6 ms·
An interesting description of an experience - all I can say is, a 7 day retreat is probably a really, really bad idea for a beginner
by humblepatience 16y ago
An interesting description of an experience -
all I can say is, a 7 day retreat is probably a really, really bad idea for a beginner
- swombat 16y agoWhat do you reckon is the ideal way for a beginner to get into meditation, then? Particularly if that beginner lives in a busy, noisy place like London and has a busy, time-consuming jobs like running a start-up.
- thomas11 16y agoIdeally, you would find a regular meditation group that has one or two weekly sessions of maybe 30 minutes and some members with experience who can give you hints. That gives you a commitment to regular practice and a supportive group of peers without being too invasive. Skipping a week isn't a big deal, either.
- humblepatience 16y agoFrom what I've heard, it's practicing 10 minutes a day for a while. Going to a session helps too
- carbon8 16y agoLong meditation retreats for beginners are pretty standard. Repeatedly sticking a toe in the water doesn't really do much, you need to dive right in.
- humblepatience 16y agoI'm a big fan of `starting out slow.` Jumping into a 7 day retreat is not starting out slow. It's different for everyone what `slow` is, but if you're not sure if you're ready for a 7 day retreat and you go anyway you might end up like this guy (in the article).
- rsheridan6 16y agoHaving tried it both ways, I think beginning with thirty minutes a day or something like that is like trying to learn to swim in a bathtub. Unless you're on the edge of psychosis, a long retreat won't hurt you. There are rare horror stories about somebody going nuts, but that's probably about as common as somebody dying from a bee sting.
- humblepatience 16y agoI don't see why I'm getting down voted. I've been meditating on and off for years and I wouldn't just jump into a 7 day retreat until I was ready, it's do-able but probably not pleasant.