It often becomes necessary to take a step back from the dissonance of our day-to-day world to quietly turn inward. Silent retreat allows us to mindfully observe as the scattered aspects of our conventional “self” rise and then fall away, creating a space for us to remember who we were. It is in that space that we are able to connect with joy, curiosity, confidence, and wisdom. It is within the silence that we are freed-up to reflect upon our true values and priorities.
Zoetic’s five day/four night silent retreat has three full days of silence bookended by two half-days to open and close the experience. For those new to silent retreats, three days of silence is a manageable challenge while still being an ideal period of reflection for those who have enjoyed the privilege of past retreats.
While we deeply believe that all possess the will and tenacity required for the undertaking of this opportunity, it should be noted that a strong commitment of time and energy is necessary for a silent retreat. In order to fully benefit from the experience, participants must be prepared to put all electronic devices and personal affairs aside for the full duration. You can trust that Zoetic has all the small details in hand, and will act as emergency contact for your loved ones, provide food, lodging, guidance, and a curated daily itinerary. Our chief goal is to create a space where you feel safe and are free of worldly distractions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us. Uncertainty in the face of any challenge is normal, but if you are reading this, and it resonates with you here and in this moment, perhaps it is time to explore the transformative experience of mindfulness in silent retreat.
A Message From Dara, Zoetic Retreat Director:
Seriously? Three Full Days in Silence?
Hello! I’m Dara, and I, along with the Zoetic team and partners, will be guiding you along your journey through silence and mindfulness.
While I believe “letting go” is essential to the mindset you want as you prepare to go on retreat, I remember what it was like getting ready to attend my first retreat. Full disclosure: I didn’t go. I canceled it! In fact, I canceled a few after that, too! The courage of my convictions was always with me when I booked it, but when it came down to actually attending, I was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. For this reason, I feel the need to help put you at ease with a brief explanation of what to expect if you attend, as well as a little about the reason I love to provide this opportunity.
The first night of the retreat is very casual. We make introductions and chat over dinner. After dessert, we open the retreat with a mindful kava-sipping ceremony and sound bath, followed by a night time silent swim to help us transition to the non-verbal.
The silence lasts for three full days, and on the morning of day five (at approximately 10 am) we begin the transition to talking again, and enjoy a pizza buffet (There is blind dance later in the afternoon, if you feel like lingering).
For the three days in-between, you and the other attendees will be observing verbal silence, alternating between still (or sitting) meditation and simple moving (or walking) meditation. While meditation takes up the bulk of our itinerary, there are art and nature immersion experiences, silent swim sessions, soundscape meditations (inside and outside the lodge), and of course, mindful eating sessions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (all organic ovo-vegetarian meals).
If it sounds intimidating, good. It is intimidating because it’s different from anything you’ve ever done before with your mind and body. You may be surprised how tired you are from a full day of just sitting and walking!
Once the initial shock of silence wears off, most people feel a sense of relief as their original nature begins to emerge. The stale skin sloughs off, as it is sometimes described, and the sense of freedom is profound.
For myself, a person who likes to talk (a lot, some would say), the first silent retreat I attended created the conditions for me to be the most comfortable I’ve ever been with other people. I had no idea how uncomfortable I had been in my normal noisy life until I had the experience of silence. With that experience, a completely different way of moving through the world became possible, and continued as I furthered my practice.
As trepidatious as you may feel now, after your first silent retreat it’s very likely that you will soon be thinking about the next one. This is how it was for me and many others. While it’s definitely not a vacation, the retreat experience is very enjoyable, and you will absolutely get out of it everything you put in. I am confident that, if you are genuine in your motivations for being on retreat (even if you aren’t fully conscious of all of them), you will leave having changed. It may not be exactly what you expected, but it will be true and lasting.
What is most useful for me from past retreats I attended, is that once I had the experience of continuous moment-to-moment awareness, the stillness it provided became more easily accessible off-retreat in my everyday life. It was my precious souvenir gift I took home for myself and those around me. It is a gift I am passionate about giving to others through my Zoetic retreats.
All passion aside, I can paint things in very practical terms: just putting the phone away for three solid days of peace and quiet will do any person a world of good. There is nothing like the freedom that can be found dwelling in silence, moment to moment. It can be intoxicating. Having the experience of a real and deep pause, phone out of sight and mind–knowing everything is being taken care of: schedule of events, guided meditation, organic vegetarian meals–is psychologically refreshing and beneficial in and of itself.
I sincerely hope you take this opportunity to experience Silent Retreat not only for yourself but for those around you. . The only thing we can do for others is to work on ourselves.