Across many of the major faiths, retreats have long been held as a means of deepening inner spirituality. Nowadays, the act of withdrawing from a regular routine exists in numerous forms, espoused by the religious and the secular. Many retreat centres have spaces booked up months in advance, perhaps surprisingly so, following a time when many of us were forced to retreat. So, what is it that people are seeking through undertaking a retreat? What is it that they find? And how is facilitating a deepening sense of spirituality reconciled with the business side of running a retreat centre? To explore these issues, Mary Stallard visited St Beuno’s Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Tremeirchion, and Taraloka, a women’s Triratna Buddhist retreat centre in Bettisfield on the Welsh Borders. Mary is also joined by Nat Segnit, who, as part of research for his recently-published book has visited countless retreat centres.