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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 23 2006 : 3:46:49 PM
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Hi Everyone,
A little over three weeks ago, and with the help of Yogani, I planned and took part in a nine day silent retreat. During the course of this time, I experienced (amongst other things) higher levels of consciousness and stillness of mind like never before, and observed as my practices were taken to an entirely new level. What truly amazed me, though, was the power that the retreat setting itself brought with it, as it became quickly apparent that being able to submerse myself completely into the path with no distractions for a few days made an enormous difference in the overall effectiveness.
Following this wonderful experience and great boost to my sadhana, I was left with a tried and true daily retreat schedule and many tips on how to accomplish it without checking into an ashram or retreat center. The remainder of this post will be focusing on the idea which was spawned from this information.
The idea is for an online group retreat without leaving the comfort of your own home, or in other words, a solo retreat amongst friends. It’s the same thing really, although by being in complete control of the group aspect of it, the practitioner can choose the ratio of group/solo that works best for them. The group aspect would take place through a private AYP forum created specifically for the retreat, and possibly the addition of a live chat room in order to bring the satsang even closer together.
Schedules would be created beforehand and posted in the private forum for viewing or printing out. The time zone issue is one that is currently being addressed, but the best bet would likely be for everyone to practice according to their own time zone, as the schedule spans the entire day.
The suggested daily routines would be coordinated with input from Yogani as needed by a retreat coordinator, who could also handle the odds and ends of the retreat (Yogani has made it clear that he supports this approach). I would be willing to fill the position of retreat coordinator in order to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.
It is understood that it isn’t possible for everyone to participate in a nine day retreat, so the idea would be to start out with the much more accessible weekend time frame to begin. If this proves successful, planning longer retreats could be the next step.
Looking at the recent success of AYP group meditations, it is apparent that the idea of online retreats could also come to fruition. So the big question is, would anyone be interested in giving an online retreat a shot?
In the meantime, any thoughts and ideas on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
Namaste,
Brett |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2006 : 6:00:35 PM
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Hi Brett
Sounds like a great idea to me, and despite a house full of teenagers I'm sure I could organise myself for it.
What sort of schedule were you thinking off and how would so much AYP practice be self-paced?
Louis |
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2006 : 6:29:21 PM
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Hi Louis,
The self-pacing aspect would be based on the individual reaction to the extra practices, in the same way it is used normally in AYP. The schedule will be designed in accordance with the length of the retreat, and with the input and approval of Yogani.
I would be happy to post the schedule that was used for my recent nine day retreat if you'd be interested in checking it out. 
Brett |
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 2:16:59 PM
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On a side note, for those of you who are not interested in the idea of online retreats, it would be helpful if you could share your thoughts on the reasons why. This information would be greatly helpful in refining the idea into one that may be a bit more appealing to a wider range of practitioners.
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nearoanoke
USA
525 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 4:10:30 PM
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Hi Trip1,
The idea sounds good, but how are we going to conduct the retreat for AYP? Vippassana meditation can be done for many hours a day without any serious side effects but AYP is 20 mins twice a day and exceeding that can lead to problems. May be you can post a sample schedule of a retreat if you have one ready.
-Near |
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 5:02:33 PM
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Hi Near,
The retreat schedule doesn't add more time to your current practices, but adds more sessions. For instance, during my nine day retreat, I had two AYP sessions back-to-back in the morning, and two in the evening, for a total of four sessions per day. Each session is followed by a 25 minute rest. The remaining time throughout the day is split between study, physical activity, meals, and rest.
For the first two days and the final two days, a ramp up and ramp down was utilized in order to acheive a smoother transition in and out of the retreat. During this time, AYP practices consisted of two sessions in the morning and one session in the afternoon. The final day should consist of the practitioners regular routine, with one session in morning and one in the afternoon.
A weekend retreat would consist of three sessions per day, with two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Any more than that may cause a bit of turbulence, but Yogani has made it clear that three sessions is fine in this case. The weekend retreat schedule would be created around these sessions.
Below you will find the schedule that was utilized for my recent nine day retreat, which although a bit different from a weekend retreat schedule, should give you a basic idea of what you would be getting yourself into.  This schedule should not be used for a retreat spanning less than five days.
For those interested in participating in their own solo retreat (consisting of 5 days or more), the following daily schedule has been designed with the help of Yogani, and given the AYP stamp of approval. The schedule should be used with the "ramps" up and down as discussed above, filling in the extra time as necessary. I will also create a weekend retreat schedule for those practitioners that wish to give it a go without the group aspect.
Also, the practices listed below reflect my personal AYP session time, and would be replaced with the practitioner's own session time. The basic premise is to use the same practices and length of time that you normally use every day.
I hope this answers your question.
Namaste.
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6:15 - 6:30
Wake
Bathroom, Neti
6:30 - 9:45 (back to back practices)
Asanas (10 Mins)
Sitting Practices (60 Mins)
Rest (25 Mins)
Asanas (10 Mins)
Sitting Practices (60 Mins)
Rest (25 Mins)
9:45 - 10:00
Breakfast/Lunch
10:00 - 10:15
Walk
10:15 - 12:15
Study (Books/Lectures)
12:15 - 1:15
Journal Entry / Snack
1:15 - 3:30
Study (Books/Lectures)
3:30 - 4:30
Rest / Silent Observing
4:30 - 8:00 (back to back practices)
Neti
Asanas (10 Mins)
Sitting Practices (60 Mins)
Rest (25 Mins)
Asanas (10 Mins)
Sitting Practices (60 Mins)
Rest (25 Mins)
8:00 - 8:30
Dinner
8:30 - 8:45
Walk
8:35 - 9:45
Study (Books/Lectures)
9:45 - 10:00
Write Daily Recap
10:00 - 10:30
Rest / Silent Observing
10:30
Sleep |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 6:07:48 PM
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Hi trip
Can I ask why all the study, 5 hours a day would do my head in.
Louis |
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 6:25:54 PM
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Hi All:
Just to chime in here, Trip did a terrific job on his nine day solo retreat, mainly because he was able to stick with his pre-planned schedule. As in daily life, the activities on a retreat are as important as the practice routines in order to integrate purification that is occurring, and even more so while going deeper and deeper in retreat mode.
When we first started communicating on his retreat, Trip was planning on longer sessions, and on adding new practices, etc. Sort of a retreat free for all -- it would have been very tough to hold it together. I think he will tell you that he had more than enough to say grace over with 2+2 daily routines with his existing practices, only nuanced modestly for the retreat.
Several have asked me about AYP retreats over the past couple of years, and now maybe it is time to put a toe in the water. Trip's idea for online retreats is intriguing, and maybe it could work for those who have the discipline to stick with a schedule. Of course, actual group retreats would be better, and there is no reason why they could not evolve in time, perhaps even combined with the online ones -- simultaneous retreats spread around the planet, all connected via the internet. Interesting possibilities there ... but first things first.
It is true, Near, that the AYP practices are very powerful, and must be managed very precisely when in retreat mode. It is all about the schedule. If this is done, a retreat can produce a big step forward with relative safety. The key to online retreats will be good communications with the coordinator, and making any adjustments that are necessary during the retreat. As with regular practices, everyone reacts a little differently to multiple routines.
Trip has volunteered to be the first retreat coordinator. I told him that we could create one or more private forums here as needed for communications during online retreats. Not sure if chatrooms would be a help or a hinderance -- it is an open question. Perhaps for some light group interaction at predetermined times of the day.
Starting out with a weekend would be best, and not in a house full of busy activities. It would be good if meals could be taken care of, but not with a lot of interaction with family or friends who are not in retreat mode. That is why they call it a retreat.
It is up to the interested parties to get it together. My role would as part time advisor only. I have plenty of experience in this area, so can provide useful guidelines. But I'm not available for ongoing interactions during retreats. The coordinator (in this case, Trip) would advise me of any special input needed from here. The retreat schedule would be set up in advance, so variations should be the exception rather than the rule.
Well, it is a start. Let's see what happens.
The guru is in you.
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Hunter
USA
252 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 9:54:13 PM
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| What is a retreat? What does it do? |
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2006 : 11:39:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sparkle
5 hours a day would do my head in.
Hi Louis,
Hehe well isn't that the point?
To be honest, I was wondering the same thing going into the retreat, but quickly found myself running out of time during study sessions. To start, a good book can definitely make a few hours pass in what seems like a matter of minutes. The reading was also balanced out by listening to a series of recorded lectures which were gathered previous to the retreat. So if reading wasn't working at the moment, I'd just pop in a lecture and relax while listening to the world's foremost speakers on the spiritual path. Not a bad gig at all.
I'm sure there are also many activities used by retreat centers which have not been explored by this schedule. I have only been involved with the solo retreat side of things, so if anyone with more experience in group retreats could suggest a few of these activities, we could create a list of options (besides reading and lectures) to partake in during study time.
Brett |
Edited by - trip1 on Jul 25 2006 12:16:44 AM |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2006 : 03:27:41 AM
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Hi trip
I'm sure I could manage to do my head in with some study 
What would appeal to me would be to do a day or a weekend retreat with the following ideas
1. Camp out in the hills on my own or with someone else also doing the retreat. (my home is too busy for a retreat). This would mean I would be out of touch online.
2. Coordinate a strict timetable of the AYP practices with all participents doing Deep Meditation and Samyama at the same time, as in the AYP group meditations. The different time zones should not be a problem in retreat mode.
Extra practice time could be at the discretion of the individual.
Louis
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2006 : 12:17:31 AM
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Hi Hunter,
A spiritual retreat (in this context) is a withdrawal from society in order to focus completely on the spiritual path, without distraction. Retreats are held in ashrams, retreat centers, or in the mountains to name a few, but can also be succesfully held at home (if given the proper conditions). The idea is to completely immerse one's self in the path for a given number of days (sometimes in silence), using a pre-planned schedule consisting of spiritual practices, study, physical activity, and other activities relating to the spiritual path. Completely detatched from society and without any distractions, the practitioner has nowhere to go but inward which can quickly lead to deepened senses of awareness, stillness of mind, and other exalted states of being. The major benefit however can found following the retreat as the practitioner's spiritual progress is given a nice boost and daily life permanently enhanced.
This is of course only my definition, so if anyone has anything to add (or subtract), please do so.
Louis, thank you for the suggestions. They have been noted and will be used in the exploration of a system which may hopefully garner a bit more interest in the future. |
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2006 : 01:42:08 AM
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Hi Trip,
This sounds very very enticing.
But time in India being just the reverse of there, I'd end up on a solo retreat, I think, if I follow the online retreat. Which is also OK. Unless I talk to the little group here to join in and make it separate from yours, but draw from your schedule and tips.
I'll put it to the others and post their response. But I think it would easily take us a couple of weeks in the least to carry this out. Or maybe I should wait till August end, when I'll be back home, so that we could do it together. What smilie should I use for a 'confused' look?
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Hunter
USA
252 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2006 : 10:48:24 PM
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Thank you Trip.
quote:
The major benefit however can found following the retreat as the practitioner's spiritual progress is given a nice boost and daily life permanently enhanced.
I had no idea, that is a very good benefit. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2006 : 10:11:05 AM
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Hi Brett,
What an awesome idea. I would love to be a part of one of these.. may have to wait till the kids go back to school though. I could take a couple of days off and try this out... may not be easy with 3 kids in the house.. one almost a teen.. one not yet.. and one big baby - my husband.
Do you think half day retreats would work? That way I could start first thing in the morning, but may have to give it up before dinner time.. Ah!!! just thinking aloud.
Let me know if you will need any help with these.. Even if I don't participate in one, I can help you out; if you need help that is.
Thanks for coming up with this great idea.
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2006 : 5:12:52 PM
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Sadhak: The different time zones are definitely going to be a bit of an experiment to start, so it would be of great help to have a few retreaters on the other side of the world for the initial run. Getting a small group together in India sounds like a great idea and also takes things a step closer to the idea of simultaneous group retreats around the planet which Yogani mentioned in his post above.
I was originally thinking of shooting for the initial retreat to take place during the first weekend in September, which is about five weeks from now. However, if you happen to get a small group ready to go before returning home, please let me know and we will reschedule accordingly. This would be a wonderful opportunity to aid in the development of future online retreats, not to mention the benefits to the retreaters themselves. 
Hunter: You are quite welcome, and I hope that you will join in as well once we get the ball rolling.
Shweta: Thank you for the kind words. I'm not sure how effective a half-day retreat would be, but I think that so long as physical activity is utilized (as per the schedule), the extra morning practice shouldn't be a problem. Maybe Yogani can chime in with a bit more information on that, as this is only my guess.
Your offer on the help is greatly appreciated. I'm working on getting everything together now and will likely need some help in the near future. If you wouldn't mind, I can contact you through email in the next week or two and let you know of the areas where the most help is needed.
-Brett |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2006 : 8:55:54 PM
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Hi Brett,
Yes, you can email me and let me know if there is anything I can do to help..
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Jul 30 2006 : 1:41:34 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by trip1
I'm not sure how effective a half-day retreat would be, but I think that so long as physical activity is utilized (as per the schedule), the extra morning practice shouldn't be a problem. Maybe Yogani can chime in with a bit more information on that, as this is only my guess.
Two plus one routines in a single day could be tried if there are no responsibilities or decisions to be dealing with on that day, going to light physical activity, study and rest instead, along the lines of Trip's schedule. Extra routines (beyond two per day) are not recommended when engaging in normal daily activities.
The smoothness (or lack) in the result of one day doing 2+1 will depend on the person. Obviously, it is not a big leap, so could not really be called a "retreat."
The real benefit of multiple routines in retreat mode is over several days or weeks. Like everything else in yoga, the benefits come with steady practice over time. In the case of retreats (short or long), they can be added periodically into regular life (several times per year) to bring an added dimension of growth which, over the long term, will make a significant difference in over all progress. And, as Trip will tell you, the results are quite noticable after one retreat. Imagine a few dozen of these spread out over years. It all adds up.
The guru is in you.
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trip1
USA
739 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2006 : 10:44:59 PM
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Thank you Yogani for clarifying.
And yes, the results are definitely noticable after one retreat.
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