Retreat as Transformation
For our retreat in April, Kris and I have been asked “Why should I retreat?” We posted our opinions in our last newsletters and they can be summarized as: We do it to refresh ourselves, improve our health, and to learn new things. We have researched this same question to get professional opinions and the answers are basically the same general themes. These answers boil down to transformation. The best retreats I have attended are the ones that not only give you a new way to approach life, but also the space to practice these new skills to see how you can make them your own and integrate them into your everyday life. That is the key to change. There is no end to the number of people preaching transformation, however, there are few who can give you the support and space to put the new ideas into practice.
Now, let me give you something transformative that I experienced on a retreat years ago: I attended my mindful outdoor guide training in 2022 at Kripalu Center for Health and Wellness. There were 11 of us and as a bunch we had limited outdoor experience. Living on a small farm for many years put me on the “more experienced” end of the wilderness spectrum for the groups. Basically, we were suburbanites looking to get closer to nature, not what you would call intrepid explorers.
Each day started with an extended, sitting meditation in the woods. We were trained on how to sit discretely and observe nature by using all our senses. It was amazing how much we could see when we truly looked carefully. I saw surprising things such as a spider in the sunlight on a tree 30 feet away.
On the fourth day during this sitting meditation, several of us had a close run-in with a bear (some closer than others). The first time I saw it, he ran about 20 feet from me on the other side of some bushes. All I saw was its back and thought it was a big dog, until I saw him a few moments later running in a clearing further away.
This was an exhilarating experience for all involved and transformative in its own right. However, what made it truly transformative for me was how the instructors taught us to deal with the adrenaline rush in the short and long terms. They taught us how to mindfully handle emotional experiences (good and bad) in a way that helps to build character, resilience, and an appreciation of natural awe, rather than making us dependent on adventure highs. This lesson has helped me cope with several difficult situations in the human world and many more pleasant encounters in the natural world such as having the gift of close-up experiences with foxes, coyotes, fawns, squirrels and even mice in the years since my retreat. It may have been the most valuable skill I learned in those 10 days of retreat at Kripalu.