Fall has a way of sneaking up on you. The calendar fills in fast — school schedules, year-end deadlines, holiday planning creeping in before Halloween even hits — and most of us don’t notice how depleted we’ve become until we’re already running on fumes.
If that sounds familiar, it might be time to consider something different: silence, on your own terms.
Not every retreat needs a program or a group. A private retreat is simply time set apart — no schedule but the one you choose. Here are five signs it might be exactly what you need right now, and how to plan one at Mary & Joseph Retreat Center.
1. You can’t remember the last time your mind was quiet
Between notifications, to-do lists, and the low hum of everyday noise, true silence has become rare. If the idea of an hour with no phone, no music, and no conversation sounds uncomfortable, that discomfort is often the clearest sign you need it.
2. You’re making decisions from exhaustion, not clarity
When you’re depleted, everything feels urgent and nothing feels clear. A retreat creates space between the noise and the next decision, so you’re responding to your life instead of just reacting to it.
3. You feel disconnected from your faith or your center
Whether you’re deep in a spiritual practice or just feeling far from whatever grounds you, a change of environment can help. Our eight-acre grounds sit on the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with gardens, an outdoor labyrinth, and a chapel open daily for quiet prayer or reflection — space intentionally built for reconnecting.
4. You keep saying “I just need a break” but never take one
A private retreat is different from a vacation because there’s nothing to plan once you arrive. No itinerary, no group to keep pace with, no one to entertain. You decide how the time is spent — or how it isn’t.
5. You’re craving rest that goes deeper than sleep
Physical rest helps, but it doesn’t always touch the deeper tiredness — the kind that comes from carrying too much for too long. Silence gives that kind of rest room to happen.
Planning a Private Retreat at Mary & Joseph
A private retreat here can run anywhere from a single night to up to two weeks, space permitting, with no set program attached. It’s simply time and space, held for you: comfortable, simple overnight rooms, and grounds you’re free to wander at your own pace — gardens, an outdoor labyrinth, a chapel open daily for quiet prayer or reflection, and walking paths with sweeping views of the LA basin and coastline.
Because it’s self-directed, how you spend the time is entirely up to you — journaling, praying, reading, resting, or simply doing nothing at all.
You don’t need a reason beyond “I need this” to come. Whatever brought you to this page is reason enough.
Ready to Step Away?
Reach out to plan your private stay. Whether you have a weekend or just a day, we’ll have a quiet place ready for you.