My buddy Jon and I went on a silent retreat, practising contemplation, silence, prayer and inner stillness. We went to the Abbey of the Genesee, near Buffalo, NY which is the same Catholic abbey that Henri Nouwen stayed at for 8 months. It was the first time for each of us, and we both had quite a powerful experience.
You can buy the two Henri Nouwen books that I mentioned here:
Out of Solitude: http://amzn.to/2A5Xj6V
The Way of the Heart: http://amzn.to/2ARlrxx
You can visit the Abbey of the Genesee yourself here:
http://www.geneseeabbey.org/
Credits:
Infinite Perspective by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500024
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Meditation Impromptu 01 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100163
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/dtv/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/