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Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#11

Post by asark »

dangus wrote: post #7
_Nat_ wrote: post #5

> Have you been on a retreat? If so how was it and would you go again. If not and you are interested in one - what has prevented you thus far? I haven't been on one. I'm not really interested in doing one so much as curious about why other folks do. I mean, don't get me wrong -- meditation itself is an incredibly powerful, basic tool that a lot of people need. This is, it's kinda like a hammer or screw driver in that…

I agree on the idea of these sort of things feeling like a "book club." A recent example that worked for me: I took a short vacation by myself. I went to one event I wanted to see, and then for the rest of the time I had zero plans. Basically, I walked around the beach, walked around town, ate food, and that was it. Was it mindful meditation? Not really. But the effects were the same or similar. I think some people s…

> Was it mindful meditation? Not really. But the effects were the same or similar.

I do have a suspicion that a not-small portion of the benefits of a meditation retreat is more about the retreating than the meditation. I'd probably feel "OMG I haven't felt this good in years" amazing after 10 days away from electronics and family & work obligations, even if I just read books and napped and took nature walks the whole time. Meditating instead would probably work too.

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#13

Post by asark »

cpr wrote: post #8
svieira wrote: post #4

I have gone on Catholic retreats, which are similar to what I think you're talking about, but not identical. The point of a retreat is to spend time with the person you should love most of all, getting to know them better. Every retreat I have been on has been worth it. Some have been easier to see the benefits at once, others have benefits planted that are reaped later.

Same here, years ago--6 day silent retreats. My experience, though, is that it takes about 4-5 days for all the "noise" in your head to start fading away, and then, boom, it's over. ;-)

> My experience, though, is that it takes about 4-5 days for all the "noise" in your head to start fading away, and then, boom, it's over. ;-)

I used to know someone from France who claimed that the French don't consider any amount of time off under a week to really be a vacation, for exactly that reason.

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#15

Post by am33 »

I've been on 2 10 day Vipassana meditation retreats (as taught by SN Goenka).

I had bad OCD that was entirely cured after 2 10-day courses + an average of 2-3 hours of meditation practice every day for 1-2 years.

However, even 2 hours of meditation practice for 6 months after the first retreat got my OCD to a very manageable level.

Really recommend going!

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#16

Post by mbrock »

_Nat_ wrote: post #5

> Have you been on a retreat? If so how was it and would you go again. If not and you are interested in one - what has prevented you thus far? I haven't been on one. I'm not really interested in doing one so much as curious about why other folks do. I mean, don't get me wrong -- meditation itself is an incredibly powerful, basic tool that a lot of people need. This is, it's kinda like a hammer or screw driver in that…

One way to put it is, why do people go to church rather than just praying at home? Well, many reasons. And praying together isn't just like praying alone plus a bit of socializing afterwards—it changes the praying itself.

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#17

Post by justaguyhere »

FlyingSideKick wrote: post #10

Yes. I have been lucky enough to attend two Theravada retreats in Thailand. However, the practice of daily meditation and adherence to the 5 precepts (not taking life, not stealing, not engaging in false speech, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not taking intoxicants) plus practicing loving-kindness to all beings is far more life-changing than attending a retreat every once in a while. Daily meditation especially v…

Any recommendations on books on Vipassana?

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#18

Post by curun1r »

bobx11 wrote: post #9
curun1r wrote: post #6

I did a few of 10-day silent retreats a few years ago. I really enjoyed them and I've been wanting to do another. I think they helped give me a different perspective on the world and see some of my issues in a different light. But I had significant difficulty incorporating the practice and those lessons into my everyday life. It's just hard to get anything useful out of daily practice when I'm subjected to work, phon…

My parents and one sibling did the 10 day vipassana retreats and praise the experience extensively. They would like to go back and also found it extremely difficult. They all went vegan for a while after, all talk about turning off device notifications, and were extremely calm and confident for months after. I read a vipassana book and think it’s a good perspective to gain for a lot of parts of life and makes me want…

> They all went vegan for a while after

Haha...I can see how that'd happen. The food at the retreat was amazing. I was most of the way through my first 10-day before I realized that the food itself was a challenge for me to stay in the present moment and not look forward to whatever amazing dishes they'd serve in the next meal. Maybe it's just the centers in Asia, but it really helps you understand what's possible in a vegan diet. So much of the vegan food you see in the US is either really bland or just swaps out the meat for tofu or other such vegan protein. The dishes that they served were extremely varied and seemed conceived from the start to be vegan. Many of the people there who eat more meat than I do said they expected to be challenged by having to eat vegan for 10 days, but actually enjoyed it and never felt like it was missing anything.

Foodgasm aside, I think it's something that everyone with any interest should try at least once to see whether it's for them. If nothing else, just unplugging from the world and doing a digital detox can be a worthwhile experience. I'd encourage you to find a way to go, even if it doesn't become a constant part of your life going forward.

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#19

Post by justaguyhere »

am33 wrote: post #15

I've been on 2 10 day Vipassana meditation retreats (as taught by SN Goenka). I had bad OCD that was entirely cured after 2 10-day courses + an average of 2-3 hours of meditation practice every day for 1-2 years. However, even 2 hours of meditation practice for 6 months after the first retreat got my OCD to a very manageable level. Really recommend going!

average of 2-3 hours of meditation practice every day

Wow, that is insane (in a good way)! how long did it take to reach that stage?

Re: Ask HN: Have you been on a meditation retreat? How has it changed your life?

#20

Post by andeee23 »

justaguyhere wrote: post #17
FlyingSideKick wrote: post #10

Yes. I have been lucky enough to attend two Theravada retreats in Thailand. However, the practice of daily meditation and adherence to the 5 precepts (not taking life, not stealing, not engaging in false speech, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not taking intoxicants) plus practicing loving-kindness to all beings is far more life-changing than attending a retreat every once in a while. Daily meditation especially v…

Any recommendations on books on Vipassana?

The mind illuminated by culladasa is a very comprehensive book that guides you step by step through all meditation stages
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