Yes, you heard me correctly. 24 hours of no talking, TV, reading, audiobooks, or even listening to music, or podcasts! Sounds intense, right?
As a part of my mindfulness course at Brown University of Professional Studies. One of the requirements for this course is to participate in a day-long virtual retreat conducted via Zoom. From 8:00 AM until 4 PM, I sat in silence with close to 100 hundred people from all around the world.
Before the retreat, we were given instructions on how to prepare for the day. I cleaned my physical space, prepared a meal to eat mindfully during the call, made a plan for my dog Emmy, and alerted family and friends to my day of silence.
Coming into this experience, I had no idea what to expect. I approached the day with curiosity and an open heart. At the start of the retreat, we were asked to set an intention or intentions. Mine was to stay in the moment and my goal was to leave feeling more connected to myself and others.
Throughout the day, we were led by three incredible instructors. We practiced sitting and walking meditations, loving-kindness, breath work, and movement-based practices. We walked indoors and outdoors and sat for increasingly longer and longer periods of time.
The retreat was about more than just silence; it was about being fully present in the experience of living. We were encouraged to stay connected to every small detail - from savoring a steaming sip of coffee to feeling the coolness of a refreshing drink of water, from adjusting our posture when we experienced discomfort to noticing the temperature in the room. We were asked to stay connected to all the tiny little experiences that make up a day.
I was surprised at how much I appreciated the silence, the stillness. It was calming, allowing me to notice all the little things I usually miss. These details became a deeper part of my experience. There was no pressure for anything to be other than it was.
I was also surprised at how quickly the time went and I didn’t miss my phone that much. And the clocks in my house were conveniently all wrong, so there was no distraction there either.
Even though the retreat ended at 4 PM, I extended the silence for the rest of the day—well, mostly. I had to make arrangements to pick up my dog, Emmy. Speaking of Emmy, she did a fantastic job! She was calm during the sitting practices, although she did try to nibble my fingers and toes when I was lying on the floor. But most of the time, she curled up next to me and napped. Adorable, right?
As I ease back into everyday life, I’ve thought about how I can bring a higher level of intention and focused mindfulness into my daily moments. How can you commit to living more mindfully?
P.S.
I am already looking forward to a longer in-person silent retreat later this year!
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