Retreat takes us on a stunning journey through the many ways humans step back from daily life, both in today's world and in our past.

'Open-minded, elegantly written and comprehensive' Daily Telegraph

From mindfulness and meditation to yoga breaks and spiritual bootcamps, stepping back from daily life remains a human obsession. In this endlessly enlightening book, Nat Segnit experiences retreats around the world as he investigates why we seek solitude, what we get out of it, and what is going on in our brains and bodies when we achieve it. Along the way, he meets yogic scholars, scientists, religious leaders, philosophers and artists, gaining fascinating - and often startling - insights.

'A vivid personal quest...rich and almost eerily timely' William Fiennes, author of The Snow Geese