During our day of silence together, you will be guided into meditation, be invited to practice the art of sitting in silence and be gently guided into walking meditation.
Participants will be reminded to maintain their commitment to a full day of non-speaking while at the workshop. The result is a pervasive silence that serves as a foundation for a meditation practice and creates a palpable and nourishing atmosphere of stillness.
Silence can be challenging for some people and especially if this is your first time participating in such a workshop.
Because this may be a new and unfamiliar experience, silence can be confusing.
This is especially true when a person’s primary associations with silence are uncomfortable—for example, when his or her only experience of social silence is interpersonal discomfort, loneliness, or exclusion.
Most people, however, come to cherish the silence that they experience.
Even those who were intimidated by it in the beginning often find such peace in the silence that they are reluctant to give it up at the end. As people become aware of its richness, they come to look forward to silence rather than fear it.
A silent retreat workshop has many benefits.
Because social conversation keeps the mind active, periods of not talking help the mind rest.
Silence settles the many emotions that are activated by talking, listening, and even in the anticipation of talking. As our mental and emotional lives calm down, our bodies relax.
Silence allows for a heightened sense of intimacy with the world.
In sustained silence our senses become more acute, and both the inner and outer world can appear to us with greater clarity. For example, we may begin to notice the birdsong we previously failed to hear, or we may tune in to our quieter thoughts, which normally get drowned out.
The primary reason for silence on meditation retreats is to support our meditation practice.
Silence helps keep our focus on cultivating mindfulness and concentration.
Continuity of mindfulness is much easier when we don’t talk. The complex interplay of emotions and attitudes involved in most social interactions tend to keep the mind too active and scattered to allow for deep concentration. And this internal activity often lingers.
The mental momentum from a conversation is seldom finished when we stop talking. It can take a while for the thinking mind to quiet down after a conversation ends.
For most people, silence creates a space in which they can see themselves more clearly.
Rather than being actively distracted by work, relationships, the internet, music, or various external events, you will have an opportunity to notice overlooked feelings and concerns.
At this workshop, you will be introduced to what Buddhism calls “noble silence.” This is a beautiful state of mind that comes when discursive thinking has stopped.
Discursive thinking refers to thought that proceeds like an inner discourse in our own minds. It may be imagining conversations with others, remembering past conversations, or talking to ourselves. It may involve abstract, analytical thinking about what is happening in the present moment.
As discursive thinking quiets down, the mind becomes more peaceful. As agitation decreases, desire and aversion lessen. When this inner stilling is accompanied by confidence, purity, and equanimity then the mind is said to experience the fullness of “noble silence.”
Participants get to relax into the collective stillness that we will create and discover that being together with others in silence allows for a rich sense of connection that is more satisfying than if you had spent the same time engaged in conversation.
A wonderful lesson to take away from this workshop is how the quiet ways of being with others can allow for a deep sense of connection.
As we discover the great value of silence, we can explore the uses of silence in daily life.
Learning to be comfortable with silence expands what is possible in our relationships—both with others and ourselves. Spending time in silence can enrich both.
In particular, it can be a great support in helping us discover greater spiritual freedom wherever we are. And with freedom we can experience stillness and peace even in the midst of speech.
Flow of the Day:
Arrival on Zoom: 10:45am
Workshop will begin at 11am sharp
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Set your sitting space up comfortably and so you will not be disturbed.
- Silence and simplicity stand as two core pillars for the practice of mindfulness meditation. This workshop provides the framework for stepping back from the busyness and complexity of our lives and moving into a quieter way of being. In this spirit, I invite you to please:
– Turn off your cell phones. If you position your phone on vibrate or silent, it can still be distracting and heard in a silent environment so please turn them off completely.
– Leave behind your laptops, iPods, iPads and other communication devices.
– Keep your silence throughout the day and refrain from making eye contact with anyone.
- This allows you to commit to your workshop wholeheartedly and reap the benefits of that commitment.
- We will not be doing any journaling therefore please refrain from taking notes or writing. You will be encouraged to be fully present and refrain from writing or reading throughout the day.
Schedule:
11am -11:30am Eastern Time: Introduction — What is silent meditation and why practice it?
11:30am – 12pm – Sitting meditation with instructions
12pm – 12:20pm — Walking meditation
12:20 am – 12:50pm – Sitting meditation
12:50pm – 1pm — Break
1pm – 1:20pm – Walking meditation
1:20 pm – 2pm – Sitting meditation
2pm – 2:30pm – Teaching + Q & A
2:30pm – 3pm — Silent Lunch (please refrain from speaking or using any electronics during this time)
3pm – 3:15pm – Sitting meditation with instructions
3:15pm – 3:45 pm – Walking meditation
3:45pm – 4:15pm – Sitting meditation
4:15pm – 4:30pm – Walking meditation
4:30pm – 5 pm – Discussion + Q & A + Closing
Looking forward to “seeing” you there 😉
Love,
Anne-Marie xo