Preparing your space for the OI Retreat

Dear OI friends and Aspirants,
This is really a great opportunity for us to get together with friends in North America. With an online retreat, are able to meet with and to learn from the special teachers and friends we will have. You will not need any time to arrange for your travels, pack your suitcase, or spend a day (or more) on a train/ bus/ car/ plane... that’s so eco-friendly, too!

But how can you create the energy of a retreat at home?

Here are some tips from the organizing team for you to pick and choose from.

Meals

Take some time to plan your meals ahead of time for the week of the retreat. We recommend you choose simple, yet delicious dishes that require a minimum amount of time and effort to prepare.

Gentle Reminders on Preventing Interruptions

We highly recommend that you put your devices on silent/do not disturb mode, as if you were truly away on a retreat. Please also let the people you may be living with know that you are on retreat. Sit with them and explore ways that they can support you.

Be Comfortable

Prepare essential clothes so that they can be easily available during your retreat. As we have our video on, please dress like you were attending the retreat at the monastery: Please wear loose clothing - shirts covering shoulders, back, and midriff, and loose pants. Even though you are home, we hope you can follow our dress guidelines emphasizing modesty in dress. You will be seen on camera by many people unless you turn your video off. We look forward to seeing everyone.

Sitting Comfortably

Make your sitting meditation extra comfortable by preparing cushions and blankets beforehand.

Your Practice Space

Create a place that nourishes you. Using candles, inspiring images, a beautiful card or calligraphy, flowers and incense can be supportive for creating a retreat atmosphere at home. The Plum Village monastics enjoy creating this atmosphere before new friends arrive for the next retreat. Just imagine decorating your own personal (small scale) meditation hall or breathing room.

Having a beautiful practice space can support you immensely during your retreat at home.

It can be a room in your apartment or a corner in your room, or even a place outside (where you have good internet connection). Choose a place that feels harmonious to you and fits with your current living situation. Maybe you could choose a place near a window, so you can turn your gaze away from the screen and look outside from time to time.

Arrange your space to create a quality of being that supports you in your practice. In general, it helps if this place allows for calmness to arise and any disorderliness in the room to be out of your visual field. This may or may not involve cleaning your space and removing or covering in creative ways everything that might distract you.

If you already have such a space, you can refresh it, remove dust and rearrange it. Remove everything that is no longer relevant for your practice. Be creative, and follow your intuition.

Please find here on our resources page some calligraphies and gathas/daily reminders (poems) that you may want to print out in advance and add to your space to help support you on your spiritual journey.

If you wish, send us a photo of your special place, flower(s), arrangements, to bcmretreat@bluecliffmonastery.org

Practicing with Screen Time

We are aware that many of us have had quite a lot of screen time lately. We invite you to be aware of your body and your eyes during the retreat and to check in with yourself regularly. During some sessions, you can easily close your eyes or not look at the screen, e.g. sitting, walking, total relaxation. Also you can close your eyes or look out of your window from time to time while still listening and being present.

What else?

• You may also like to prepare a journal and pen or pencil.

• Preparing a favorite tea or drink for enjoying during your retreat, especially on

  Sunday evening; we will have a chance to enjoy our tea (drinks) online with the community.

Technical Requirements

Our retreat will primarily be using the video-conferencing tool Zoom. The application is free to download and use. Zoom is available for Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. In order to offer our retreat, we ask that you install and run the latest version of the software. 

All Zoom software can be downloaded here. If you already have it installed, then simply check to make sure you have the latest version. For mobile devices, simply use the appropriate App Store and make sure the app is up-to-date. For desktop users, open Zoom and click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select Check for Updates option. 

Of course, there are also the technical requirements that make this retreat possible:

• Install the Zoom app on your computer and/or phone and check to make sure that your camera, speaker and microphone are working properly.

• Support for getting started with zoom: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en- us/categories/200101697

• Headphones and microphone (external or from your computer)

• Stable wifi or mobile internet

Key Points

• identify your retreat space
• declutter it
• create an inspiring center-piece
• set up a table for your computer (so you can sit with your back and neck
upright while following online.... and don't forget a power source!

• experiment with different sitting cushions, a mat, a chair etc, to be sure you will be comfortable

• if you wish, print out calligraphy and/or daily reminder poems we offer in our resources on this page

• plan prepared meals for yourself for Saturday through Sunday lunch so that you can focus on the retreat and enjoy your mindful eating

• install the latest Zoom app on your computer and/or phone and check to make sure that your camera, speaker and microphone are working properly.

Email office@bluecliffmonastery.org with any questions.

May you dwell in well-being,

The OI Retreat Organizing Team