As the voice of a loving friend, I insist that you take time off this summer, not to vacation, but just to be by yourself. That’s right, just you and you. I happen to know you have a sufficient number of voices in your head to keep you plenty busy.

Last July, I benefited greatly from the five nights I slept by myself in an eight-by-eight-foot hillside hut with a floor-to-ceiling screen door along one wall. I ate simple, whole foods, met with a Sufi meditation teacher for instruction at dawn, held my yoga poses for twenty to thirty minutes each, rowed a boat, swam in a lake, and saw woodland creatures I still can’t identify. Mink? Ferrets? Fox? I’ll never know. Then at night, the sky was navy ink, the stars were pure and vivid, and thousands of fireflies rose up to my hill to play. I was contained head-to-foot in twinkling light. You just don’t get that in your usual American Express ad. I was in heaven. I know what it’s like.

Here’s a link to an article about large spiritual retreat centers that should get you motivated to plan your own days of spiritual development this summer. Or uou can look here for religious retreat centers. And this site, which organizes centers by faith, can help you narrow it down. I wrote this for Beliefnet on how to have a spiritual summer. Stare at your calendar. Enroll in a seminar that will nudge you to a different level. Or vow to stay silent for a couple of days. Just develop a plan, and ask all of your selves to show up on time. Post your own retreat stories here, and tell us where you’re planning to go next. How have your moments alone changed your life?