My head is reverberating with stillness after returning from a four day silent meditation/yoga retreat last night. The world feels fresh and my senses sensitive. I’m keeping the quiet around me, bundled like a flannel blanket.
The retreat, led by Susan Grant and Cindy Dollar , was held at the Southern Dharma Center.
During this, my first meditation retreat, I experienced the present in a profound way. I also deepened my yoga and meditation practice.
Being silent for four days was its own teacher. (This from the chick who has been known to type on the computer, talk on the cell, watch tv, and eat dinner all at the same time.) Not only did the 25 participants or so observe “noble silence”, but eye contact was discouraged to limit visual communication. A slow pace was encouraged in everything from eating all the delicious vegan food to walking in the woods.
After getting uncomfortable and a little angry with the silence, it began to teach me. As did the 3 hours or so of meditation sitting each day.
Some of my favorite phrases the teachers gave us at the retreat?
*Every moment is an opportunity for mindfulness.
*Thoughts are not facts, even if they say they are.
*Ask for what you want, accept what you get.
*How you do anything is how you do everything.
May all of you experience ease, calm and moments of mindfulness today 
text: Nancy Harder, photo: dan
I would LOVE to do something like this, but it sounds incredibly difficult. Seriously, meditation for hours? I think I’d be thinking of ways to Tweet about it the whole time…
We had no idea that it would be a completely silent retreat when we went up there. (In fact, it was my husband’s first anniversary present to me. We had fun joking about what a great present it was that we couldn’t talk the whole weekend. hahahaha) But, it ended up being easier than I would have thought, especially after I threw a little tantrum in my head and settled into it. But there was some serious monkey mind going on. Make that crazy circus monkeys throwing bedazzled fruit baskets…
Hahahahaha, that is hilarious, I bet he totally knew it was a silent retreat.
JK. But yes, I’d have a freak-out moment as well
Oh, he totally knew it was silent. hahaha. j/k. He ended up having a harder time with the silence than I did, but in the end we both had made peace with it.