Surely you already know, but in case you don’t, A spiritual retreat is a practice where a group of people get away for a while from material affairs and obligations to dedicate themselves to meditation.. The spiritual retreat is a way to get closer to divinity or to oneself through intense concentration, relaxation and prayer.
The spiritual retreat is considered a tool to achieve spiritual benefits such as strengthening faith and allowing it to become a life guide. The retreats are held in spaces where silence reigns, far from the hustle and bustle of the cities, as it is necessary for people to be as solitude as possible so that they can listen to themselves.
In general, talks and meditations are held in common, guided by a spiritual teacher. Something important is that it also seeks to encourage contact with nature. Retreats can last for weekends, weeks or entire months.
The important spiritual guide Andrew Holecek recommends that you keep the following in mind if you are thinking of making a retreat of more than 1 month:
1) Prepare in advance. Meditation is a wisdom tool through which you assimilate the teachings. Study and meditate before entering the retreat, understand what you are about to do and why. With each meditation, ask yourself what it means to do this practice. Get ready to face what will come and above all, what you will allow to leave you and that does not serve you.
2) Do not have specific expectations. Each experience is different from the others, even if you have already been there before, so let yourself go and trust what is to come. Don’t have specific expectations, as whatever you think will happen probably won’t. Be ready to accept whatever comes up, and remember that meditation is habituated to openness. If nothing happens, that’s fine. If everything happens, that’s fine too.
3) Work hard, but not too hard. It’s easy to become complacent on a long retreat. Remember that this experience can also be summed up in one word: relaxation. As Milarepa said, «make haste slowly.» Celebrate discipline and have fun.
And finally, remember that even meditation is not the point; the cultivation of kindness and compassion are the real point. If you don’t become nicer, maybe there’s something you’re doing wrong.
The first moments of a retreat are often strange, incomprehensible, and even uncomfortable, and you may even feel the urge to get out of there. In this regard, the recommendation is to be patient, open your heart and seek a deep connection with yourself and with your own spiritual guide. Allow her to direct your steps, and you will not regret it. Live the experience.
If you are thinking of being part of a spiritual retreat, in Harmonía we recommend you review the options offered by Shambalantéa beautiful hacienda immersed in the Yucatecan jungle, whose facilities are designed to coexist in harmony with nature, so you will have close contact with it, in addition to the fact that it is a project committed to the environment and where a menu is offered ovo-lacto vegetarian. Check the dates of the next retreats in this link.