Towards the end of last year I went on retreat. A silent meditation retreat.
Now I have friends who find the very thought of this abhorrent. Who would rather stick pins in their eyes than embark on something like this.
But as a stay at home mother of two small children the idea of three days of silence was exhilarating.
And also a little scary.
It felt a bit strange to be leaving my children for the first time and heading to an unfamiliar place with a group if people I didn't know.
But like most things that confront and challenge, it was extremely rewarding. Actually, it was completely amazing.
Which is not to say it was easy, because it wasn't.
In some sort of unconscious, unexpressed way I knew why I was there and what I wanted to get out of it and yet I found myself putting up lots of little barriers to the experience.
Breaking down those barriers so that I could really be there was difficult. It was hard enough just identifying them.
But with two days of silent mediation and contemplation there really is very little choice, and very little else except to shatter the distractions and retreat wholly unto yourself.
An experience which for me was blissful to the point of ecstasy.
And I can't wait to do it again.
Have you ever been on retreat? Did you love it?
