How to do a retreat at home over the New Year’s holidays?

How to do a retreat at home over the New Year’s holidays?

Firstly, what is a retreat?

It’s a time dedicated to existing more than doing.

The New Year’s holidays are an ideal time to do a retreat at home.

But it is easy to fill up all our free time.

How to keep our time free?

Switch off your phone, it can feel like a great relief.

For necessary communication, switch it on a few times a day, morning and evening.

Let friends and family know what you are doing.

Better to arrange meetings for tomorrow not today,

so you know you have the day for the retreat.

Some meetings can be put off till after the holidays.

Alcohol – best avoid it altogether, to feel brighter and clearer.

Sex – try having some time without any sexual stimulation, see what it feels like.

So now we have kept our time free, what shall we do.

Meditate each day, mornings and evenings.

Let experiencing your inner world be your activity.

Have time to do nothing.

Avoid stimulation, give time for simple pleasures.

Spend time simply looking at something.

Take time to do one thing at a time, just drink a cup of tea.

Watch what is happening around you, how the leaves on the plants are?

Have time to reflect, about the past year and the year ahead.

Sometimes being with painful memories in times of peace and warmth can be healing.

Whatever we give our attention to leaves an impression on us, it creates our karma, choose it wisely.

If you have fond these reflections useful,

why not pass them on to friends and family with a repost,

so they can benefit from them too?

More reflections here: https://suvannavira.blogspot.com