{"id":1021,"date":"2024-09-10T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timothypatrickbrown.com\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2024-08-13T02:17:03","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T01:17:03","slug":"12-comforting-things-to-bring-on-a-meditation-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timothypatrickbrown.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/10\/12-comforting-things-to-bring-on-a-meditation-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Comforting Things To Bring On A Meditation Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My work in progress novel, Somewhere In Between, is a romance set over a series of beginners meditation classes and (slight spoiler alert), towards the end of act 2, the class decamps to an outward bound centre for a residential meditation retreat. It doesn\u2019t go well for Perry and Rob, the romantic leads. Retreats can be difficult – I know, I\u2019ve been on dozens – and while a few extra bits and pieces wouldn\u2019t have helped Perry or Rob, a couple small home comforts packed away at the bottom of a boho meditation bag could make all the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here\u2019s a few of my favourite packable retreat comforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snacks – especially chocolate<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The meals will be provided but they might not be to everyone\u2019s taste. They\u2019ll almost certainly be vegetarian, possibly vegan and definitely lentil heavy. To take the sharp edges off the tofu curries, I pack a few foodie treats, like smoky almonds or savoury biscuits. They\u2019re easily packed and won\u2019t leak over my harem pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even though I rarely eat chocolate in my normal life, I always bring few bars along anyway. It\u2019s surprising what days of meditation can do to my desire for something sweet. I\u2019ve even been know to hide in the woods and share a chocolate frog with a friend. Best tasting frog ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thermal underwear and a woolly hat<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I live in Australia so you\u2019d think that it would always be warm. Wrong – it can be bitterly cold on a morning and that\u2019s when the first meditation invariably starts. Frigid digits are an unnecessary and entirely avoidable meditation distraction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the accomodation is often very basic, with minimal insulation and ill fitting windows, so I\u2019m always grateful for a few extra layers – it\u2019s good to rug up. A hot water bottle is also a good idea and can be filled from the gigantic tea urns that all retreat centres have – always freshly boiled, to keep the retreatants supplied with gallons of herbal teas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ear plugs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s highly likely to be sharing a room with one or more strangers, and those strangers might well snore like power drills. They might not even realise it, but when they are blissfully and beautifully asleep, they may sound like two possums fighting in a sack. So I bring along really good earplugs. They are tiny lifesavers if I\u2019m struggling to sleep. There’s nothing worse than sleep deprived meditation so I do everything I can to avoid it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crocs <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Not the large aquatic reptile (though since I\u2019m meditating in Australia, one might already be there), but the comfortable slip on shoes. Much time is spent shuffling towards sleeping quarters, across to the meditation hall, or into the kitchens in search of snacks because I forgot to bring my own. It\u2019s much better to be able to slip on and off footwear in moments, rather than constantly tie and retie my laces. It\u2019s always footwear off in meditation spaces, so ease of removal becomes surprisingly important, and as things slow down, even putting on proper shoes becomes an effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laxatives<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The toilet block will probably be shared and it could be on the (very) basic end of what is acceptable to humans. I\u2019ve been on retreat where compost toilets were the only option and there weren\u2019t that many of those. When I had to do the necessary, a queue built up outside, which was super off putting. And it always seemed to be the same people in that queue, which somehow made it worse – I think our cycles must have been synchronised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I always bring some laxatives to ease the way. They might not always be necessary, but there is nothing worse than sitting down for some stillness, simplicity and contentment, knowing that I haven\u2019t been for a poo in days. Then it\u2019s a forty minute sit, being hyper-aware of the ever growing blockage in my guts. Highly unpleasant – so a few laxatives in the bag is always wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pen and notebook<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s good to strip down all entertainments and focus solely on meditation and general shuffling around. My exception to this is a pen and notebook. A small amount of creative writing, perhaps a poem or two, can be lovely. Alternatively, a meditation diary for the duration of the retreat can help in deepening the sits. Also when I get stuck thoughts, a good trick is to write them all out in a stream of consciousness style prose. That can unstick them or help me narrow down what is really bothering me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my love of writing was kick started by bringing a pen and paper to a retreat, and that turned out to be unexpectedly life changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Torch<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I can be pretty dark in a retreat centre as they tend to be out in the sticks, so it\u2019s a good idea to bring a torch for those midnight toilet excursions. Even though everyone\u2019s phone has a torch function, I prefer to bring the actual physical torch – the less I touch my phone on retreat the better. I just bring a small pen torch though, not a giant club like construction as wielded by the NYPD when fighting off urban criminals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alarm clock<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In the same vein, it\u2019s good to bring along an alarm clock rather than rely on s clock. It\u2019s so tempting to check emails first thing on a morning when turning off the phone alarm, so I find it better to remove the temptation and have a proper alarm clock instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An alarm isn\u2019t strictly necessary though, as there is always a bell rung well in advance of the first meditation. But I like to make the porridge as one of my retreats jobs, so it\u2019s good to be up early for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mornings are the best, so its lovely to make the best of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water bottle<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

An easy one. It nice to have a simple water bottle. The kitchen will be a distance away so I like to keep water in my room, and depending what\u2019s appropriate, some water in the meditation hall can be good too, though it\u2019s sometimes better to leave everything other than yourself outside. Also, taking afternoon walks is a popular retreat activity, so a water supply is wise for that, especially if it\u2019s hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimmers<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

An odd one, but my favourite retreat centre<\/a> has a creek running through it, and a cold water swim is an excellent mind reset, especially if I\u2019m feeling a bit stuck or anxious. The solitary retreat spot<\/a> I was in earlier in the year, also had a water hole for some excellent cold water swims. No swimmers needed that time though – I was by myself so I just jumped in naked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favourite pillow<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Some people pride themselves on packing light for a retreat. Just a few changes of underwear and a spare T-shirt in a small backpack and they are all good for the ten day duration. I\u2019m completely the opposite and pack heaps, and even check in additional baggage if I\u2019m flying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, I\u2019ve plenty of room for the more bulky comforts, such as my favourite pillow. There is nothing worse than being left with substandard pillowing and sleeping on a anaemic scrap of material masquerading as adequate head support. I demand the plumpest of all pillows so I bring my own memory form one along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own meditation gear<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

All retreat centres will provide meditation gear, but I like to bring my own. When I\u2019ve been sitting for hours, even the smallest discomfort can magnify into an all consuming pain fest. It\u2019s always an option to meditate on a chair, which a lot of people do, but I still like to do it seated – it\u2019s just what I\u2019m used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, I brought a meditation cushion (zafu<\/a>) and three foam yoga blocks, but that took up most of my suitcase. I\u2019ve now invested in a meditation stool, which folds away nicely and is much easier to pack – and so I\u2019ve now got space for a second pillow (and I\u2019m definitely tempted to pop a second one in).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And leave behind \u2026<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Almost as importnt as what to bring, is what to leave behind. I try to leave these items at home base: <\/p>\n\n\n\n