The lost art of Meditation
This Retreat presents the essence and fruit of authentice yoga practice. Meditation is not a technique or a method: it is an awarenesss state. Not an obscure, esoteric or inaccessible state of consciousness, but the natural, fundamental expression of awareness in the human organism. The meditative mind is the ground upon and the context within which all mental activity takes place: awareness functioning without agenda through the gates of human intelligence: the six senses and cognition. In effect the meditative state is the mind simply noticing its environment (internal and external), without reaction.
The mental activities of recognition, categrorisation, analysis and evaluation etc are all in abeyance, because they are not necessary. All these functions of mental activity are designed to allow mind to ensure the wellbeing of the organism, and secure its goals. In meditation we relinquish all goals, agendas, intentions and efforts: this allows the luminosity of the meditative mind to emerge spontaneously in and as our awareness. This effortless luminosity illuminates all perceptions, thoughts, feelings and sensations that may spontaneously arise rendering transparent their totally conditioned and impersonal nature.
While this retreat is designed specifically for yoga practitioners, as a continuation and deepening of their practice, it is also available for anyone. The daily schedule includes 6 hours of sitting meditation, a morning yoga selfpractice session, and 2 hours of working meditation. There will be daily guidance in the lost art of meditation and the opportunity for direct, personal feedback on your meditative experience. Instruction is based directly on Patanjali, treating meditation as an open enquiry into that which is actually happening, rather than a means to impose some special state or reach a predetermined goal. Jnanayoga sessions of Radical Enquiry may be included as a means to relinquish limiting beliefs and assumptions.
The vegan diet is designed to support and enhance meditation. This course is open to anyone: there are no prerequisites. Those who do not wish to participate in the self practice will be instructed in walking meditation, or some other phsyical practice to be done as a substitute.
