Wondering if anyone has advice on silent retreats? My sister & I are looking for a few days off and thinking this might be enlightening.

I think people are afraid to answer.

O.k. I'll bite. What's a silent retreat?

I've been to retreats - but only on the west coast and never to a silent retreat. (Iregeo - it's a retreat where people don't speak.) There are a lot of retreat centers in Massachusetts so you shouldn't have trouble finding a retreat center in the area.

What got you interested in a silent retreat?

Shhhhhh!

Where do you live?
There are both Roman Catholic and Episcopal retreats and retreat houses in Massachusetts, and there are Buddhist retreats as well.

What do you want?
Do you want to participate in the life of a monastic community through worship or sitting zazen, do you want to participate in guided meditation, or do you just want a quiet, simple space where you can explore yourself through silence?

This may help you decide among the possibilities.

susiebgood; you might find what you are looking for at The Abode in New Lebanon, NY. I have a friend who goes every year and can't say enough good things about her experience. I believe some are in silence; of course the individual retreats are.

http://www.abode-of-the-message.org/...r/content/home

Quiet Days are truly wonderful and just what's needed sometimes.

Thank you all, for your quick replies! I think we're looking for some guided meditation and then time alone. The Abode sounds good; plus a great location for us.

Insight Meditation Center, barre, MA. Kripalu may also offer some and there is a very well regarded retreat center in shelburne Falls, MA

[Sorry, couldn't resist.]

If you decide to stay in Barre, at the Insight Meditation Center, you will have an opportunity to dine at Picasso's in the center of town. It is one of our favorite places to eat in the area...a real treat!
www.dineoutpicasso.com/

Live jazz and a martini menu: Picasso's is Just what's needed after a silent retreat to ease one back into the grind! Have fun!

You might try Mepkin Abbey outside of Charleston, SC.

http://mepkinabbey.org/visit/retreatants.php

Some of the best silent retreats can be solo retreats in nature in your own cabin hermitage. A couple of the most affordable places I have found are spiritskiesretreat.com and spiritfallsretreat.com in the mountains east of Sedona, AZ. Hermitage retreat allow freedom to plan your own retreat--silent meditation, self-discovery, healing, hiking, etc.

Here's another place, that I have actually visited because it also offers hikers on the A.T. a place to stay for a night:

http://www.eastretreat.org/

One of the rules for us hikers is that we must ABSOLUTELY NOT talk to anyone on a silent retreat.

There is one in Lincolnton, NC.

I'm hoping the OP found what they wanted a year and a half ago.