Here are some reasons people find retreat environments helpful:
- Change of setting loosens pre-existing habits (compare working in an office to working from home)
- Being surrounded by people doing the same thing as you can be a great source of energy and determination (compare working in a hacker space to working in your garage)
- Having a teacher handy to clarify doubts is a great source of accountability and advice (compare learning from another programmer to teaching yourself to code)
- Depending on the retreat, most chores are taken care of for you so you can focus on meditating (compare being a student with a dining hall to studying while employed)
Often the metaphor used is that a retreat is a container, i.e. it makes it easy to slip into habits conducive to long and concentrated meditation sessions. Peers and environment matter, even for meditation.
Peace is not just the absence of violence but the presence of community.
I similarly attended these retreats and the community was profound. At every retreat I went to attendees participated in communal work, kitchen cleaning, food prep, compost rotation, temple cleaning. Nothing was a chore, not even silence, because you weren’t isolated. A big part of community was also the integration of monks, nuns and lay people (attendees). The kindness, acceptance and joy the “contemplatives” (monks and nuns) shared with attendees was really very special.
So, theoretically one could meditate alone at home during a weekend but…that’s an entirely different experience.
Short of attending a retreat, the next best thing is finding a Sangha locally and practicing together. Not every journey begins on a lonely road, some start walking slowly alongside others.
I have done a number of solo retreats. Many solo 10-day retreats, and a month long retreat usually in my apartment or place that I was living at the time. I would speak to my teacher on the phone typically every other day, or everyday for 10-45mins depending on what was happening. I didn't immediately jump into the longer retreats. I built up to it. Initially doing 1 day solo retreats, then 3-days, then doing many 10-days then a month long.
So, why can't you just do it? A solo retreat is not for everyone. People often need help or support to meet them where they are. Different personalities have different needs. A retreat can also be quite destabilizing and having someone to help in person to navigate the emotional territory or insights is valuable. Now, let's say that you think you can do it. In my opinion, you absolutely need a teacher for a longer retreat but for a shorter retreat (1 day, or _maybe_ 3-day) it is not entirely necessary. You end being your own worst enemy on a retreat. A friend of mine was doing practice for 10-12 hours a day without a teacher for 6 weeks and only eating a little bit of bread everyday. This is a bad idea. The mind plays some amazing tricks on you. So, if a solo attempt is done please have a teacher and have a lot of vital context around what you are doing otherwise you will practice wrongly.
I did take a meditation class at SF Zen Center and the teacher did suggest that we could dedicate a day to practice as if on retreat even while at home, though this is challenging. But ultimately, the sangha or community is important in Buddhism. The "three jewels" that one looks to for guidance are the Buddha, the dharma or scripture, and the sangha. At some level, if you _keep_ trying to just do it without a community of others, you're perhaps doing it wrong.
I don't have a space that is inherently away from electronics, inherently peaceful, that is still around people but not in a way where people want to engage in non-mindful ways, I am not fully skilled or understanding in ways others who have done this before can guide.
I generally am a fan of the Nike, "just do it", but have found it can be significantly beneficial to be surrounded by those who do it better than you. Even if it's primarily a solo journey.
I am turning a room in my house into a technology-free space. No phones allowed, just books and a typewriter, pen, and paper for writing. This could be another use of that room.
Lol at the downvotes. This is a legitimate question. Edit: I guess looking at the actual description of the retreat given, people don't actually want to learn about acceptance etc., they literally want to go to a free version of a spa resort
I don't think this is as simple as a google search. This isn't a regular business, and it would be nice to get a HN-user-vetted answer on a retreat that doesn't try to upsell you, and offers the "right" daily events.
No, not 'why can't you just google it'. The question is why can't you just DO it. Take some food in to your room, put your devices outside, close your door.
I imagine for the same reasons they can't "just" quit smoking, lose weight, get in shape, write a novel, etc. They may not believe they're capable, they need support, they need structure, they need incentive, etc.
- Change of setting loosens pre-existing habits (compare working in an office to working from home)
- Being surrounded by people doing the same thing as you can be a great source of energy and determination (compare working in a hacker space to working in your garage)
- Having a teacher handy to clarify doubts is a great source of accountability and advice (compare learning from another programmer to teaching yourself to code)
- Depending on the retreat, most chores are taken care of for you so you can focus on meditating (compare being a student with a dining hall to studying while employed)
Often the metaphor used is that a retreat is a container, i.e. it makes it easy to slip into habits conducive to long and concentrated meditation sessions. Peers and environment matter, even for meditation.