Photo of a path in a misty valley

Today marks the end of the retreat. It feels like a lifetime ago that the retreat began, and I have so many happy memories and stories that I'd love to share. First of all, I'll write about the structure of the retreat in general, and some of the Plum Village practices that support us.

The Schedule

I find schedules fascinating. Understanding the rhythm of someone's daily life, I think, gives great insight into the type of person they are, and what's important to them. Here in a Buddhist practice centre, following the schedule is a key practice that brings the whole community together.

The typical schedule of a day during our retreat:

At a glance, the schedule appears somewhat intense—rising early before the Sun, and many activities to keep track of through the day. In practice, the schedule enables the retreat to have a sense of structure, and brings the community together. While there are many activities to attend, most of them focus on nuturing one's well-being—e.g. sitting and walking meditation. In fact, all of the activities can be very nourishing, if carried out in a gentle way. Even the morning work period is to be done in the spirit of mindfulness, not rushing to complete a task, but simply being present with whatever you are doing. There is also plenty of free time between activities—such as after lunch, which is a favourite time for an afternoon nap—which I usually spend reading, playing guitar, or writing letters (always with accompanied by a cup of tea!).

The schedule is also quite fluid; while this example I've written gives a general structure, the activites within can change from day to day. For example, on Saturday we enjoyed a hike to a nearby sacred spring, while exploring different ways to walk in mindfulness. Last night we had a 'be in', a celebration of togetherness, where we offered songs, stories, poems, and games together, to celebrate the end of our retreat together.

The Bell

We are also supported by the sound of the bell, which invites us to return to our breathing for a few moments. There are a number of different bells which have different purposes, such as to open and close activities. Here is a brief outline of some of the bells:

The Activity Bell
The activity bell is invited 10-15 minutes before each activity in the schedule, which enables us to get to the activity on time, without rushing. It's possible to live the day without checking the schedule at all, just being guided by the bell to each activity.

The Bell of Mindfulness
Every fifteen minutes, the Bell of Mindfulness is invited. (We have an automatic chiming clock.) Upon hearing this sound, everybody stops whatever they are doing, and takes a moment to pause, and bring awareness to the breath.

Noble Silence

From the end of the final activity, we enter a period of Noble Silence, which lasts throughout the night until after breakfast the next day. During this period we don't speak to one another (unless necessary) and are invited to look inwardly and come back to ourselves. It can be extremely relieving to have absolutely no obligation to speak. As everyone observes Noble Silence together, any polite communication happens through nods, glances, and bows. I find that as the external chatter ceases, the internal mental chatter can also quiet, which is ideal for a nice restful sleep.

Day of Mindfulness

Some days, we observe a Day of Mindfulness, where we endeavour to focus wholeheartedly on our practice. In the schedule, instead of a work period, we may have a Dharma talk on a relevant Buddhist subject (analogous to a sermon); and in the afternoon we may have Dharma Sharing, where we are invited to 'share from the heart', and listen deeply to whoever's sharing (similar to a Quaker meeting, in my opinion). On Days of Mindfulness, the Noble Silence is extended until after lunch, to encourage the introspective environment of the day.

Lazy Day

As the name suggests, on Lazy Day, we have just one goal: to embrace laziness. The schedule is dropped completely on this day—no bells, no silence—the day is free for you to do whatever nourishes you. On our Lazy Day, a group of us decided to go on a walk to the nearby town, where we visited the magnificent church; checked out the charity shop; and enjoyed a coffee in the local café. For the rest of the day we relaxed together, played music, played games, and were sure to be very lazy.


Now that the retreat has concluded, I'm curious to see how the daily schedule will change. I believe that the structure will actually remain very similar to the retreat schedule, just with more time for work. We will still be able to enjoy Days of Mindfullness, and Lazy Days together—and soon we will be welcoming volunteers who will kindly help us with some of the larger-scale tasks (particularly gardening).

I hope that you've enjoyed reading about my retreat experience; this is just a quick overview of some of the practices that support our community life here at Being Peace. If there's any aspect that has caught your interest and you'd like to hear more about, leave a message in the Guestbook, and I may write a post about it.

May you be well!