Dear friends of dark retreats,
you come to us from different parts of our country and even from abroad. You come at different stages of life, between the ages of 18 and 85, and at different points along life’s path – in other words, some of you have been on a spiritual path for longer and some not for so long.
A dark retreat here and now
A transformation of consciousness is possible through experiencing the present as it is. Without comparing it with the past or mixing in fears about the future or melancholy fantasies. That is why we tell each of you before your dark retreat that breathing is the key to paying attention to your body. When you pay attention to your body, you are living in the present.
Many participants describe a state in which, thanks to breathing and being present, they felt joy and love for no reason at all …. simply from being, from the fact that they exist.
It is not about switching off your thoughts – that isn’t even possible. It is about paying attention to what is here and now. If thoughts or emotions come up and you focus on your breath and your body, those thoughts and emotions can leave again; they can drift through, as if passing like smoke through a chimney or like a single person through a crowd.
Knowledge as an obstacle to presence
Some of you who come have been on a spiritual path for a long time, perhaps searching for happiness, joy and love for several years or even decades. It happens that these are very educated and knowledgeable people, and it is precisely such people who often get caught in the trap of knowledge.
Knowing that something is a certain way is different from living it.
It is similar to food, which tastes more intense in the dark: when your eyes see the food before you taste it, your mind already knows how it should taste, so it is no surprise.
That is why during a dark retreat you can explore yourself and notice thoughts and words such as “I know that”, “I’m familiar with that” or “Yeah, yeah, I’ve read about that”.
It is as if it were enough for our mind to know, so the actual experience never happens – and that is why you may go on suffering.
So what can you do about it?
Nothing 🙂 Breathe and let it be – it will do what it needs to do by itself.
In this way you also develop trust that what is meant to happen is happening, and that it is all right.
We are happy to welcome participants with knowledge and without it, because we believe a dark retreat is for everyone, that everyone receives exactly what they are meant to, and it is an honour for us to be there for it <3
