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Do you want to disconnect from everyday life and find your «I»? Go on a retreat, but don’t forget to read this «instruction».
Retreat — from the English word retreat, “retreat”, “withdrawal from society” is an internationally accepted designation of leisure time devoted to spiritual practice. Time away from daily duties, meditating on religious texts or simply praying alone is an essential part of many religious communities.
The Practice of Retreat in World Religions
Even before our era, Buddhist monks practiced an annual «retreat of the rains», a vassa that lasted three lunar months during the monsoons. During the time of Gautama Buddha, the monks traveled constantly, never staying in any home for more than two days.
In order not to harm the many small animals that appear on the roads during the monsoon rains and the young shoots in the rice fields, the Buddha established a rule that monks and nuns were not to travel during this period.
In Sufism, the mystical-ascetic trend of Islam, a solitary retreat, traditionally lasting forty days, is called «khalva» or «khalvat». The Sufis associate the halvah period with the forty days that Allah assigned the Prophet Musa (Moses) as a fast before speaking to him. During this time, the retreat participant completely refuses contact with the outside world and performs many spiritual exercises under the guidance of a Sufi master.
The main idea of the Christian retreat is to escape from the usual routine and everyday affairs in order to meaningfully offer prayer
Although the tradition of completely withdrawing from everyday life in a monastery or desert hermitage is almost as old as Christianity itself, the modern form of retreat did not appear until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, after the publication of Spiritual Exercises by the Catholic priest Ignatius Loyola.
It talked about the benefits of retreats for the laity, and cited Jesus fasting in the wilderness for forty days as an example. The practice grew in popularity, and today retreats are organized by many organizations, from youth schools to nursing homes.
In the last few years, retreats have been started by scholars. During such retreats, participants are encouraged to ponder and explore holistic questions about their research programs, accomplishments, frustrations, and goals.
Everyone chooses by themselves
A new wave of popularity of retreats began relatively recently. In 1959, the American physician Halbert L. Dunn came up with wellness — a philosophical and practical attitude towards a healthy lifestyle as a combination of physical, mental and spiritual health.
One of the complex healing methods in his philosophy was a yoga retreat, which helps to get rid of daily stress and problems by performing asanas, rather than pure meditation. Wellness became popular, and the word «retreat» was assigned to any spiritual practice.
The form of the retreat can be almost any, you yourself choose the type that is interesting and convenient for you
Experienced practitioners can organize a retreat for themselves even in their own apartment, but most often they are held in nature by one or more masters for a group of people. Although there is no single formula for organizing a retreat, most of them will require you to give up your cell phone, get up at dawn, follow a vegetarian diet and give up coffee, alcohol and cigarettes.
Wellness retreats are much shorter than religious retreats, and you can choose dates that are convenient — just one weekend or a few weeks away from your usual life. Beginners are advised to choose trips no longer than 10 days. After that, the unprepared psyche becomes uncomfortable from prolonged isolation and concentration.
Why Go on a Retreat
1. To really relax
What is the difference between retreat and outdoor recreation? A group of scientists from San Francisco two groups of vacationers who were in the same resort on vacation and on a five-day retreat of Ayurveda, yoga and meditation. In addition to the “holiday effect” that improved the well-being of both groups, retreat participants benefited from being away from home and work routines.
According to studies, a vacation brings only a short-term improvement in well-being, and a week of meditation can in the long run. Study by a team of biologists and psychiatriststhat for those who have already been trained in the practice of meditation, the retreat, apparently, brings additional benefits — the activity of the “youth enzyme”, telomerase, which allows cells to multiply rapidly without aging, increases, the body and psyche are able to resist stress longer.
2. To learn to concentrate and improve memory
Does it make sense to do yoga all the time, if even a single retreat helps to reboot? As shown by one , in people who included regular meditation in their daily lives, they found an increase in gray matter density in the hippocampus, which is important for learning and memory, and a decrease in gray matter density in the cerebellar tonsils, which are involved in the formation of psychological tension.
A team of researchers from the Universities of Minnesota and Torontothat meditation helps people not be distracted by unpleasant emotions and remain attentive. In addition, mindfulness meditation practices can: increase working memory and some executive functions.
3. To improve health
Health Benefits of Participating in a Full Retreat from six months to five years. Retreats have a positive effect on people with anxiety, chronic respiratory diseases, blood pressure, arthritis and rheumatism, as well as those suffering from multiple sclerosis and heart disease.
What else you should know about retreats
1. Don’t Shift Responsibility
The retreat is your journey into yourself. It is not known what you will find there and whether you will be ready for it. It is important to understand that during the retreat you are responsible for yourself. “It’s like a very extreme sport, but you’re sitting still. This should be approached with a clear definition of the risks, informed consent is needed and ways to help in case of problems.” intensive meditation neuroscientistClifford Saron.
2. Don’t Stop Thinking Critically
On Miguel Farias, a research psychologist who co-authored a book on the effects of meditation, The Buddha Pill, meditation retreats easily lead people to a different way of seeing the world. «This can have both good and bad consequences — especially harmful is the result of causing people to turn away from some of their problems and refuse to critically challenge the beliefs that cause anxiety.»
Faria’s research showed that63% of the meditators in the group experienced at least one negative effect. There is nothing shameful in crying because of the surging sensations and emotions or refusing to do some practice.
3. Assess your options
The most difficult for the psyche are the silence retreat, vipassana, in which participants take a vow of silence for 10 days, and the darkness retreat, which takes place in a room completely isolated from the light. Those who wish to go on such retreats are often asked about their experience and newcomers are not allowed to participate.
Meditation improves the general condition, but cannot replace psychotherapy or full-fledged drug treatment. And if used incorrectly, it can have negative consequences for mental health. If you are interested in knowing yourself through meditation, do not immediately try to surpass the Buddha, approach the retreats consciously and attentively, and everything will work out.
How to prepare for the first retreat: personal experience
Says meditation and yoga teacher Maxim Sati (40 years old)
What to pay attention to in advance?
Retreats are different. My very first one took place in a Soviet pioneer camp, hastily partitioned off into a female and male half with 5-8-bed accommodation in a ward and a heavily sagging bed. Now you probably don’t see that anymore. But if the price of participation is not high, most likely, ascetic food and accommodation conditions await you.
Accommodations. The last retreats I attended (Metta-Vipassana «School of Three Paths») had comfortable rooms for one or two people with their own shower and toilet.
Transport accessibility. If you do not have your own car, this item is very important. Although you may be given a ride by other retreat participants, this is not uncommon.
Retreat duration. The most effective — long — usually 10-day, as they say, with a full immersion and reassembly. But if you just want to try it, there are options for one day.
What to take with you?
Be sure to check this point with the organizers (somewhere there may not be towels, for example). General recommendations: closed sportswear, warm socks, slippers, a blanket, a water bottle, any medications you take. If you will be staying in a multi-bed room, bring a flashlight. Experienced participants also bring their own meditation cushions.
The rest of what you need is usually there. Gadgets will still have to be handed over. There is usually no time to read books, and sometimes it is not recommended by the rules. You should not take food, but crackers or chocolate can be smuggled in illegally.
Why do newbies run away from retreats?
Morally, one must prepare for the complete absence of means of communication, an early rise, and a strict routine. Often — to silence for the entire period of the retreat, physical and breathing exercises, yoga.
The most difficult thing for beginners is to stay in a motionless posture for a long time during meditation, which can be very painful. But people usually run away not because of these trials, but because “nothing works out”. Or meditation provokes emotional outbursts like panic attacks. It is advisable to immediately set yourself up to hold out to the end.
Sometimes people come without knowing why, and then they see that they got somewhere wrong and are looking for an excuse to leave as soon as possible. Watch as many videos and testimonials from members as you can about the place you’re going to. If there are several dozen good ratings, this is a good indicator of the quality of the retreat.
Who shouldn’t go?
It is worth trying the retreat both for those who want to finally find out what meditation is, to try themselves in a serious practice in conditions close to monastic ones, and for those who need to stop and reboot, silence and dive into themselves.
People with serious psychological problems should approach such an experience with great caution. For those for whom meditation is just a trendy trend, and retreat is an exotic and interesting experience, you should think about easier and more enjoyable ways to spend your time. For such participants, the trip can be a real test.
Text: Polina Vorobieva
Three books on spiritual development
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