Experienced Teachers

Retreat Reviews

Practical preparation

  • Before you arrive:

    Reduce commitments in the days before; arrange childcare, pet care, emergency contact; let family/friends know you'll be unreachable; sleep well the nights before; avoid alcohol 2–3 days prior (makes settling more difficult).

  • What to bring:

    Comfortable loose clothing (layers); toiletries (unscented if possible — strong scents affect others in close quarters); any necessary medications; meditation cushion or stool if you prefer your own (venues provide cushions/chairs); open mind and willingness to be uncomfortable.

  • What to leave behind:

    Expectations of how it 'should' go; performance anxiety; phones, devices, books, work (if residential); the belief that you need to be 'good at' meditation.

1 3

What's normal before your first retreat?

Nerves are the entry fee.

Doubt that you're ready. Wondering if everyone else will be better at this than you. The creeping suspicion that you've signed up for something strange. An urge to cancel in the week before you go. These are the completely ordinary experiences of almost everyone who has ever attended a retreat - including people who've since completed ten-day silences and wondered why they were ever afraid.

The anxiety before a retreat is not a sign you're not ready. It's often a sign that something genuinely important is about to happen.

The physical reality: What sitting actually feels like

For the first 20 minutes, you're probably fine. Maybe even calm. Then your knee starts aching. Your back tightens. Your foot falls asleep. You shift positions. You want to move to relieve the discomfort. So you move. Then you feel guilty for moving. Then you notice you're thinking about feeling guilty. Welcome to meditation. 

Here's what nobody tells you: Physical discomfort is completely normal and not a sign of a problem or failure. Experienced meditators still have achy knees and restless bodies. The difference isn't that they've achieved constant comfort—it's that they've learned to meet discomfort some curiosity and therefore without immediately needing to fix it. 

Practical truth: Chairs are always available (many people use them exclusively). You can shift positions when genuinely needed - you're not required to sit like a statue. Pain that's means change position immediately. Discomfort that's dull and achy is often just… sitting still for longer than you're used to. Teachers will guide you on working skilfully with physical sensation

The mental reality: Your mind will not shut up

You sit down determined to focus on your breath or another aspect of your physical experience. Within 30 seconds, you're thinking about what you'll have for lunch. Then you remember you're supposed to be meditating, so you return to your breath. Three breaths later, you're mentally replaying an argument from last Tuesday. You notice you're thinking. Return to breath. Now you're thinking about how much you're thinking. Return to breath. Now you're wondering if everyone else's mind is this noisy or if you're uniquely bad at this. 

Here's the secret: Everyone's mind is this noisy. The whole point of meditation isn't to achieve some mythical state of mental silence — it's to see clearly how much your mind habitually wanders, and practise gently returning attention to present-moment experience. Over and over.

What you're actually doing:

  • Not controlling your thoughts (impossible)
  • Not achieving special states (not the goal)
  • Just noticing when mind has wandered and returning to chosen anchor (breath, body, sounds)
  • Building the skill of awareness itself
  • Developing compassion for your struggling, wandering, very human mind

The emotional reality: Stuff will surface

Maybe on day 2 of your weekend retreat, you find yourself inexplicably sad. Or angry. Or anxious about something that hasn't bothered you in months. This isn't because retreat is making you worse — it's because you've finally stopped moving fast enough to avoid what you've been carrying. 

Normal life provides endless distraction: work, Netflix, social media, conversations, tasks. Retreat removes all of that. Suddenly you're sitting still with whatever you've been unconsciously managing through busyness. This is not a problem to solve. This is the practice working.

Teacher support: If emotions become overwhelming, you can always request an individual meeting with the retreat teacher. They're trained to support you through intensity without pathologising your experience.

The social reality (or lack thereof)

Silence feels weird at first. When we go into silence on the retreat, it is natural to make eye contact with someone and smile. They may not catch your eye. It could feel rude. 

It takes a few hours to adjust to this. Your social brain keeps wanting to connect, acknowledge, interact. Gradually, you settle into the strange relief of not having to perform socially. No small talk. No managing how you're perceived. Just... being. It's awkward, then uncomfortable, then oddly liberating.

Why silence matters:
Social interaction is one of the primary ways we avoid being with ourselves. A quick chat, a shared laugh, even a knowing glance—all of it keeps us in the familiar territory of relating to others rather than meeting our own experience directly. Silence removes that escape hatch.

What happens in silence:
After a day or two, you stop thinking about what others are doing and focus entirely on your own practice. The person sitting beside you could be having profound spiritual experiences or fighting sleep—you have no idea, and it doesn't matter. You're free to have your own messy, boring, difficult, occasionally beautiful experience without comparison.

Accessibility and posture

You do not need to sit on the floor: Chairs are available at every retreat. Many participants use chairs exclusively throughout the entire retreat. The posture that serves practice is one where you're alert and awake — not one that looks correct from the outside.

Movement modifications: walking meditation is part of every retreat format. If you have mobility limitations, discuss with organisers before registering so we can ensure the venue and format suits your needs.

After the Retreat: Re-entry is tender

You'll likely feel more sensitive and open after the retreat—especially multi-day ones. This is normal. Give yourself gentle transition time:

  • Don't schedule intense social/work commitments immediately after
  • Ease back into devices, media, busyness gradually, and maybe choose less media in general
  • Consider what practices you want to maintain from retreat rhythm
  • Be patient with yourself as you navigate return to regular life 

Many participants report that the real benefits of retreat show up days or weeks later — subtle shifts in how they relate to stress, discomfort, or daily challenges. Don't judge retreat by how you feel during the final sitting. Judge it by whether something important shifted in your relationship to your own experience.

Common first-retreat worries: Addressed

What if I'm the only one struggling?

This could be an idea you have but you're definitely not the only one. Everyone struggles. The composed-looking person across the room is also fighting with their mind, managing discomfort, wondering if they're doing it right.

What if I have a panic attack / breakdown / overwhelming emotion?

The practices and the structure of the retreat are very emotionally regulating so msotly it doesn’t come this. But if these experiences arise the teachers are there to support you.  You can request an individual meeting. If needed, you can always leave—no judgment. But often what feels overwhelming at night softens by morning if you stay with it.

What if I don't have any profound experiences?

Perfect. You're not supposed to collect experiences—you're supposed to be present with what actually is. A "boring" retreat where you practiced honestly is far more valuable than a dramatic one where you spent the whole time chasing special states.

What if I fail?

There's no such thing as failing at retreat. You show up, you practice as honestly as you can, you work with whatever arises. That's success—regardless of whether your experience matches what you hoped for.

What if silence feels very weird or even unbearable?

It might. Especially the first day. That's material for practice—noticing the urge to escape, seeing the thoughts and beliefs that drive it, staying anyway. The discomfort of silence is often more about what we're avoiding in ourselves than about silence itself.  And it will change bigtime during the week. 

Next steps

  • I'm ready to try a retreat - show me options

    Upcoming Retreats

  • Start with a manageable day retreat

    Day Retreats

  • Hear about retreat experiences

    Reviews

  • Who will be teaching?

    Teachers
Still not sure, what about MBSR first? Back to Retreats Overview