A retreat is, generally speaking, a day or series of days (anywhere from 2 to 30+) during which one spends the majority of one's waking hours praying, reflectin

A retreat is, generally speaking, a day or series of days (anywhere from 2 to 30+) during which one spends the majority of one's waking hours praying, reflecting silently, listening to presentations on some topic/s and/or attending workshops (which form the basis of one's reflections), and possibly engaging in one-on-one or group discussions (depends on the retreat's format, some entail silence throughout). To lessen distractions from the cares of daily life, retreats are usually conducted away from one's domicile in some peaceful setting (mountains, coast, etc.), at a "retreat center" or some facility that provides sleeping quarters, bathrooms, meeting space, and a refectory. To make the whole exercise cost-efficient, a retreat is usually conducted for a small to medium-sized group, rather than for just one or two participants. In the context of religious institutions, it is a fairly common practice to organize retreats for persons who are finalizing their preparations for a change in state of life, e.g. going from single to married, lay person to ordained, student to graduate, etc. The topics addressed at such retreats usually pertain to that change, with an aim to help participants better prepare internally for the obligations and challenges ahead.