Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. To be clear, this trip was intentionally planned. I was at a point in my life where I needed a ‘break from reality,’ if you will, and this weekend of solitude and contemplation offered just that. Best of all, when the weekend was over, it was clear that it delivered on its promise of mental and spiritual renewal and refreshment.
The Monastery grounds are situated in rural Georgia about an hour southeast of Atlanta. Its sprawling campus includes the monastery, church, guest house, activity center, museum, and gift shop plus large amounts of green space. Most notable, upon arriving, is the quietness of the grounds – the wind blowing and the birds chirping were the only sounds to be heard.
With so much space, and so few people, it makes for an ideal place to take strolls, enjoy quiet times, and ponder the many aspects of the life. And that does occur. Quite frequently actually – in many places, at many times, and oftentimes unexpectedly to the point you swear there is a voice of a guide in your head revealing life insights one aspect at a time.
Best of all, it was a completely silent experience for me – meaning no talking the entire weekend. And moreover no cell phones or internet either. This is an option – and one I chose – that was definitely worth it. To disconnect from the world was a phenomenal feeling. But this is a full on silent experience – there’s a silent dining room you can choose to dine in where no one talks. Once you get over the only sound being dishes and silverware clanging, it’s actually quite a contemplative and meditative experience. If you haven’t had a reflective experience like this, you really need to make a point to do so. Just being able to sit back and observe the people who chose NOT to disconnect was affirmation of so much craziness, drama, and emotionalism in the world that it only makes sense to disconnect intentionally once in a while.
The weekend program itself consisted of a variety of classes centered specifically on contemplative meditation (though each weekend has its own theme). There were 5 church services per day beginning at 4:30am (that’s not a typo) and ending somewhere around 8:00 pm. Throw in some meals, some nature walks, and some museum/gift shop time and you still had quite a bit of time just to sit in solitude (I chose a back pew in the church) and reflect and journal and listen to that small voice that comes from within.
From that experience came many a-ha moments, many insights, and many guiding lights that either reaffirmed the path I was on or planted the seeds for additional considerations and future path adjustments. My journal was a kaleidoscope of thoughts from every part of my life and it made for such a freeing experience – being able to get those thoughts out and onto paper was satisfying.
When the weekend was over, I felt refreshed, mentally solid, and settled – like I had spent weeks figuring out how all the puzzle pieces fit together and dropping the last one into place for victory. Before me lay a symbolic canvas, so to speak, with the outlines of the major features sitting ready for a paintbrush to fill in the details and color as I saw fit. It was something that I honestly don’t believe I would have experienced outside of that environment – akin to contemplative meditation on steroids so to speak.
One item to note is that the guest house does have a suggested per night fee that you make as a donation (though you can specify your own price – be it higher or lower). In the end, the price (whatever you decide to pay) was worth every penny and then some. And while I haven’t chosen to repeat the experience lately, I would highly recommend it to anyone willing to disconnect from the world at large and reconnect to a higher guiding power.