The silence amidst the noise
the gem at the core
of every experience
is polished by simple attention
into shining magnificence
-Nirmala “words do not come”
I remember my very first experience on an 8-day retreat. I had no idea what to expect. I had been meditating for a year or so and decided it was time to try a retreat. The challenges in the first few days felt insurmountable. I wanted to jump out of my skin. By the end, I never wanted to leave! Each time I was ready to give up, something was said by one of the teachers which gave such encouragement and confidence that my thoughts of leaving vanished. This was helped by the support of everyone else as we practiced together in community. It’s hard to describe what happened. Suffice to say it changed my life forever.
Retreat practice is such a unique opportunity, and these days in-person retreats are even more special. With vaccines, ease of testing and a communal commitment to keeping each other safe, we can finally consider residential retreats again. I’m looking forward to co-leading a retreat at the beautiful Shambhala Mountain Center with my colleague Janet Solyntjes. While Janet teaches often at SMC this will be my first time and I hope you can join us.
Over the past 18 months, there have been many online offerings for retreat practice from your own home. Perhaps you have been able to benefit from that. I certainly did. While these have been so valuable within the period of pandemic quarantine and allowed many of us to deepen our ability to “retreat in the midst of life,” there is still a big difference between leaving your normal environment and literally “going” on retreat. And while many of us have found Zoom to be surprisingly conducive to creating community, nothing quite lives up to being in the presence of others in the same space. There is something about the collective momentum and embodied container of residential retreats that make them ideal.
“I personally consider the periodic sitting of relatively long (at least 7 – 10 days and occasionally much longer) teacher-led [silent] retreats to be an absolute necessity in the developing of one’s own meditation practice…“ – Jon Kabat-Zinn
My first retreat was before the introduction of “smart phones,” countless apps, and other distractions of modern living. These days, there is much more to renounce. Beyond simply not speaking, the silence on retreat allows us to explore what it’s like to live with less input and fragmentation. We will ask you to turn off your digital device. Some will choose to relinquish it all together. Are you up for it? Many shirk at this, others jump at the opportunity. I would urge anyone to experience their nervous system freed up from the demands of our devices for an extended amount of time. There are treasures to be discovered in the silence. A kind of rest well beyond a good night’s sleep or even a “vacation.”
The daily schedule on retreat includes pre-breakfast meditation and some movement. The day will follow with some guidance and then alternating between sitting meditation practices and walking meditation. There will be time allotted for informal practice which, beyond the meals, will include enjoying the outdoors or practicing other forms of unguided mindful movement. That natural environment can become our teacher. There will also be daily talks offering insights on practice, and group meetings with the teachers to discuss how it’s going, with time for any questions.
Retreat practice may seem “selfish,” in that you are taking this time “for yourself.” You might have the view that you are not contributing to the betterment of the world or being “productive.” In fact, retreat practice is radical! You are expanding your capacity to be with the continual uncertainties and challenges of the world. Your heart and mind open in ways that allow for creative response and true presence. And as important as anything, while on retreat, you are bringing silence and stillness, a different way of being, to the world that so desperately needs it. We retreat from the world to wholeheartedly re-enter the world, with greater equanimity and ease. And don’t worry, most of us bring the world with us anyway, right there on the meditation cushion!
by Jon Aaron
Co-leader for December 10-17, Heart of Mindfulness Silent Retreat
This is the number of days that make up the average life expectancy of a person born in the United States. How many of these days will US citizens spend appreciating life? How will you spend this one?
Have you noticed how human beings can express themselves in such a variety of ways? We can be fantastic, imaginative, inexplicably wise, and quirky. We can be kind, generous, patient and courageous in the face of challenges. We can also be stingy, grumpy, angry and confused. When we make the choice to inhabit our being––fully present and aware––we can then learn to embrace all parts of our experience, uncovering the wholeness and goodness that is the basis of all life. 
10 things I’ve learned along the way:
Several days ago I received a list of common questions that potential MBSR participants have voiced to the staff at Mindful Leader. In looking over the list I thought I would address one, but found that three questions, when combined, strike the heart of what we could call the MBSR experiential journey. These questions represent the beginning, middle, and end of any journey one might take: the view, practice, and result. 
When I began my meditation practice in 1984 at Naropa Institute, I was surrounded — literally in all directions — by meditators. The faculty, students, staff, and Board of Directors of the Institute (now University) had a sitting meditation practice. People would include “sitting” in classes, at the start of meetings, on the lawn, in offices, alone or in circles with colleagues, on picnic tables, and in the centrally located meditation hall. Dialogues across campus, in all departments and on all levels, were informed by one’s personal experience with meditation practice. We were a community, a sangha, of teachers, students, administrators, and leaders. It was one of the most vibrant periods of my life. 
For the past few decades, I have been immersed in various teachings, trainings, and pathways that have inspired me to repeatedly ask the question, “Why am I really here?” Outer circumstances and inner stirrings have led to these contemplations. My intention behind this offering is to guide, support, and lead you into various contemplations so that your deepest wisdom can emerge from beneath any storms on the surface of your life that might be distracting and leading your attention astray.