Autumn Silent Retreat

“Silence is something more than just a pause; it is that enchanted place where space is cleared and time is stayed and the horizon itself expands.” Pico Iyer

As the “golden hour” of our year, autumn is the perfect season to turn our light inward, in the phrase of Soto Zen founder Eihei Dogen. Join us for three days of silent sitting, giving ourselves and each other the priceless gifts of quiet and slow time in Limina’s beautiful and restorative setting. The sacred container we create together will let our “monkey minds” settle and rest, so we can be open to and present with whatever arises in our spaciousness.

We recommend that participants have experience with silent meditation retreats of at least one full day. This style of retreat is in the Zen tradition of Kosho Uchiyama. His book Opening the Hand of Thought is a very helpful resource. Also, the excellent writer Pico Iyer recently published a book titled Aflame about his experiences with silent retreats.

Friday evening: Our gathering will begin with a welcome dinner and orientation.

Saturday &  Sunday: Rev. Jokei Molly Whitehead will offer a Dharma talk on Saturday morning, and then we’ll enter our Great Silence, sitting together in periods of 45 minutes with kinhin (walking meditation) in between.

We’ll take breaks after each meal.

Participants are encouraged to support each other’s practice by sitting in the zendo together as often as possible, but they may also take personal breaks if needed to care for themselves by being outdoors, stretching, resting, or doing yoga or other practices that nurture silence.

Jokei Molly will be available for practice discussion a few times a day on a sign-up basis.

Monday morning: We will end the Great Silence and can share our impressions and experiences.

Please consider giving yourself a “buffer” between our precious silence and a return to our “full” lives.  This may include driving home in quiet, a slow re-entry to full responsibilities, or possibly some extra time “off” (from work, caregiving, etc.)