For those of you who have been meditating for some time, it is no surprise for you to hear the word “meditation retreat” when you read articles and books about the topic of meditation. The first time I hear that term, I was guessing by the two words that it is a trip that is designed for learning or improving meditation. The fact isn’t far from my guess but there are actually a lot of interesting to talk about on this particular topic. Now, having known what meditation retreat is, I am going to explain that to you in layman’s terms and I going also going to talk about where are the most popular places for having these meditation retreat.
What is a Meditation Retreat Exactly?
A meditation retreat is usually a short trip organized by a fitness and health company or a meditation organization (which are actually companies a lot of the times) that is designed to give you a quiet place for you to intensely practice meditation without getting bothered by outside noise. A typical length of such meditation retreat is 10 day although it it not surprising to see ones that are as short as one day and as long as months.
The Concept of Meditation Retreat Has to Work
Having a quiet place for you to meditate for days is a concept that can hardly fail. There is no doubt that by having minimal contact with the noisy outside world, you are going to have your mind cleared. The only thing that can be bad is that you have to be very realistic about whether it is a good time take days off and it is worth the money that you are paying as the cost can really vary. You can tell whether some products, include trips, are good unless you compare their values with their prices. For example, if a friend of you ask if you want to buy his car which you know is a great car. You would definitely still ask about the price before you decide whether it is worth it to go for it.
DIY Meditation Retreat
You can actually have a meditation retreat yourself, but that’s for more experienced meditation practitioners. If you think you are self-disciplined enough, you can just go to a city or, even better, a small town where no body knows you. Live near nature if possible. Just spare a week and meditate and relax. Don’t make your trip as noisy and busy as your private life. Try to stay away from the internet and TV or you can’t really call that a retreat. Remember, the key is to be able to get away from your busy life for a week or more. Although I would say that even a day or two days of such relaxing days can already be very valuable.
Popular Places for Meditation Retreat
There are some places that are especially suitable for having meditation retreat. There are meditation centers and similar organization all over the world that hosts meditation retreats. The super popular places are meditation centers in India and US. People like to have meditation retreat in India because of how this country is one of the origins of meditation. While it is not surprising that there are a lot of meditations in different cities of the US that are some great places to escape your busy life. In my opinion, you really don’t have to go that far to have a meditation retreat. If you are doing a DIY retreat, just go to a small town close to where you live. If you are joining a meditation retreated that is organized by a meditation center or a fitness company, just pick a trip that is affordable and convenient.
Interesting Things You Want to Know About Meditation Retreats
For those of you who want to going to meditation retreats because you want to further quiet your mind, that’s nice and please go ahead. For those of you who are just curious about what is going to happen in these retreats, let me tell you some interesting things that you may want to know before you actually make the decision to go.
You Don’t Need to Already Know How to Meditate
Many people that that you need to know how to meditate before you go to a meditation retreat. That’s not true. Usually, there are half of the attendance that don’t yet know how to meditate. There are usually instructors that will guide you how to meditate. Actually, I would argue that meditation retreats are more valuable for non-meditators because they are learn how to meditate from scratch and receive some new benefits that they have not yet discovered before attending the retreat.
You Don’t Necessarily Have to Sit on the Floor
I have mentioned in another blog post already that I prefer sitting on a chair or on a sofa when I meditate. I feel my knees get hurt if I sit on the floor with my legs crossed. In a meditation retreat, people usually allow you to choose your most comfortable sitting position. There are may be some stricter ones that will need everyone to do the same thing but most meditation centers I know actually provide a lot of freedom in sitting position.
You Don’t Have to Meditate for Hours
For a lot of people like me, meditation for hours can cause headache. There are some people that can meditate for hours and can find additional benefit and there are just some people that can’t. Therefore, most meditation retreat won’t force you to do really long meditations.
There are Usually Group Meditation
Usually, in a meditation retreat, there are group meditation sessions. You may be able to feel the unique sense of energy that is very unique and interesting. It is surprisingly not distracting and you can actually meditate with as much focus as when you are doing it alone.
Meditation Retreat is Quiet, but Not Boring
You can still talk with different participants of the meditation retreat and eat and laugh together. It is actually a very relaxing and head clearing experience with a little bit of social element in it.