Best Long Term Consciousness Retreats?

[Jcent]

I am looking for a solid ashram/program to meditate seriously for 6-12 months. Does anyone have experience doing one of these? If not, are there long term residential retreats that you are looking into or know about? I am at a unique place in life where something like this is possible for me, and the call to do so cannot be put off any longer. 

I have heard about:

• Zen Mountain Monastery 
• Sadhguru's Sahanapada 
• Peter Ralston's Apprenticeships (but these require getting a group of people together)

[Leo Gura]

Keep in mind that in many of these places you actually spend more time working, cooking, cleaning, socializing, etc. than meditating.

If you want the most effective and direct path, find a cabin in the woods and live there for 6 months by yourself. Then you can get some real work done. Even just 1 month totally solo will be life-changing.

The deepest work is done solo, where you have zero social obligations. All you gotta do is handle your food, water, and cleaning.

[Jcent]

@Leo Gura Do you think it's worth spending a significant chunk of my life's savings to do this? I'm 19.

[Leo Gura]

@Jcent To do what? A solo retreat?

Maybe start off by doing a 2 or 4 week solo retreat and see how that goes. That shouldn't cost you too much.

After that re-evaluate your results and priorities.

No one can tell you what's worthwhile for you but you. It's always smart to make small strategic bets and testing the waters before going all-in.

Do a 1-week program before you sign up for something that's months long. Most retreat centers have short 1-week programs to get you a feel for the place and people.

[mandyjw]

Read Walden for inspiration and do your own version. 

[noselfnofun]

11 hours ago, Jcent said:

I am looking for a solid ashram/program to meditate seriously for 6-12 months. Does anyone have experience doing one of these? If not, are there long term residential retreats that you are looking into or know about? I am at a unique place in life where something like this is possible for me, and the call to do so cannot be put off any longer. 

I have heard about:

• Zen Mountain Monastery 
• Sadhguru's Sahanapada 
• Peter Ralston's Apprenticeships (but these require getting a group of people together)

I'm planning on doing this also, leo's idea is good if you can afford it. I have done some research and there are a few places that you can literally just turn up to and meditate all day, I will go try and find the links. My friend is one a retreat now where you wake up at 3:30am and mediate all day until 10pm, I think its in Burma. Also there are Vipassana centres you could work at and take a course every 3 months. I think Sadgurus ashram would be a good shout.  When are you planning on doing this?

Note: Long retreats can be very challenging so make sure you have some smaller retreats under your belt first. 

Edited May 29, 2019 by noselfnofun

[Chi_]

Leo is right that in most of these places you will be spending time doing non-meditative things.

However if you are okay with it, there is a 7 month long program offered in Sadhguru's ashram called "Sadhanapada" for free of charge including food and accommodation. You basically get up at 5:30 and the day ends at 9:30. You do yoga practices in the mornings and evenings and during the rest of the day you do volunteering work. This work could be anywhere from working inside the Ashram to working for their Social Outreach programs(like planting trees, helping poor kids with education, restoring drying rivers etc) to going to villages nearby and helping people there. To my knowledge, the idea is also that you get to dissolve your ego through a lot of these volunteering work. 

The program is from 12th July 2019 - 21 Feb 2020. Feel free to ask any questions. The video below will explain the retreat very well

 

 

EDIT:- I just saw that you mentioned about "Sadhanapada" in your question, but I will leave this reply either way for anyone else to learn more 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Chi_

[noselfnofun]

@Chi_  Looks great, is there another one after February ? I would love to do it but not sure if I could be there by the 12th of July.

 

[Chi_]

@noselfnofunThey have the Sadhanapada each year and it starts in July. So you can also try it next year. But you can always just go and stay at the Ashram as a volunteer anytime. Just write an email to info@ishafoundation.org. However your schedules will probably be different from that of the "Sadhanapada" group, I am not sure.

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Chi_

[noselfnofun]

@Chi_ great thank you, I will send them an email

[Chi_]

1 hour ago, noselfnofun said:

@Chi_ great thank you, I will send them an email

Cheers ?

[Salvijus]

@Chi_ why you don't go for sadhanapada?

Edited May 30, 2019 by Salvijus

[Bluebird]

@John Lula I might be interested in doing Peter's Apprentice Program.

[Chi_]

@Salvijus

3 hours ago, Salvijus said:

@Chi_ why you don't go for sadhanapada?

I'm in middle of my university degree right now but there is a good chance that I will still go. Postponing something so valuable doesn't sound right for some reason. What about you? 

[Salvijus]

@Chi_ I would and actually i even got the permission to go there. Only problem is I have a very annoying health issue that im dealing with for like 9months now so.. I can really push mysel too much or i will crack :D. But i will go there next year definitely. 

[Chi_]

4 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

@Chi_ I would and actually i even got the permission to go there. Only problem is I have a very annoying health issue that im dealing with for like 9months now so.. I can really push mysel too much or i will crack :D. But i will go there next year definitely. 

Yeah that's a fair enough reason but I very much wish that you can make it there next year

[Salvijus]

?

[Jcent]

@John Lula I might be interested in Ralston's program as well. When is it?

[Rinne]

@John Lula Is it really somewhere around 20k?

Oh my god.

 

[Rinne]

4 hours ago, John Lula said:

@Jcent It will be in 2020 or 2021 Starting in March.

@Rinne I believe so. When the 3 months one is 8K the 7+Month long is probably much more.

Well there goes that option out the window. 

How conscious can one become after one of these anyway?

Conscious enough to end suffering?

Conscious enough to transcend the ability to feel pain and fear?

If so then its probably worth it.