On December 12, 2008, Ridgely was featured in the New York Times, in an extensive article about ashrams and retreats in the New York Area by Shivani Vohra. This post contains a small excerpt, and you can find the link to the full article below:
It began at 4:30 on a Saturday morning.
The three dozen participants started out with two half-hour meditation sessions before dawn. They then spent the next two hours doing what’s called work practice, which consisted of scrubbing toilets and raking leaves, all in silence. . . (which led to more meditation, cleaning the . . . dishes, and sleeping in dorm-style accommodations.) Sunday was an abbreviated version of the day before.
. . . Perhaps what was the most unusual aspect of this austere weekend . . . was that many of the attendees were not adherents of Eastern religious practices, but were part of an increasing number of nonbelievers who are seeking stress-free, spiritual and often inexpensive weekend breaks at local ashrams (isolated communities formed around a guru who follows Hindu philosophy) and Buddhist monasteries (residences for monks).
. . . the rigorous agenda over the . . . weekend actually left him refreshed. “It wasn’t fun in the traditional sense, but it was the opposite of my life in New York City and a return to a very uncomplicated way of living,” he said. “It gave me the rest and relaxation I was looking for.”
You can find the full text here.