What Is A Self-Retreat?
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As a novice meditator it's not recommended to do intensive meditation practice on your own. Intermediate and advanced meditators are better prepared for this form of practice.
Meditation At Its Best
I love self-retreats and have done about 20 of them in my own apartments. The retreats have ranged from
3-11 days. I usually have a routine to wake up early and meditate for a few hours before eating breakfast.
Every action such as eating, washing up and showering should be done mindfully. On an average, I would put in about 10-12 hours of meditation per day.
Without any people around there's no talking which calms the mind and deepens the meditation practice.
So, what's the charm of meditating all alone for days on end? It's great practice, totally free of charge (as long as it's done at home) and you can do it whenever it suits your schedule.
By committing to a self-retreat, you really put yourself on a spiritual path. In my experience self-retreats really boost determination and self-esteem - you got everything to win.
The Challenges Of Self-Retreats
Your First Self-Retreat
Every action such as eating, washing up and showering should be done mindfully. On an average, I would put in about 10-12 hours of meditation per day.
Without any people around there's no talking which calms the mind and deepens the meditation practice.
So, what's the charm of meditating all alone for days on end? It's great practice, totally free of charge (as long as it's done at home) and you can do it whenever it suits your schedule.
By committing to a self-retreat, you really put yourself on a spiritual path. In my experience self-retreats really boost determination and self-esteem - you got everything to win.
The Challenges Of Self-Retreats
As I've already mentioned I usually discipline myself and wake up early in the morning during self-retreats. When you meditate all alone you got to motivate yourself which can
be challenging a times. So, set a schedule so there's less room for distractions.
During group retreats there's a lot of mental energy supporting you. As a self-retreatant, you must depend on yourself which at times feels like running uphill with the wind pushing you back.
If your place happens to be noisy, then that's another challenge to embrace.
During group retreats there's a lot of mental energy supporting you. As a self-retreatant, you must depend on yourself which at times feels like running uphill with the wind pushing you back.
If your place happens to be noisy, then that's another challenge to embrace.
Your First Self-Retreat
It takes a few days to really calm the mind, anyway start out gently. I recommend that you kick off with a 2-3 day
retreat and build up from there. However, in my experience 5 days is the shortest quality retreat. Anyhow, shorter retreats are still
worthwhile. Alternate between short and long retreats and see what works best for you. Don't hesitate to continue
doing group retreats - get the best of both worlds.
Meditation And Food
Stock up on easy-to-prepare foods and cook some the evening before starting the retreat. This way you won't
waste as much time cooking. Try eating smaller servings than what you normally would throughout the retreat.
It's not to punish or harden yourself but to reduce the negative effects of digestion. Digesting a big meals makes
you tired, smaller meals are much preferred.
If you can't let go of your food cravings, eat 4-5 small meals per day. Whenever you're feeling tired after eating, take a short nap. The alternative is to spend hours meditating, struggling just to keep awake - which is a waste of time and energy.
Relaxed Attention
Meditate for 5 hours per day in 30-45 minute blocks. Alternate between walking meditation, standing meditation,
sitting meditation and lying meditation. This approach reliefs physical aches and pains. Whenever you need a break
get some fresh air or read a spiritual book, mindfully.
Keep everything nice and easy - don't push too hard. The whole point of a retreat is to give relaxed attention to every action, movement, feeling and thought. Relax and let it flow naturally.
Don't forget to switch off the phone +_+
Best of luck!
Subscribe to axel g Newsletter for more quality articles!
Meditation And Food
If you can't let go of your food cravings, eat 4-5 small meals per day. Whenever you're feeling tired after eating, take a short nap. The alternative is to spend hours meditating, struggling just to keep awake - which is a waste of time and energy.
Relaxed Attention
Keep everything nice and easy - don't push too hard. The whole point of a retreat is to give relaxed attention to every action, movement, feeling and thought. Relax and let it flow naturally.
Don't forget to switch off the phone +_+
Best of luck!
Subscribe to axel g Newsletter for more quality articles!
You are welcome to share your experiences with me!
Email me at sharing@axelg.com
Email me at sharing@axelg.com
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