Silent days in Bellingham
Sherrie Kimball on the final night and celebration of the retreat.
Sherrie Kimball writes:
This was my first seven-day silent retreat. I had participated in three nyinthun retreats, but nothing close to seven days of silence. I was both excited and intimidated as I planned my trip to Bellingham, Washington this winter.
Seven days of silence is an experience of all there is. The gifts of fidgeting, drifting, feeling pain both physical and emotional; the mind telling story after story after story. There is the gift of the release of both pains as well. Always coming back to the breath, the entire body breathing.
The calm that comes with silence is delicious. We were silent and sat from 9am to 6pm — 20 mins of sitting and 10 minutes of walking, over and over. We did have a break for our “Buddha One Bowl Lunch,” vegan, to cover everyone’s food sensitivities. We also had a silent tea break in the afternoon.
Everyday, the teachers gave a talk on Shambhala meditation that included guided Shambhala meditation. Everyday, we did Shamata yoga and playful exercise in the afternoon; all in silence, though there were a few giggles and grunts.
At 6pm there was dinner break and we could talk when we left the center. There were also activities in the evening from 8-9. Some nights consisted of more sitting, and some nights of guided small group discussion.
Every participant (30 of us) had a Meditation Instructor with whom we met twice during the retreat (or more if we wanted). My MI was very clear on how to stay with the emotion that came before the storyline, and just sit with the feeling, embrace the feeling, a rich gift. No judgement, no story. I also asked him to watch my posture during sitting to see if I was sitting correctly and received some good feedback on my sitting posture. I found great trust in my MI. Sharing my experiences while sitting was met with knowledge, understanding, and instruction.
The attached photo is me the evening of the final day celebration.
If a Weekthun is something you have been considering, take the leap. I would love to do this again!
