Some people ask, "What do I do when I practice solitude? What should I bring with me?" The primary answer, of course, is–nothing.

At its heart, solitude is primarily about not doing something. Just as fasting means to refrain from eating, so solitude means to refrain from society. When I go into solitude, I withdraw from conversation, from others, from noise, from media, from the constant barrage of stimulation.

"In solitude," Henri Nouwen wrote, "I get rid of my scaffolding." Scaffolding is all the stuff I use to keep myself propped up, to convince myself I'm important or okay. In solitude I have no friends to talk with, no phone calls or meetings, no TV to entertain, no music or books or newspapers to occupy and distract my mind. I am, in the words of the old hymn, "Just as I Am"–just me and my sinfulness, and God.

Two Types of Solitude

I think about solitude in two categories. First, I need brief periods of solitude on a regular basis–preferably each day, even at intervals during the day. ...