What do you do on a Buddhist retreat, anyway?

Farm Still Life
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You may have wondered “what do you do on a retreat, anyway?
“It sounds relaxing…” I’ve had students sigh wistfully, when I announce I’ll be away on one. A student in my yoga class on Sat said to me, why do they call it “retreat,” they should call it “advance.” I was perplexed, “What?” “Well retreat sounds like your getting away from something,” he said, “when really your trying to gain something, so they should call it an advance.” Interesting…I think he had some experience of what a meditation retreat is like. Anyway..I wanted to share for family, friends, yogi’s and clients a bit about retreats; since I disappear for long periods of time on them. Read on if interested.
What retreats are not:

1. easy
2. relaxing (ok by the end usually yes)
3. like a vacation to Cancun
4. getting away from it all (sort of, but not really)

What retreats are; addressing above ideas in order:

1. EASY: Here is a typical Buddhist retreat (Vipassana/Theravadin)

• Wake up 5:15/30 ish
• meditate by 6 or 6:30
• breakfast (oatmeal)
• work period/break (usually about 1 hour)
• meditate
• walking meditation
• meditate
• walking meditation
• meditate
• lunch (vegetarian, usually pretty good)
• break usually 1 hour (or work period if didn’t in morning)
• meditate
• walking meditation
• Interview with teacher (sometime in the day) lasts 10 min. or so
• meditate
• walking meditation
• tea, fruit/juice (maybe soup, salad & bread, if not monastic based) If more strict, just former, ie. no eating after 12 noon
• break 1/2 hr,
• Dharma Talk-a talk on a topic usually around 1 hour
• walking meditation (shorter)
• meditate
• Bedtime 9:30/10:00 REPEAT NEXT DAY!

2-3. Not relaxing in the sense of lying on the beach/bed or watching TV. At some point on a retreat usually it becomes relaxing, more like calm (I’ll say more on that in pt. 2) … notice I say “at some point” and that’s with perhaps…So not like a vacation, because:

• No talking, silence is maintained except for teacher interview. Not even at meals, also silent.
• No books, radio, TV, Internet, phone calls, IPods….you get the idea. No journaling even. No distractions at all from your mind.
• no margaritas/tequilas nothin‘

So why do this you ask? More in the next post- See part 2 Going on a Buddhist Meditation Retreat. Become a subscriber and blog posts will be auto sent to your reader. See button on right in sidebar.