9 Day Retreat
The modern world is a very busy, hectic place where we rarely have time to step back from responsibilities to check to see if our priorities are in line with what is really important to us.
All of us would like to have peace in the world, our relationships and within ourselves. This is more likely to occur if we are able to find more peace within ourselves, have methods to resolve our inner conflicts and find answers to our deepest questions about the meaning and purpose of our lives.
A silent meditation retreat allows us the time and best conditions to begin this inner journey to more compassionate understanding of ourselves. A retreat enables us to understand experientially the true causes of many of our problems and gives us ways to heal them. It is a rare and precious gift we can give ourselves.
Steve & Rosemary have been teaching retreats for more than 26 years to thousands of people around the world, and have seen the wonderful results that can arise through guiding people along this path of inner discovery.
Silent retreats enable people to be more focused and inwardly directed, yet have the beneficial support of others who are also taking this journey. The 9 day retreat is considered a whole unit with appropriate instruction given to the group morning and evening, to help guide the meditator along the experiential inner journey.
The talks are designed to give meditators sufficient techniques to create a balanced practice that nurtures the unfolding of wisdom, the deepening of unselfish emotions, and the capacity to reflect in ways that help us bring practical solutions and clarity to our lives. A balanced practice also helps each of us to integrate what we learn in retreat into our everyday life.
Rosemary & Steve give each retreatant more personalized guidance and the support of their long experience, with three personal interviews. In the interviews there is no hesitation to give specific techniques to aid the meditator in overcoming various obstacles which are preventing the growth of Compassionate Understanding.
The private interviews allow for deeper communication between teacher and student, thus enabling Steve or Rosemary to access the student's individual needs. Due to the variety of backgrounds and conditioning, different personalities often need different practices to aid the deepening of the inner journey.
Western meditators find it very helpful to discuss any concerns that arise. Rosemary & Steve encourage this inquiry, as they understand it helps to correct misconceptions and purify any wrong intentions. Right Understanding and Right Intention are the guiding intelligence behind techniques.
Often a single sentence in a private interview can completely change the student's perception and their direction of their practice, helping to address personal needs at different stages of the journey.
For further support there are opportunities to have any important questions that arise answered with private notes to the teachers.
During the retreat much time will be spent in formal sitting, walking, and standing meditation practice. Adjusted schedules, and postures are given for age or physical limitations.
Activity throughout the day such as eating, bathing, chores, etc., will also be used to increase moment to moment awareness and help the meditator develop the capacity to be more present and aware in regular everyday activities. This is very important in helping the retreatant to integrate the formal practice into everyday actions.
If you are interested, you may read or listen to our first three days of talks from our regular retreats: 3 days of teachings.