Group retreats


The retreats are taking place in a beautiful land on the hill side of the village of Srithanu in Koh Phangan. Quiet and secluded area, still 5 min from the village on scooter.

The classes happened on a vast wooden deck 3 meters high from the ground and open to the lush jungle. Its already a meditative experience in itself just to sit there.

It’s an altar of simplicity, the place is off-grid and has preserved a natural atmosphere.

The space is lay out so all participants have its own delimited space with its mosquito net. Most of the time the mosquito net is up and becomes handy only during mosquito times at sunset time.

Every spaces contain the same facilities as inside the domes plus a good quality eye mask blindfold.

The retreats precepts:


Noble silence. 
Staying away from distractions. No phones, no contact, like if you were alone in the dome.
Sitting in retreat, going to your place, staying at your place, that’s all that is happening.
Keep enough food at your place so you don’t need to go shopping or make a deal with your favourite local restaurant to pick up some take away food in silence.
The continuity of practice is key.  

What are the group retreats about?



Is there such a thing as preparing yourself to sit a solo retreat in complete darkness?

 Well, everything is relative. Depending on your experience in meditation, on your apprehension on sitting in darkness, on your motivation to sit there, you will feel a need to be prepared or not.


A good start is to ask yourself what is attracting you to this particular form of practice?

From running retreats, here is an exhaustive list of what aspire retreaters from answering our application forms:


"I have been living a very busy lifestyle, and I am looking for a deep silent space to Be, unwind and dive deep into myself.”

"What’s attract me? To type in everything would take hours. I did a lot of shadow work.”

"I want to go deeper in my meditation practice without any distractions and connect with the divine.”

"Feeling that I need to isolate myself more and more to found the answer to what I really want in life.”

“I feel attracted to the idea to stop all the outside stimulations to really be able to let come whatever needs to come”

“I need my bedroom to be pitch black in order to fully relax”

“Ever since hearing about Dark retreats, I have been wanting to experience them”

“The possibility to sit in a space without distractions to observe the thoughts and feelings that arise and possibly reach a deeper state of meditation”

“I am longing to go deep in silence and absolute darkness to ultimately surrender in facing my darkness and light in all its depth”

“I am interested in going inward”


I believe there are as many reasons that there are people. Goals, motivations, drives are an impulse to jump in.


Trust and confidence will make you hang on to the wanting and give you the courage to go all the way.

That's where the retreat comes in to provide you with this extra push of confidence to manifest it and go through the resistances that take us away from the original impulse.


The group retreats are there to bring clarity and understanding on the working of the mind itself, understanding patterns and letting go of stories.

They are also designed to give you tools from meditation traditions and yoga.

Those tools will help us to Tame the mind.

They also aim to connect you with us at the Dark Retreat center and create a bond of trust that will support you much during your solo retreat.

Level 1, Introduction. 3 days meditation retreat.


PREREQUISITE:


This retreat is open to beginners and for the experienced meditator who wants an introduction to Dark Retreat.


THE CONTENT:


This retreat is an excellent introduction to meditation and self-inquiry. It’s designed to give you the tools to practice daily or sustain a retreat.

The idea is to give you also the skills and confidence to sit a 3 days retreat in complete darkness in the earth domes with or without prior experience in meditation.

Once you have completed the group retreat, you can book one of the domes on your own time. You will also have the possibility to receive a daily check-in and support during your solo retreat.

It contains step by step guided practices with lectures on the essence of meditation. We will touch on different models from various traditions:

* You will learn and practice the self-inquiry method from the non-dualistic classic approach of Advaita Vedanta. It will be the base to explore within.
* Posture, breath. Understanding the dynamic.
* Concentration and open awareness. Learn to differentiate and to feel when they come into play.
* Third eye practices.
* Basic pranayama, the science of yogic breathing.

We will also have Interactive sessions of questions and answers.


Prices and dates:


Early bird, book 2 weeks before the retreat start: US$ 150
Full price: US$ 180

2020: No retreats scheduled for now due to the pandemic situation.


The schedule: 

Day 1:
Registration
8am-9am


Class
9am-12pm
Introduction and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Class
3pm-6pm
Presentation and practice.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Class
7pm-10pm
Lecture, Q&A and practice.

Day 2:  
Class
9am-12pm
Presentation and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Class
3pm-6pm
Presentation and practice.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Class
7pm-10pm
Lecture, Q&A and practice.

Day 3: 
Class
9am-12pm
Presentation and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Class
3pm-6pm
Presentation and practice.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Class
7pm-10pm
Evening fire; sharing and celebration to life.

level 2, dive-in. 9 days meditation retreat


Prerequisite:



This retreat is open for people who have already completed the level 1, introduction, 3 days retreat and at least 3 days solo meditation retreat in darkness.

This retreat is open for experienced meditators with enough credential and who have done at least one 3 days dark retreat.


The content:



Once you have been in a 3 days dark retreat and you feel about going back for a longer time, something ignites within.

Whatever the motivation that was there before the first retreat, it's now different. You have acquired a first "know how" to be by yourself, to be in the dark as energy and subtle bodies.

In your mind, the motivation might be the same, but your being has changed.

You know more what to expect in a way, but also you don’t know what could happen, the only thing you know for sure is that you will dive deeper.

The pull to dive-in is there.

So much freedom comes to commit and at the same time not knowing anything and relying only on wanting to go all the way.

The mind draw pictures on what has been easy the first time and what resistances you have encountered.  You will be working on the obstacles that you already faced.

The idea is to feel ready and confident to sit long silent solo retreats in complete darkness or full light.

You will cultivate the necessary stability to identify the mental patterns and move beyond your story.

We will fuel the motivations that push us to sit alone and the involvement it requires.


As in level 1, the retreat contains step by step guided practices with lectures on the essence of meditation, and models from various traditions:

* What is Mind? Psychological aspects. Seeing mind patterns. Integrating shadows. Individuality to humanness.
* What is Me? The simplicity of truth. Direct seeing. Recognition and confirmation.
* Desires and aversions. Bliss and pain. Stillness and movement.
* Opening the Dhamma eye.
* Third eye practices
* Heart practices
* Experiencing and discerning energy-mind connections.
* Experiencing and recognizing the heart-mind relationship.
* Sourcing and embodying the natural state.


Prices and dates:



Early bird, book 2 weeks before the retreat start: US$ 330
Full price: US$ 390

2020: No retreats scheduled for now due to the pandemic situation.

The schedule:



Day 1:
Registration
8am-9am
Class
9am-12pm
Introduction and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Class
3pm-6pm
Presentation and practice.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Class
7pm-10pm
Lecture, Q&A and practice.


Day 2-8:
Class
9am-12pm
Presentation and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Class
3pm-6pm
Presentation and practice.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Class
7pm-10pm
Lecture, Q&A and practice.


Day 9:
Class
9am-12pm
Presentation and practice.
Lunch break
12am-3pm
At your place.
Ending
3pm-6pm
Group sharing.
Tea break
6pm-7pm
On-site. Tea and fruits.
Ending
7pm-10pm
Evening fire; sharing and celebration to life.