What is an Ashram? Spiritual Retreat Centres!

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Spiritual Retreat

What is an ashram? Why go on a spiritual retreat? This lens explains the way of life on an ashram and has links to ashrams and pictures of ashrams.

An ashram is a place of spiritual retreat. Usually there are permanent residents as well as visitors who come for retreats.

The word Ashram is originally Indian (and Hindu), but is used for more general spiritual retreat centers as well these days.

Ashram pictures 

short corridor... by bay_range

short corridor...

DSC02829 by Ben Sutherland

DSC02829

miles to go ... by bay_range

miles to go ...

DSC02831 by Ben Sutherland

DSC02831

automatically generated by Flickr

Going on a Retreat - three reasons to do it

  1. To get away from it all

  2. To rethink your life

  3. To regroup, find your center, get in touch with yourself (again)

About food on an Ashram 

Ashrams usually have practical rules to make sure the atmosphere stays spiritual and meditative. For the permanent residents these rules have become a way of life. For visitors they are voluntarily taken on, usually for spiritual cleansing purposes.

Rules often found in Ashrams include:

  • No meat: vegetarian food

  • No alcohol or other intoxicants

  • No smoking


On stricter Ashrams rules may even include the following:
  • No sweets or sugar

  • No coffee or tea (these contain caffeine)



Source for this image of the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in India, which is an Ashram

Books about Spiritual Retreats 

Eckhart Tolle's Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/09/2009) Buy Now

A Long Retreat: In Search of a Religious Life

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Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 12/09/2009) Buy Now

Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/09/2009) Buy Now

One Hundred Days of Solitude: Losing Myself and Finding Grace on a Zen Retreat

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/09/2009) Buy Now

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

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Amazon Price: $9.47 (as of 12/09/2009) Buy Now

Other restrictions to life on an ashram 

As spiritual growth is supposed to be the main occupation on ashrams, everything else can be secondary to that.

The following are rules that may or may not be practised on specific ashrams. Just to give you an idea.

  • No tv, radio or internet

  • Strict rules about waking and sleeping times

  • Silence, except during talks with a spiritual teacher

  • Shared physical activities like cooking, cleaning and gardening


The image is of the room Mahatma Gandhi stayed in. His spinning wheel is still there

Why do you go on retreats? 

What do you look for in an ashram?

Vote for your reason(s) for going on a retreat. If your reason isn't listed, add it.

To find my 'center'

2 points

To get some peace and quiet

1 point

To rethink my life

1 point

To have time to read

1 point

To learn from a guru / spiritual teacher

1 point

Ashram: etymology and dictionary meaning 

ashram
"religious hermitage," from Skt. asramah, from a-, adnomial prefix, + sramah "effort, toll, fatigue."

Etymology online

ashram
1. a secluded building, often the residence of a guru, used for religious retreat or instruction in Hinduism.
2. the persons instructed there.

Dictionary .com

Ashrams as Monasteries 

Ashrams today really have a lot in common with monasteries. Especially now that many monasteries give retreats. Both are part of a growing culture of spiritual resources which enrich and calm the lives the busy life of working people.

Have you ever been to an ashram? 

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Did you like the Ashram? 

For those of you who have experience with going on a retreat, please tell the rest of us whether you liked it or not.

Did you like going on a retreat? Would you go again?

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Yes, I would go again.

Amyji says:

The ashram I attend periodically is near my home. The Oakland SYDA Ashram doesn't offer many retreats, so my vote was incorrect - I just attend periodically, as one would visit a temple or church. The program I attend includes chanting and meditating.

Jewelsofawe says:

Depends on the retreat

EelKat says:

I built one in my backyard, it's where I go to do my reading, writing, and meditating.

TheresaAnn says:

Yes

spirituality says:

I loved meeting people and having time for reflection. I didn't like the cold showers too much - but I do feel it was essential to the experience.

No, I would not go again.

 

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