by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:16 AM ET, Thu February 23, 2023
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended the dark retreat he took at an Oregon resort to help provide himself clarity before making a decision about his football future.
Sky Cave Retreats owner Scott Berman told ESPN on Wednesday that Rodgers emerged from his dark retreat and left the facility after several days and nights. The property is located on a massive private property in Ashland, Oregon.
During a February 14 interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he was scheduled to visit the resort for a four-day darkness isolation retreat to help find a "better sense of where I'm at in my life."
Berman revealed that the quarterback stayed in a 300-square-foot room that was partially underground and devoid of light. The room featured a queen bed, a bathroom, a meditation mat and "lights can be turned on from inside the room."
The official website for the Sky Cave Retreats said dark retreats are "a common practice for many of the ancient spiritual traditions from around the world." Once travelers arrive at the property, they will check in a few hours before sunset and go through an hour of orientation.
Resort employees will visit the rooms once a day to tend to material needs, but guests have the option to remain undisturbed in the darkness until the end of the retreat. The cost includes two organic meals per day, all delivered around sunset through a double door.
The length of the stay is based on each guest's experience with darkness retreats, varying from as short as 3-5 days to as long as 10-40+ days.
Visitors can expect "heightened sensitivity and the opening of the subconscious" to begin around the third day, with "different neurochemical reactions that occur from various glands and hormones being both suppressed and/or stimulated from the light deprivation and the simple nature of the dark and solitude."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
