When people have had a meditation routine for a while, they often start to want to go deeper in their practice. There can be several motivations. Maybe they’ve uncovered a habit of thinking or feeling that’s been causing a lot of trouble in their lives, and they want to focus on it and find out how to change it. Maybe they’ve had times while meditating when distractions fall away and they’re delightfully calm, and it’s made them want to develop the ability to concentrate.
Some people study the teachings and know they repeatedly stress the importance of meditating more. They may not be ready or able to go away for a residential retreat, though. Most meditation groups offer day-long or half-day retreats so sangha members, and often the general public, can come and spend a significant block of time deepening their practice.
My first daylong was with a Zen center. It was fairly intense for a newcomer to meditation. The entire day, from sunrise to almost sunset, was spent in ritualized sitting, eating, work and walking. I went to a social function that evening and felt both lighthearted and spacy, and so proud of myself that I’d made it through the day.
That was the beginning of a long and ongoing history of days, weekends, weeks and months of retreats to deepen my practice. Perhaps the greatest benefit of organized retreats, besides just getting away from the distractions of everyday life, is the support offered to participants. There’s usually a program with guidance in meditation techniques, and people to ask if problems or questions arise. Most participants find the biggest support is the others there, and feeling encouraged by these people who are spending the day the same way you are.
It often doesn’t matter what the theme of a daylong or a residential retreat is. Similarly, it seldom matters what we hope to work on while we’re there. Just giving our practice time to grow will let it develop in ways that may surprise us. Whether or not we leave a retreat feeling like we achieved our ‘goal,’ it will have taken us further along our path.
I’m currently preparing to teach yet another daylong retreat. There’s a fair amount of work involved. My motivations are the same as those that move anyone to spend most of a day meditating, plus the desire to offer this chance to anyone who wants to deepen their practice. It’s a way for me to pass on the many opportunities I’ve been given over the years, and to share with earnest practitioners the benefits and satisfactions of a day spent taking care of ourselves and each other in this time-tested and rewarding way.