Retreat to Re-Treat: How escaping the world of Doing leads to a better Well-Being
I asked a friend what his favorite retreat was and he jokingly said “Germans, summer of 1942”. Ha ha I thought, nice pun.
But then I thought more carefully. Maybe he was on to something. In the world of doing we are constantly bombarded, day in and day out, with people, places and things literally fighting for our attention. There is a sort of war going on, and it is a war for your consciousness.
We all know the drill. We wake to alarms, scurry to get ready, chug down some Joe and we are out the door to accomplish our myriad missions for the day. There is a barrage of information, sights and sounds that come at us and vie for our attention: Family, Friends, Bosses, Co-Workers, other drivers, the garbage, the laundry, the cooking, the yard, the shopping, the environment, the news, commercials…
And if we are very, very lucky, there is also a small chair or cushion that asks us to finally place our attention inward, to take a 15 minute break from it all and push the reset button before we collapse into bed.
Our mind is silently begging “Retreat!” as our bodies keep pushing forward on the front lines of the world of illusion, answering “No Retreat!”
A respite from the madness sometimes takes more than a quick session of stillness. The constant fires we have to put out pull our consciousness away from the spiritual retreat we quietly long for. Soon we begin to sense that the only real way to quench the deep thirst for the still waters of pure spirit is to disconnect from the world, leave town and head for a more conducive space to balance out the world of doing.
A retreat center may be found in most cities, but a mountain retreat has a special quality all its own. Traveling to such a place starts the retreat from “the war”. As the miles pass beneath the tires of the car, you can literally feel the war for your consciousness wane. You can begin to Re-Treat yourself to who you really are.
A meditation retreat is like a spa retreat for your soul. It is a space to cleanse yourself from the dust and crud of the attacks of life. Having this type of country retreat brings your inner world back in alignment. Instead of handling the destructive forces of the world, you have a chance to tend to your inner sanctum as if a master gardener on a garden retreat.
Shambhala Mountain Center is such a place. However it is more than just a Buddhist Retreat. It is many retreats in one. What are you looking to treat yourself to? Are you looking for a couples retreat or a health healing retreat? A women’s retreat or a yoga retreat? A Shambhala Training retreat or a silent retreat?
Whatever type you are looking for, this Colorado retreat center can help you achieve the peace of mind you deserve. Just imagine whole days filled with diving deep into the silence, lighting up from the inside and being buoyed by the grace of love within. Ahhh, you are healed once again…
So next time you are fatigued by the battle for your consciousness, DO something for your well BEING. Think of Shambhala Mountain Center and sign up to Re-Treat yourself…to your true Self.
Tiffany Weller
August 5th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Tiffany,
Very well said. I recently returned from a 5 day silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock in Marin County. One of the most transforming “vacations” of my life. Now I meditate every day and have joined a local meditation group that meets once a week. Love it,
Thanks for your post.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I’m interested in the re-entry process that happens when we leave the retreat and return to our daily lives. Without clinging to forms that we can’t maintain in a workday world, what can we bring from the retreat into our daily lives? What helps us to ease back in, rather than have a crash landing?
Thanks for your thoughts.