Your Mind on Meditation:Building Your Practice With Intention and Ease

No prior meditation experience is necessary. All are welcome.

April 12-15 (Thursday dinner – Sunday lunch)

If you have a mind you have thoughts. By noticing these thoughts as they arise you can redirect them if you choose to. This is the essence of mindfulness. Take time to strengthen the practice of living mindfully. Taste the extraordinary stillness that monastics know. Begin your day with walking to the meditation hall for sitting followed by a nurturing breakfast. The rest of the day includes group sits, walking meditation, and a dharma talk, concluding with a final group sit in the beautifully lit meditation hall as evening wraps itself around us. The program will be conducted in “Noble Silence” (a description of this practice can be found in the program area on the Indralaya website).

The retreat will be led by Grace Crowley. Grace is experienced in the practice of Vipassana as well as the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. She owns a 20-employee company in Seattle, which designs and manufactures puzzles and games made in the USA.

Program fee: $70   Local & day Visitors: $90

Noble Silence

The process of noble silence will be honored during this retreat. The practice of noble silence is observed in many retreat centers and monasteries during meditation retreats. To practice noble silence, one does not speak with other program participants. If communication with the Indralaya staff or program leader seems necessary, it is best done in a way that minimizes conversation and does not interfere with the experience of other retreatants.

The following description of noble silence is based on that of Thich Nhat Hanh and his Plum Village community:

Deep silence is observed throughout all mindfulness meditation retreats. The silence is very healing. We allow the quiet and the calmness to penetrate our flesh and bones. We allow the energy of the Sangha (community) and its mindfulness to penetrate our body and mind. We go back to our dwelling places slowly, aware of every step. We breathe deeply and enjoy the stillness and the freshness. Let us not talk to the person walking by our side; she or he needs our support, too. We can stay alone outside with the trees and the stars for about ten minutes, then go inside, brush our teeth, change and go to bed right away.

Lying on our back, we can practice Deep Relaxation until sleep comes. In the morning, we move mindfully and silently, taking time to breathe, to go to the bathroom and then proceeding right to the meditation hall. We do not have to wait for anyone. When we see someone along the path, we just join our palms and bow, allowing him or her to enjoy the morning the way we do.

We need everyone to participate for the practice to be deep and joyful. This is the practice we do every day. Thank you for your joyful practice.