My Next Retreats

[jay.validus]

I wanted to layout my next retreat, which is broken into two parts.  First, I will do a solo wilderness retreat.  I am thinking anywhere from seven to fourteen days, using my job as my time guideline.  I will be making this very unplanned and self-directed, a path that suits me very well.  I will bring some simple writings to help guide my focus, but I want reading to be kept to an hour at most in the evening, maybe two the odd time.  I think I will bring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  Perhaps a few choice readings from the Discourses of the Buddha.  If anyone has any other simple suggestions, I am all ears.  I have a preference to add something that comes from western culture too.

Now, the second part was very difficult choice to make, but I think the benefits outweigh my concerns, especially since I am going to do my own wilderness retreat.  I am going to sign up to serve a 10-day course at a meditation centre, probably a Goenka centre.  I choose this for a few reasons: First, meditation practice with others is a great learning experience in mindfulness;  Second, the opportunity to help others get exposed and get practice with meditation;  Third, I spent time living at a meditation centre, and I developed some history with the long-term servers.  I found our time together was useful and productive.

Now, I am not sure when this will happen, because I have to make my plans around my job.  However, I feel secure in knowing what my plan is, so that when the time arrives, I know what my choice will be.

[Jhanananda]

I wanted to layout my next retreat, which is broken into two parts.  First, I will do a solo wilderness retreat.  I am thinking anywhere from seven to fourteen days, using my job as my time guideline.  I will be making this very unplanned and self-directed, a path that suits me very well. 

During my householder phase, in addition to maintaining a daily meditation practice, I also attended at least 1 10-day retreat, and camped for at least a week to 2 weeks each year.  It helped me to make progress in my contemplative life, not just maintain a level.  So, it is good to see you planning these styles of retreat.

I will bring some simple writings to help guide my focus, but I want reading to be kept to an hour at most in the evening, maybe two the odd time.  I think I will bring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  Perhaps a few choice readings from the Discourses of the Buddha.  If anyone has any other simple suggestions, I am all ears.  I have a preference to add something that comes from western culture too.

During my annual wilderness retreats, I too brought some material from the major mystics of the world. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross were my major sources of western mysticism, so they might work for you as well.

Now, the second part was very difficult choice to make, but I think the benefits outweigh my concerns, especially since I am going to do my own wilderness retreat.  I am going to sign up to serve a 10-day course at a meditation centre, probably a Goenka centre.  I choose this for a few reasons: First, meditation practice with others is a great learning experience in mindfulness;  Second, the opportunity to help others get exposed and get practice with meditation;  Third, I spent time living at a meditation centre, and I developed some history with the long-term servers.  I found our time together was useful and productive.

Now, I am not sure when this will happen, because I have to make my plans around my job.  However, I feel secure in knowing what my plan is, so that when the time arrives, I know what my choice will be.

We mystics do what we can with what is available.  I too attended one Goneka retreat about 15 years ago, but I was thrown out due to the depth of my meditations there, so be careful not to tell the retreat leader about the depth of your meditations, because they are likely to do the same thing to you, which means they know nothing of deep meditation.

[Zack]

I have decided I need to do a group meditation retreat myself, to solidly throw myself back into the meditative depths. I've had some good meditations recently but my circumstances at the moment, including a job that continues to be stressful and erratic, really keep cutting into my ability to devote the right amount of energy. I probably won't be able to get to it for at least a few months but I'm hoping a retreat will help to reset me internally and make me that much more unable to tolerate restrictions on a practice.

In the meantime now that I have a vehicle again (after many years of hoofing it on foot or bike; I could still get most anywhere I needed to go, I was just assured of being exhausted when I got there!), a frustrating near-necessity in this modern world, I should be able to camp at least a night or two a week, possibly more.

Good luck with your ventures.

[Jhanananda]

Yes, Zack, I too found regular retreats do serve to rekindle out aspirations for deeper meditation practice.