You Are Invited
To a Place of Beauty
and Peace
We are open April 15-June 15; July 15-October 15
The Center provides facilities and guidance to individuals and groups who wish a quiet place for reflection and meditation. We will help you find the teachers or resources that you need for your retreat, or you may just want a little space and time. In addition we endeavor to promote interfaith understanding, while respecting the integrity and differences among the various faith traditions. We aim to do this without competing with established religious institutions. In fact, we encourage people who come here to be affiliated with a worshipping community.
The center is located on about 90 acres of woodland on the side of East Mountain State Forest in the town of Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts in the midst of the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. Part of the land was leveled by the tornado of 1995 opening views to the east. There are paths and logging trails and many places to walk or sit in quiet and contemplation.
The center is open to any serious seeker regardless of faith tradition, race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation.
Individual Retreats are the primary activity at the retreat center. If desired we provide guidance for your time here. We urge people to be in retreat for a minimum of 2 days and ordinarily two weeks would be the longest stay. However, special arrangements can be made for longer stays if someone is pursuing a recognized training or discipline requiring the extended period.--Please do not plan to arrive for your retreat on Tuesday or Wednesday.
30 day Ignatian retreats can be arranged.
Individual retreatants have private rooms. Simple meals, bedding, and towels are provided. You prepare your own breakfast, lunch and snacks from the guest kitchen, and you may request what foods would be available. A hot meal is prepared for you for supper. Vegetarian options are always available.
SILENCE: It is expected that individual, private retreats are silent unless special arrangements are made, such as for playing a musical instrument or chanting. Ordinarily an individual's only breaks in the silence would be discussions with a guide or teacher.
COST - DONATION: You would be here as our personal guest. The suggested donation to our non-profit organization, Interfaith Spiritual Retreats Institute, is $30/day room and board and any spiritual counseling that you would choose to have.
Group Activities: At
limited times the facilities of the center are available for small group retreats,
conferences, weddings, family reunions, etc. It is assumed that these would
be self catered and would last for a no more than two days. Approximately 10
people can be housed overnight at the center. It is the policy of the center
that these groups be pre-existing groups, such as a family or private meditation
group, and/or the event is sponsored by a non-profit institution as a program
of that institution.
Members of groups are also here as our personal guests. The suggested donation
to our non-profit organization, Interfaith Spiritual Retreats Institute, is
$20/person/day or $10/person/day for daytime use. We do not provide food for
groups, but you would have access to a fully equipped kitchen. We can also help
put you in touch with a local caterer.
Hikers' Accomodations: When there is space we host
hikers and bicyclists who arrive without cars. Suggested donation is $10/night
and $3/load of laundry. We do not provide meals, but there are cooking facilities,
showers and access to laundry.
The main meeting hall and one bedroom are wheelchair accessible. Also, we will
do whatever is necessary and feasible to be welcoming to people with physical
limitations.
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What Is a Retreat?Every retreat is different. For some it is a time for peaceful reflection about one's life and faith. For others it is a time of healing, using the resources of prayer, meditation, or ritual. Yet others may use a retreat as a time for decision making or preparation for a major task. And others may want to learn more about the mystical traditions of their religion and need instruction in techniques of prayer or meditation. There are combinations of the above and an infinite number of variations because of the differences in people, their personalities, and their stories. Every religious tradition has seen value
in being in retreat. |
The Reverend Lois F. Rose
c/o East Mountain Retreat Center
P. O. Box 195
Great Barrington, MA. 01230
Phone 413-528-6617
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