Silent Retreat

Located in the hills of Hartbeespoort.

There is a beautiful place in the Northern part of South Africa where hills surround a valley and a dam, but I think you would call it a lake. It is called Hartbeespoort and against the hills overlooking the lake is a Catholic retreat called the Good Shepherd retreat where I went to be alone and meditate twice since I lost my son Emile to suicide.

It is called a silent retreat because there is no everyday noise at all. There are no televisions or radios and no phones or vehicles are allowed on the property, so the silence is complete with no distractions to take your mind away from your thoughts or meditations.

The chalets (that is what we call the little houses) are single and double accommodation each with an en-suite bathroom. They are built from rocks with thatch roofs and a porch where you can sit and look out over the lake and the beautiful scenery. They also have a swimming pool and you get three meals a day in the communal dining room with tea and coffee and biscuits in your room.

There are also two little chapels where you can attend mass every morning and sit quietly during the day in meditation. Or you can go for nature walks on the hills and just be alone with your thoughts. Both times I attended were soothing to my soul because there were no normal distractions that occupied my attention.

The only things you will hear are noises of nature like birds calling, frogs, bats, owls, and now and then a leopard roaring from the sanctuary situated next to the lake. When the wind blows you hear the soothing sound of it playing through the trees. If you need absolute solitary time you can stay in one of the little houses higher up on the hill where your meals are delivered to you. You won’t have contact with any other soul so you can be completely alone with only your thoughts and time for reflection and meditation.

Namaste