Welcome Package
Please read mindfully, as this Welcome Packet is long and includes valuable information in preparation for your retreat. Above is a list of the topics included in this correspondence.
For personal time, here are the activities we encourage you to do.
Activities to engage in during personal time
Walk in nature (or around/in your home)
Drinking tea / coffee / water
Sitting and doing ‘nothing’ :)
Enjoying a view outside your window
Reflection / journaling
Re-listening to a talk or guided meditation from this retreat
Making a gratitude list
Activities not to engage in during personal time
Checking email or social media
Using your computer or phone for entertainment, news, or any non retreat activity
Reading what is unrelated to deepening your practice
Having a conversation with a housemate (though sometimes it will be necessary to have logistical conversations with people in your household)
Please review this information from Spirit Rock Retreat Center with recommendations for how to prepare and implement at home retreats.
A few items we want to highlight:
If at all possible, set up a dedicated space for the retreat where you have internet access.
Find a place for walking meditation. This might include walking around the block or in a hallway or larger room. It is preferable not to have to navigate street crossings or traffic.
There will be a temptation to use the computer or phone for non-retreat items (work, news, entertainment). We ask that you refrain from these activities during the retreat. Close all programs on your computer before the retreat, and turn off all notifications on your devices. Better yet, turn your phone off if you don’t need it. Set up an auto-reply for email
Have a conversation with housemates, spouses, partners, and children beforehand to set expectations (more detailed tips in the document above)
If possible, do your food shopping before the retreat begins. Perhaps prepare food beforehand. Keep meals simple, and use meal prep, and eating as an opportunity to be fully present and continue your practice
We will be using Zoom for this retreat. If you don’t have a Zoom account, please download the software here labeled “Zoom Client for Meetings.” You don’t need an account, but you DO need the software installed.
We will be recording most sessions and shortly afterwards placing recordings on the Session Recordings tab of this website for people to view who are in time zones where they were unable to attend live. You will also be able to use audio files of guided meditations for personal practice if you like.
Zoom best practices:
Be on time for sessions. If possible, plan to join 5 min early. We have limited time together and sessions will begin promptly at their scheduled time.
Be prepared to join by computer if you are able
We will keep most people on mute when Tashi is giving a talk and ask folks to unmute themself when they would like to ask a question
Please plan to have your video on. Being able to see each others’ faces will help foster connection and plays a psychological role in collective responsibility (vs just doing a retreat by oneself)
Do your best to be in a place that is quiet so you can be fully present
If your wifi is unstable we encourage you to keep zoom running on your computer, but also join by phone for your audio. You can do this by clicking the “up arrow” just to the right of the mute icon in the bottom left of your screen. Select “Switch to phone audio.” Dial one of the numbers in the pop up menu and follow the directions to input the meeting ID and then input the Participant ID.
Set the view to Gallery View to see everyone in the group, or Speaker View to see only the current speaker. You can toggle between these views by clicking the icon in the top right corner of your screen.
If you live with roommates, it may feel weird at first to be practicing noble silence around them. Talk to them about it beforehand so they know what to expect. These feelings will pass. In the meantime, try using it as an opportunity to observe the feelings that arise.
Depending on where you live there may be extra noise during your meditation that you cannot control. Fortunately, you don’t need silence to meditate. Be okay with any noises in or around your home that are outside of your control.
For those who have others you are a caregiver (i.e. for companion animals, children, elders) please ensure that this retreat does not get in the way of you providing the necessary care to them. We understand.
Before the retreat starts, here are things to consider preparing:
An alarm clock that is not on your phone
Identify a place where you can do your meditation. Some find that a meditation cushion helps with comfort. Using any kind of pillow or two can also help. Play around with it!
Identify a place where you can do walking meditation
You may want a notebook to write in, and something to write with
Setup a fan or white noise maker to drown out noises if you have roommates
Don’t have the following:
Cellphones (turn off and store away)
Computers other than using it for the retreat
Notifications turned on in your device
Other electronic devices
Electronics; iPods, etc.
Book to read; kindles, etc.
Timeliness
We ask that you arrive at sessions five minutes early. We have limited time together and we will start each session promptly at it’s start time.
If you arrive late to a session, we will have you muted so there will be minimal disturbance.
Do your best
This document offers suggestions for how to get the most out of this period of time together. We ask that you do your best to follow the suggestions. If you don’t engage fully or if you use your phone/computer for non-retreat activities, it will impact what you and others get out of this experience.
Engage when invited
There will be parts where you are invited to ask questions or share reflections. Please do engage when invited! We will be using hand raising features in Zoom so will be able to manage traffic. This will help enrich the experience for everyone.
The Practice of Generosity
At the end, you will have an option to offer a donation to the teacher. You can read more about Dana/The Practice of Generosity. Dana or donations can be paid by Venmo.