Interested in going on a silent retreat?
“I’m already very quiet at home in the countryside, so that’s basically like a silent retreat”… or “I can be silent at home and meditate on my own.”
I have come across these arguments and ideas from time to time. When people reason this way, they have misunderstood what the “silence” of a retreat is really about. Silence itself is not the point. Silence exists so that the inner voice can be heard.
It can certainly be very nourishing, relaxing and restorative to be quiet with yourself and to meditate on your own – but that is not the same as a meditation retreat.
What Is a Vipassana Retreat?
On a silent Vipassana retreat – also called an insight meditation retreat (within different Vipassana traditions) – you are guided in Buddhist philosophy and meditation by an experienced teacher. You receive both theoretical and practical instruction in meditation.
It is somewhat like an intensive training, except that the subject you study is yourself.
You practise being present in the moment, while also observing the body and its sensations, the mind, its patterns, thoughts and emotions. In the best case, this process allows you to let go of certain beliefs and unhelpful patterns – and to gain insight (which is where the name comes from).
The guidance and the theoretical framework are central. Turning inward into the mind is a bit like setting out on an expedition through a dense forest. Your guide has already walked the path many times, knows what obstacles may appear, which branches and stones are easy to trip over, and which (often imaginary) monsters and dangers might be hiding in the bushes. The guide helps you so that you do not lose your way.
After many such guided retreats, the guide becomes internalised, and you can – and should – guide yourself more and more. In life. Or on your own in a cabin.
So yes, it is possible to do what is sometimes called a “self-retreat”, but this is primarily recommended for very experienced meditators who already have inner clarity and know how complex the terrain can become. Even then, one often stays in contact with a teacher – for example by phone – to receive guidance and advice.
The text above was compiled by me, for the Vipassana Group’s website.
You can read my previous posts about retreats here:
How to Become a Meditation Teacher
Diary notes from a Meditation Centre in Burma