntjes. As a longtime silent retreat leader, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) instructor and co-owner of the ...

Grieving a dissolved marriage, a writer seeks peace and compassion at a meditation retreat in California. Illustration by Owen Gent As I sat cross-legged on a red cushion, tears ran down my cheeks.

The first time I ever went on a silent meditation retreat, 11 years ago, I thought I had entered the zombie apocalypse. After arriving and having dinner with my fellow retreatants, we went into ...