When I added this item to my list (and kept it on the list for many years), I imagined heading off into the woods somewhere for a few days, maybe even a week, and living in silence amongst others doing the same. Perhaps we'd wear flowy outfits, do some yoga, drink juice, just general spiritual retreat vibes.
Then, a couple weeks ago, I Googled "silent retreat in Chicago" and found the Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago, which is in Wicker Park and offers extremely affordable workshops, classes, and retreats. they had a 3-hour silent retreat on overcoming anxiety and worry that was only $30, so I jumped on that, thinking it would be a great way to test out how I might do in a longer (much more expensive) retreat and because I can always use extra support in managing my anxiety.
What surprised me most was how quickly the 3 hours flew by. We also did three meditations, and even those were so much "easier" than when I meditate alone or with the Headspace app. I had forgotten how different meditation feels when doing it in community.
What also surprised me is how much talking there was in the silent retreat. The idea for this retreat is that we, as participants, would stay silent, but we had a teacher, who "lectured" (for lack of a better word) and led us through guided meditations. We were on retreat in that we had retreated from our homes, from our voices, and from technology so that we could reflect on this topic.
It was a really great experience, and I can see myself becoming a regular attendee at Kadampa events in the future.
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