Spend a day in silence, practicing mindfulness.

“Something shifted today. We get up at 5:15 every day and are in sitting meditation by 5:45. At the end of the first 45-minute session, I had the startling feeling that no time had passed at all. I sat down, began watching my half breath, and before I knew it, the bell had sounded for our 6:30 breakfast. I hadn’t fallen asleep, as I was still sitting bolt upright, my head straight, legs still folded beneath me. Then I went for a long, mindful walk in the snow in the forest outside the main building. At one point, I saw this gorgeous vista of a white-blanketed valley framed by the snow-covered limb of a tall pine, icicles dangling down from a nearby boulder. To my surprise, I burst into tears at the vivid sights and smells and cool air on my face, the sound of the wind in the trees and the crunching snow beneath my boots. And then, just as quickly, I heard a thought in my head say, “You’ll die one day and none of this will be here for you.” My exhilaration vanished in an instant, leaving me distraught.”

“The retreat was about more than just silence; it was about being fully present in the experience of living. We were encouraged to stay connected to every small detail - from savoring a steaming sip of coffee to feeling the coolness of a refreshing drink of water, from adjusting our posture when we experienced discomfort to noticing the temperature in the room. We were asked to stay connected to all the tiny little experiences that make up a day. I was surprised at how much I appreciated the silence, the stillness. It was calming, allowing me to notice all the little things I usually miss. These details became a deeper part of my experience. There was no pressure for anything to be other than it was. I was also surprised at how quickly the time went and I didn’t miss my phone that much. And the clocks in my house were conveniently all wrong, so there was no distraction there either.”