The long history of silent meditation retreats and the individuals who helped shape them

The Burmese meditation master Sayagyi U Ba Khin played a key role in shaping the meditation retreats that are popular today.

By: Daniel M. Stuart, University of South Carolina, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 16, 2026

Words: 1,405

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Daniel M. Stuart, University of South Carolina

Silent retreats have become increasingly common in the United States in recent years.

To calm down and reset their nervous systems, people relinquish their phones and reading materials and commit to speaking at a bare minimum to learn practices of self-awareness.

Silent meditation and silent prayer have shaped spiritual lives within a variety of religious traditions for thousands of years. Today, however, those practices …

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