Listen:

Watch: Read:

This is the final episode in our Retreat series. Two weeks ago, I explained what goes on at meditation retreats and showed you how to find one. Last week, I shared my very first retreat experience, and gave you a heads up on how to behave. Today, I’m going to give you some tips for creating your own self-directed retreat.

Where should I hold my retreat?

There are a few options. You can do a retreat at home, and in some circumstances this might be your only option. If you’re able to leave home, you might choose to go to a residential retreat center, a rental home/cabin, or a hotel room. Leaving home has the benefit of taking you away from your routine, which helps you to disengage from your own habitual behaviour, but it’s not always possible.

Some residential retreat centres rent rooms by the day, week, or month to retreatants who want to direct their own activities. Many provide meals, and some offer organized activities such as group meditation, which you can choose to attend.

The following websites can help you locate a retreat centre. Some are easier to use than others and you’ll have to spend a little time to find a centre that offers self-directed retreats and provides an environment suitable to silent meditation practice.

Spirit Site

Retreat Finder

Retreats Online

Rental properties in private, quiet locations may also be suitable. I’ve rented cottages and houses in quiet communities that would’ve been perfect for a retreat. If you go this route, be careful to choose a location that allows you to conduct all of your planned activities. You might want space for walking meditation or yoga, you might want to meditate outdoors, etc. By the way, you’d don’t need to be at the top of a mountain or sitting on a beach at sunset to have good meditation retreat. These are images you commonly see in online advertising, but they’re overly romantic. A meditation retreat is about practicing mindfulness, not about having a beautiful, transcendental vacation experience.

Another location possibility is a hotel or motel room, but these are not ideal. They typically don’t have the facilities for you to cook your own meals, and eating in restaurants will disturb your practice. You could, however, bring ready-made or microwaveable meals. I personally also find hotel rooms confining, but if you plan for prolonged sitting periods, or if you can get out to a park for a few hours, they might work for you.

How long should the retreat be?

A retreat can be as long or as short as you want it to be. You could do a half-day, full-day, or multiple-day retreat. The longer the retreat, the greater the opportunity to slow down, disengage from habitual behaviour, and immerse yourself in mindful living, but do what suits you best.

What activities should I include?

The must-haves

Silent or guided meditation. Consider two or three sitting sessions per day and sit for longer than you normally would, perhaps 30 to 60 minutes at a time.

Walking meditation. This can be done indoors or outdoors, anywhere you can take at least 10 paces (then turn around). You’ll find instructions at mindful15.com/walk

Eating meditation.