Kojiro Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) I am planning to do a solitary retreat in November or December. Any ideas or recommendations? I am not sure if the topic has been discussed already in other threads. what do people typically do in such circumstances? I have never been on any kind of retreat, honestly. I should think what I would like to do to make the most out of it. Edited October 7, 2023 by Kojiro 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted October 7, 2023 Good for you. No particular ideas beyond some place warm, cheap with good walks in nature. I look forward to others chiming in with more solid ideas. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kojiro Posted October 7, 2023 what do people typically do in such a circumstance? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted October 7, 2023 if you are not already .... get out into nature . Get some clean air and good fresh water . 'Rough it' a bit .... let the body know its alive and susceptible to the elements . Observe ... particularly the animals , I dont mean just watch them, or the natural processes but spend a while in quiet observation and stillness , after a while , if you make no noise or movement , the surrounds will 'accept' you .... sorta forget you are there ... then real observation can begin . A very important teaching with the indigenous here is ; " We learnt our behavior and what to do in many situations by observing the animals . " I have found , when understanding this and applying it correctly , that it can be a very helpful and empowering thing ... even psychologically and / or understanding processes or difficulties we may be going through . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
liminal_luke Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) As far as residence goes, I think some Buddhist retreat centers are open to solitary do-it-yourself retreatents. I once went to a Catholic retreat center that welcomed solitary retreatents as well, with no requirement to be Catholic or participate in monkly prayers, etc. In general, I would look for religious monasteries and places like that and see if there are any that would be willing to take you in for a spell. It strikes me that a solitary retreat is a very difficult thing to pull off, potentially very powerful but difficult. Before jumping into something semi-longterm I would arrange for a mini home retreat first and see how that goes. What if you were just to take a weekend and devote it to, well, whatever you have planned, see how that goes? If it's easy and feels good then you can start to think more seriously about a more extended venture. If a weekend proves challenging, there's nothing wrong with doing a retreat / workshop with others. Some of the best experiences of my life have occured during such retreats/workshops. Another possibility is pilgrimage. Have you considered walking the "camino" to Santiago de Compostela in Spain? I walked the camino years ago and loved it Closer to home (assuming, as I am, that you're in the US) many people have had transformative experiences through walking the Pacific Crest Trail. While a person can get enlightened in their urban bedroom, there's something to be said for journeying to the world's power spots. Two words: Mount Kailash. Just sayin'.... Edited October 8, 2023 by liminal_luke 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
refugeindharma Posted October 8, 2023 Why do you want to do a solitary retreat? Figure that out and then you'll know what to do, or at least have a pathway to figure out what it is that you could be doing... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kojiro Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) yes, first of all I want to do something easy, like a weekend or half a week, just a few days. I want to dedicate that time to do something that helps me grow and improve, maybe meditation, maybe study something, maybe observe and be in nature, etc., I don't even know. I guess I still have to think about that. Edited October 8, 2023 by Kojiro 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted October 8, 2023 20 hours ago, liminal_luke said: ... I once went to a Catholic retreat center that welcomed solitary retreatents as well, with no requirement to be Catholic or participate in monkly prayers, etc. ... Hmmmm .... is that free ..... do you get food ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
liminal_luke Posted October 8, 2023 13 minutes ago, Nungali said: Hmmmm .... is that free ..... do you get food ? Not free, unfortunately. I don't remember the deal now but I think it was quite reasonable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gerard Posted October 8, 2023 Try here: https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory On your own you won't pull it off. A teacher is a must if you never attended a retreat before let alone a solitary one. You don't need to be a Buddhist to attend a Vipassana meditation retreat. To be honest they don't care they only care about the Mind, which like the Yin & Yang, is shared and common to all of us humans. I met Hindus, Hebrews and several Chinese citizens in the Vipassana retreat of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Good luck! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted October 9, 2023 It's getting cold now, so maybe wait til its warmer but camping for a weekend is getting your feet wet for longer solo retreats. What to do, walk/hike silently with a quiet mind. Bring a book, listen to dharma talks on a podcast. Ease into listening to your mind. Listening. Facing and understanding yourself without the artificiality of society. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kojiro Posted October 22, 2023 the date is approaching, let's see what i will or will not do 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
