A 10-minute Retreat

The other day I made myself get away from my laundry and list of things to do at home for a brief evening walk to the pond near my house. I needed some time with God, a little retreat from my normal chores. All I needed was ten minutes on the bench next to the pond. Loyola Press is known for making the 3-minute retreat possible, which is great at your desk during the work day, but I’m recommending a 10-minute retreat. If you have time at work, great, but maybe a ten-minute retreat is best needed when you’re home, a place where relaxation should be but is oft not found amidst to-do lists and housework.
Many lay people in the corporate world don’t have the time to take a more extended retreat, but ten minutes you can do! Here are three simple steps:

1. First, find a place for some quiet and then make yourself go there. It could be a place outdoors, a secluded room in your house, or even a quiet walk in the neighbourhood.
2. The best part about the ten minutes is that it can be anything. During my brief time on the bench I did an examen. You could sit in silence, do centring prayer, ask God a question, or just vent to God.
3. As you walk back to your house or your normal routine, ask yourself how your retreat was. Was it the pause you had hoped for? What might you do next time?

Start by making a 10-minute retreat part of your week, then try to do it daily.

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