MEDITATION RETREAT SYLLABUS

1. Refining concentration, increasing cognition of when the mind wanders

Almost all meditation techniques have a concentration component. When we become skilful in paying attention, then the tendency to get lost in thought reduces and the mind begins to quieten. These are often called tranquility practices. Concentration objects may include the breath, mindfulness of body sensations or concentration on an object such as sound or mantra. On this retreat you will learn refinement techniques to improve the stability of your concentration or mindfulness. The stability of mind means peace of mind, we are more able to focus in our daily life, we indulge less in negative thought patterns, our stress levels decrease, and we feel more at ease. These include intensifying practices which are used to bring greater awareness to background thoughts as well as to the dullness that can develop in the mind when meditating. If your meditation progress is stagnating then this improvement in looking more closely at the object of your concentration will enable you to start progressing again. It is through this increased focus that we experience a stilling of the busynessof the mind; a tranquility and clarity arise.

2. Insight practices; moving beyond identification with self, thoughts and emotions

Emptiness practices are a central component of Buddhist meditation. Emptiness means ‘a construction of mind.’ In our meditation, and of course in our daily lives as well, we get caught up in, and strongly identified with our thoughts and emotions. On this retreat we will introduce emptiness of self, emptiness of thought and emptiness of emotion practices. This does not mean having no self, thoughts or emotions but rather realising experientially how our thoughts and emotions are things that the mind is constructing. When we learn this, we become less emotionally reactive in our relationships and with ourselves, we tend to be more open and less rigidly entrenched in our views and opinions. These practices are liberating and freeing, and most importantly they bring ease and joy.

3. Resting in awareness; a new basis of operation

Much of our daily life we tend to be busy thinking, we operate a lot out of thought, and for some of us many of these thoughts are repetitive and negative. However when we learn to still the fluctuations of thought we are able to shift to spending more time in awareness, an awareness that is beyond the busyness of thinking. When we operate out of awareness there is no reactivity and we feel less self-centred and more connected to others; We will investigate and examine the characteristics of operating out of awareness as opposed to thought – exploring qualities such as spaciousness, connectedness, and the tendency to fabricate experience.  On this retreat we will then practice taking this off the cushion as we interact with others and the nature around us.

Receive personal guidance around your meditation habits so you keep progressing

Each of us have habits that we develop in our practice, some serve our meditation and others don’t. With this retreat Susan will encourage you to be observant and disciplined in the habits that support your practice and bring more awareness to those that don’t, both on and off the cushion. Personal suggestions will be given to each student so that you can be inspired to develop this life changing and abundant practice.