'Going on retreat' is the alternative holiday that is winning new converts by the thousand every day across Europe and the United States. Here is the ultimate journey to that most mysterious place of all - your inner space. It is a way of recharging your energies and getting some peace and quiet in a hectic and demanding world. It is a chance to get away from it all, to think things through, and to reflect on your life and relationships. Travelling this way means shedding stress and rediscovering the inner person.

Who goes on retreat?

Going on retreat can be an exciting adventure for anyone. You meet people of all ages and from every kind of background - students, housewives, grandparents, business people, the rich, the famous and the unemployed. You do not have to be a Christian or Buddhist or indeed religious at all, or know anything about spiritual things, even if you stay in a monastery. People of all faiths and none go on a retreat. But a retreat is a spiritual adventure, and so the mind, body and spirit are all involved, with unity of the whole person as the goal. This process can be a lot of fun as well as a way to renew the inner person.

What is a retreat?

A retreat is simply a deliberate attempt to step outside your ordinary life and relationships and take some time to reflect, rest and be still. It is a concentrated time in which to experience yourself and think about your relations to others - and, if you are fortunate, to gain a sense of the eternal. It can give you a view of the world that surpasses the one from the highest mountain and is bigger than any ocean.

There is a wide and international choice of retreat places, from Christian, Buddhist and Hindu to Yoga and Alternative Spirituality centres. Alternative Spirituality is a collection of many ideas and practices aimed at personal growth, which may range from alternative healing practices, reincarnation, environmental concern, inner voice singing and telepathy to occultism and spiritism. Many of these ideas, techniques and approaches spring from well-established traditions of healing, self- help and self-discovery.

No matter where you go - traditional monastery or ashram, healing centre or workshop on shamanism - the result should be the same: self-discovery and a new view of life. A retreat may last from a day to many months, but for most people a long weekend or a week make the best lengths of stay.

Almost all places of retreat in Europe are Christian, Buddhist or Alternative Spirituality based and the use of a particular approach in the form of spiritual exercises is common. These incorporate various ancient and modern forms of meditation, contemplation, vocal and mental prayer, ways of looking at reality, and other techniques that clear up mental clutter, put your body in a relaxed state and serve to open up the inner person. Such activities are designed to make you fully aware of yourself and others in new and refreshing ways.

The ways in which humanity handles its spiritual dimension are innumerable, and dozens of approaches are available today. For Christians, the spirit is helped to become open to love and to the discovery of God's will. Buddhist practices develop a capacity for awareness and compassion, so that we may become more awakened to reality. Retreats based on Native American shamanistic practices may lead into the spirit world. Other spiritual traditions aim to bring consciousness of the unity of all creation and of the eternal.

These are enormous goals - but then, why not? Unlike the mind and body, your spirit goes forth with unlimited prospects. You were born fully equipped for this kind of travel.

Different kinds of retreat

Retreats divide into two major groups : private retreats to which you go alone, and group retreats, which often have a theme and cover a particular topic or approach to spirituality and inner healing. Many group retreats take the form of workshops lasting a week or a weekend. Some are specially designed to help you unwind. Others are highly structured around a particular system of spiritual exercises, such as those of Ignatius Loyola, or based on a well defined-form of meditation such as Vipassana.

The private retreat

Here you are strictly on your own. You decide what you will do and how you will approach your sanctuary time. You can opt for self-catering if you don't want the meals on offer. There will be time to walk, read and just rest. No radios or television or mobiles here - just your inner voices. All is simple, easy and peaceful.

The traditional retreat

Traditional weekend retreats are the most popular option, and if you are in a group are likely to run along the following lines. You arrive on Friday evening, find your room and meet the retreat leader and other guests. After supper there may be a short discussion about the programme. Then you might go for a walk in the garden or spend some time getting acquainted. Early to bed is the usual rule, but not necessarily early to rise. From the first night, you cease doing much talking except when gathered together for a group discussion. There may be prayer or meditation. If you are in a monastery there may be set times for spiritual practices such as sung prayers, which you can attend if you want to.

Theme and activity retreats

These offer a wide range of courses and study that combine body and spiritual awareness. The methods used spring from alternative healing practices, group psychology, or are based on rediscovering traditional religious forms of creating spiritual awareness. You enter an activity, such as painting or dance, through which you may gather your feelings, senses and intuition together into a greater awareness of yourself, of others and of life as part of the cosmic creation. There are a great number of ways to explore this form of retreat. Some are ancient arts and others very much of our own time. Yoga retreats employ body and breathing exercises to achieve greater physical and mental stillness as an aid to meditation and contemplation. Embroidery, calligraphy, and painting retreats focus on awakening personal creativity. Nature and prayer retreats help you to see things freshly, appreciating colour, shape and texture to heighten your awareness of creation at work all around you.

Healing and renewal retreats

Ancient and modern techniques are drawn upon to help achieve this goal in a healing retreat. These may range from discovering the child within you, to flotation sessions, nutritional therapy, holistic massage or aromatherapy. The established churches have regained their awareness of this almost lost aspect of their faith. Now inner healing and healing of the physical body through prayer and the laying on of hands have become prominent features of many Christian ministries.

Renewal retreats

A renewal retreat is usually Christian and is seeking to find a new awareness of the presence of Christ, a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit, and a clearer understanding for the committed Christian of his or her mission in the Church.

Taking the family or going just for the day

For those places that have suitable facilities, a whole family may experience going on retreat together - even the family dog may be welcomed in some places. These retreats need to be well-planned and worked out so that each member of the family from the youngest to the oldest has a real chance to benefit from the experience. Buddhist centres and monasteries often have a children's Dahampasala, which is a school study session held each Sunday. Some convents offer crêche facilities for mother-and-baby day retreats. Many places have camping facilities or a family annex.

Meditation retreats

These are for the study and practice of meditation from the beginner level to the advanced practitioner. It is a way of opening yourself to an inner level of wellbeing. There are many kinds of approaches to meditation from the various Buddhist traditions to those of the Christian and Hindu faiths as well as non-religious ones.

The experience of silence

The most ancient retreat of all is the one of contemplation and solitude. Here you live for a few days in that great school of silence in which the legendary hermits and saints of old sought God and made all else unimportant. Silence and stillness are very great challenges in this age of diversion and aggression. Even after a few hours of stillness, an inner consciousness arises and those bound up in busy lives are often surprised at the feelings which surface. This kind of retreat is best done in a monastery or convent where the atmosphere is very peaceful.

Going on retreat

Once you decide to go, select a place which strikes you as interesting and in an area you want to visit. Most places have a brochure or list of activities which includes charges. Write, giving the dates you would like to stay with an alternative, and making it clear whether you are a man or a woman, for some facilities are single gender. You need not declare your faith or lack of it or your age. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Going on retreat for people with disabilities

The number of retreat places offering facilities for independent people with disabilities is increasing all the time, but always double-check before booking so that you know exactly what is on offer.

How much does it cost?

Room and food are usually included in the price. Costs are modest in comparison with ordinary holiday hotel rates. In Spain, for example, you can expect to pay from 1,000 to 2,000 pesetas, and in France 300-400 francs per day for full board.

In Britain the range is £25 to £35 a day, and weekends cost between £55 and £250. Expect most courses and workshops to cost about the same as programmes of similar quality at colleges or craft centres.

Alternative Spirituality places, offering healing therapies and special counselling, usually charge a commercial rate for accommodation, treatments and courses. These range from £75 a day to over £350 for a weekend, plus individual treatment fees. Many Christian and Buddhist retreat houses refuse to put a price on their hospitality and ask only for a donation. If you are a student or unwaged, a special lower rate is often possible. Some places offer camping or caravan facilities or a room with a common kitchen for DIY eating.

Food

Vegetarians and special diets are often catered for in Britain and the United States, if you give advance notice. The food in other countries is apt to reflect the national diet and include meat. Self-catering facilities often exist in retreat guesthouses and this is one way around diet problems.

A bed for the night

The hospitality traditionally offered by monasteries and convents around the world is still available today. If you have little money, knock on the door and say so - you are likely to find a meal and a bed for the night. A bit of gardening or cleaning is usually welcomed as a way of repaying such hospitality, bearing in mind that many religious communities are either poor or have too few members to fulfil their practical needs. Many monasteries still have rooms only for guests of the same gender as members of their own community, though this is changing.

Further information

The Good Retreat Guide by Stafford Whiteaker (Rider £12.99) lists over 400 places in Britain, Ireland, France and Spain; Sanctuaries by J & M. Kelly (Bell Tower, NY) covers the USA. In France try the Guide des Centres Bouddhistes en France (Editions Noésis, Paris) and the Guide des Monastères by Maurice Colinon (Editions Pierre Horay). For India, From Here to Nirvana by Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones (Rider £12.99). A variety of guides to retreat centres is published annually in Italy. For other countries you will probably need to contact a religious organisation to find out what is on offer.

Other contacts: Retreats Association, 256 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UJ (020 7357 7736); Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, 51 Roman Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 OHU (020 7981 1225).