I have had the joy of attending a weeklong silent UU retreat this last week. I emerge rested, energized, deepened, and eager. I strongly recommend attendance at such a retreat . This particular one can be found at www.spiritrestretreat.com . But there are opportunities in many places to attend a silent retreat or even to do one at home. The necessary ingredients are; silence, solitude and simplicity. It is so easy to forget the power of these three ingredients. I found it amazingly refreshing to be among people that I did not need to interact with! Talking takes a lot of energy and a lot of our time – wondering what to say, if to say, how to say… finding a topic of conversation, making pleasantries etc. When one is freed from that expectation, a grand inner silence seems to occur. Even while it is lovely to be among others who are seeking the same thing. The retreat included lots of optional silent activities; walking the labyrinth, walking meditation, sitting meditation, making art, doing movement, even working on a jigsaw puzzle. There were large stretches of time in which we could hike/walk, read, write, make art, nap, just sit and stare. There were optional “classes” which the facilitators led, but the participants did not speak. There was a lovely vesper service each evening. We were encouraged to rest when we were tired, to eat mindfully when and what and as much as we desired. We were encouraged not to look at our phones for the entire week. Though no one was “checking up” on us following those guidelines – except for the silence which was held in a holy and respectful manor by everyone.
One of the most refreshing options for me was a daily guided walking meditation. I was reminded that there are only two things to pay attention to in walking meditation; your feet and your breath. To know if you are inhaling or exhaling, to know if you are walking on your right or left foot. And each time your mind wanders, of course, to bring it back gently and kindly to your breath and your feet. The idea is not so much to find peace or clear your mind as to train your mind to stay where you want it to stay. We could walk at any pace – fast or slow, as long as we retained our focus. Every few minutes the leader would ring a bell and we would stop and take three mindful breaths before beginning to walk again. I intend to keep up the practice at home.
Here is one poem I wrote while there;
Pen and ink pave my path
to a sort of god.
A god who has no wings,
who does not even whisper,
whose footsteps are a quiet lake.
I am an only child
on this journey.
Blue pansies, brown sparrows
and even gold-tipped anger
can be keys.
Below the chaos of daily life
angels fly low
into hushed bushes
where invisible beetles
sing solos to the unknown.
That is the kind of god
you can only find
with pen and ink
and silence.
~Penny Hackett-Evans
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