How can truth be understood beyond words?
If you chat and reason
without your own experience?

In this article we will talk about the topic of retreat.

Let's look at the following topics:

What is a retreat?
three types of suffering (suffering of pain, suffering of change, all-pervasive suffering);
meaning of the word retreat;
reasons for going on retreat;
what difficulties may arise during the retreat;
basic tips on behavior during a retreat;
results and effects upon completion of the retreat.

The state of happiness, joy, balance and fulfillment cannot manifest itself while the mind is dominated by attachment or the desire to achieve some material benefits. No matter how much you follow the desires that cling to this life, thoughts about material things or pleasures, there will be no end to it. Desires will arise again and again. Working on desires is endless. You have to deal with constant anxiety, depression and many other problems.

The material pleasures of the world of people and gods (another name for “samsaric” pleasures) are, by their nature, suffering. The human mind is deluded into thinking that they are pleasures and real happiness.

Video about the retreat conducted by our yoga club:

You can sign up for the retreat at.

Moreover, without being aware of all the varieties of our own suffering, we will not be able to understand the suffering of other sentient beings and accordingly develop true compassion. In order to understand the suffering of others, you must first understand your own.

In our world suffering is divided into 3 types: the suffering of pain (sometimes called the suffering of suffering), the suffering of change and all-pervasive suffering.

Suffering pain (suffering) are all physical and mental experiences considered unpleasant, including those associated with old age, illness and death. This includes the suffering of birth, aging, illness and death; suffering caused by separation from loved ones, meeting with unloved ones; suffering arising from the inability to achieve what is desired and the need to protect what has been accumulated or achieved.

The suffering of change- the second form of suffering, more subtle. It can only be understood with the help of correct analytical thinking. The suffering of change is usually called those fleeting pleasures that we happen to experience.

For example, if today we experience less pain than yesterday, we say that we feel good, but this does not mean that the pain has gone away completely, just that its intensity has decreased.

If we sit for too long, we will feel pain and fatigue. Having stood up after sitting for a long time, we feel an improvement in our condition (which we can call pleasure, especially if we have been sitting for several hours), but after a while we feel tired from being in a standing position. And here it is important to try to understand a very important detail that gives an understanding of this type of suffering: we say we feel better when our pain is reduced, but in reality we call "pleasure" what is actually pain.

As soon as we stand up, standing begins to accumulate in us the discomfort of standing. Although standing discomfort appears as soon as we stand up, at first it is so mild that we simply do not notice it. However, as we continue to stand, it becomes stronger and more obvious. After some time, when the discomfort from standing becomes intense enough, we notice it. At that moment it becomes the suffering of pain.

People often enjoy change, perceiving such life situations as interesting and dynamic. But from the moment a person tries to retain pleasant impressions, his suffering is programmed. Nothing can last forever. Therefore, the Buddha's teaching draws attention to how painful it can be to expect lasting happiness from changeable, transitory things.

All-pervasive suffering - this is our samsara - the connection of our body and mind, under the control of karma and disturbing thoughts, and the mind defiled or poisoned by the seeds of these darkened states. Because the seeds of disturbing thoughts continue to poison our stream of consciousness, whenever we encounter an attractive, disgusting or neutral object, disturbing delusional thoughts are born in our mind and lay the foundation for the appearance of the next conditioned body. If we remove the seeds of delusion from our stream of consciousness, disturbing thoughts will cease to arise in our minds, and in their absence, nothing will motivate us to commit negative actions. By stopping the negative actions of body, speech and mind, we will stop placing imprints in our own consciousness that create our future samsara.

Thinking about suffering, and even more so (one of the main teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni), gives rise to confidence that it is possible to cope with all this and helps to establish yourself on your chosen path.

Everyday life is full of distractions, prejudices and illusions. Retreat is a departure from harmful thoughts by leaving attachments.

Why does a person decide to go into seclusion, leave other people, decide to be alone - to go on a retreat? Maybe the reason is that all this is connected with the desire to calm down a little or take a break from everyday life, environment, family litigation?

First of all, this is a desire or even a need for the development of basic human qualities: love and compassion. Next is the opportunity to develop in practice the teachings that a person receives from a mentor. Equally important is the ability to isolate yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is in retreat that we have the opportunity to be without distractions, and only then are we forced to face ourselves, to look inside ourselves.

Retreat helps to take our consciousness away from illusion and towards reality. Discover our natural inner state, our nature. Only by realizing the illusions that occupy our minds and learning to distinguish true from false can we change our lives for the better.

Retreat is important because it takes us away from ignorance, an unsatisfied mind full of attachments and from selfish thoughts, and these are the most important forces from whose power we must free ourselves.

Freeing yourself from them is the true meaning of meditation. Transforming the mind into a source of virtue, freeing oneself from suffering and its causes - this is the essential meaning of Dharma practice.

As long as we believe that the causes of happiness and suffering lie outside ourselves, problems and dissatisfaction will always be present. But the experience of our lives - as well as the omniscient mind - tells us that the source of happiness lies in our own mind. Therefore, retreat and meditation practice are a universal solution to any of our problems.

Retreat is a departure from the non-virtuous, from the cause of suffering. From English "retreat" translates as “withdrawal, retreat, refusal, solitude, removal.”

In Tibet, the word “tsam” is used to denote the concept of retreat and seclusion; it is translated as “drawing a boundary.”

When deciding to go on retreat or go on retreat, we spend a certain boundary at the external and internal levels. The external aspect means that no one is allowed to cross the territorial border and invade the retreat site. This is especially true for social people or those who are far from the practices of self-knowledge and have no interest in them. Anyone who is in seclusion also cannot leave the retreat area. Depending on the severity of the retreat, meetings with the Teacher or like-minded people are possible to clarify any questions or ambiguities in the area of practice.

The boundary at the internal level means the complete cessation of all worldly activities of the body, speech and mind, that is, everyday affairs, everyday conversations and worldly thoughts. Shakyamuni Buddha spent six years in retreat in the Bodhgaya area (in a cave now called Mahakala Cave by locals and pilgrims).

Our practice, both meditative and everyday, suffers from various distractions. Even if you have certain achievements in practice, you need to spend a lot of time in retreat in order to achieve stability in these realizations.

The meaning of retreat is to eliminate distractions and gain the opportunity to completely devote one's body, speech and mind to achieving a certain realization or goal that the practitioner sets for himself at the beginning of the retreat.

Conversations are the main form of information exchange in this world. By stopping talking, you eliminate a major source of distraction. This is why the practice of silence is used both individually and collectively.

There is no eternal happiness in samsara. You will be out of suffering only when you achieve stability in awareness and gain the experience of understanding that clinging thoughts produce samsara. If you actually have this experience, you will clearly see the meaninglessness of all samsara.

People spend their entire lives alternating between liking pleasant things and rejecting unpleasant things, appropriating and avoiding something, living in hopes and fears. Observe yourself, listen to the conversations of your friends: what topics are most discussed? What cares and worries people? Often these are the same questions about uncertainty, dissatisfaction, unpredictability, injustice of some external or internal circumstances. People are constantly waiting for something that will change their life for the better. And then they can be calm and happy.

There is an interesting yogic saying:

“Take a realistic look at the present; by seeing it, you will be completely liberated.”

It is important to make an effort to make your mind clear by letting go of desires. If you do not pay due attention to this during a retreat, an imbalance of the internal wind element in a person occurs (in Tibet this is called “lung”). Tension, tightness, and pain arise in the chest. The struggle begins: you are not getting what your attachment desires, your body is in retreat, isolated, as if in prison. It becomes very difficult for you to practice, you cannot recite the required number of mantras and you lose the ability to meditate. You feel angry towards those around you, such as those who disturb your concentration by talking or making noise. It is important to realize in time that the root of the problem is that you have not cleared your mind of harmful thoughts.

If your retreat involves reading literature, good. Reading such texts develops devotion and promotes depth of practice.

It is important to be honest with yourself, check your motivation, intentions and actions. If you only talk about the Dharma and the teachings, thinking about some benefits in this or future lives, it will be of little effect. Dharma must first be practiced by yourself.

During intensive practices and especially retreats, accumulated negative karma is activated by the power of deep instructions. That's why There may be obstacles in practice. For example:

in the place of your practice, various samsaric deities can manifest
they can give you prophecies
various terrifying visions will occur in your dreams and experiences
you may be attacked or robbed by other people
you might get sick
in your mind you may grieve for no particular reason and also become depressed to the point of tears
you will be overcome by violent emotions
your devotion and compassion will decrease
your thoughts will rebel you, driving you crazy
you will misunderstand useful advice
you will get tired of being in retreat and want to break your vow
you will have erroneous thoughts about the Teacher
you will be plagued by doubts about the Dharma
you may be slandered
your friends can turn into your enemies

You need to be prepared to perceive these obstacles as a certain test. This is the point where you either win or lose. If you deal with these obstacles, they will turn into your achievements. If you fall under their influence, they will become an insurmountable obstacle to progress in your practice.

There is an opinion that it is much easier to pass tests under unfavorable circumstances. It is much more difficult to pass the test under pleasant conditions. There is a danger here that a person can imagine himself as a great, highly realized practitioner and get carried away by various passions. It is important to understand that this line separates the up and down movements. And develop modesty and devotion, watch your mind.

To cope with difficulties that arise both during retreat and in regular practice in everyday life, it is important to learn not to fight them, but to use them as a path and as favorable conditions for the practice of virtue. In the evenings, before going to bed, it is advisable to perform short sessions of analytical meditations, in which you review your entire day and examine your motivation during the day. To practice repentance for those actions that were not in accordance with the Dharma is to sincerely admit one's mistakes and generate deep regret. If you have performed many good deeds during the day, it is important to create the determination to do the same tomorrow. It is imperative to dedicate merit at the end of the day and all practices.

The main enemy is attachment to your Self. If you do not get rid of him, he will create much more suffering and trouble than all other enemies. Under the influence of this egoistic delusion and obsession with one's emotions, one constantly commits unvirtuous acts.

You constantly have thoughts about food, pleasure, fame and spiritual achievements even during practice, don't you? It is important to realize that these and similar thoughts keep us in samsara. It is not permissible to follow their lead.

Once you realize how intolerable samsara is, the chaotic thoughts caused by attachment will become less of a distraction. The worry in the mind will decrease. The more you renounce the delusions and suffering nature of samsara, the more content and peaceful the mind will become.

Overcome obscurations every day. Every time you conquer your obscurations, even if it doesn’t happen as often as you would like, you become the greatest winner.

As Buddhist wisdom says:

"Conquer yourself
And you will win a thousand battles."

There is no benefit in being only a Dharma scholar.

The most important thing is complete disillusionment with samsara, the development of an altruistic mind striving for Awakening and a perfect view. You should gain understanding by listening to the mentor. Then reflect on the essence of what you heard and meditate. Meditation is a means of transforming your mind according to what you have heard.

As Buddhist Teachers say: It is not enough to know the Dharma - you must confirm the theory with practice.

With deep devotion to the Gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas! For the benefit of all living beings!

Used Books:

Revelations of Tibetan hermits.
Retreat Guide (Milarepa, Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Karma Chagme Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo)
Heartfelt Advice for Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Pobonka Dechen Nyingpo)

Welcome again, curious readers.

Today you will learn what retreat is in Buddhism. This word has many translations from English, of which in this context we are interested in “hermitage, seclusion, solitude, removal from society.”

What is it for

For what purpose do Buddhists resort to this method? Everyday life is so full of bustle that we sometimes do not have time to realize that in fact it is very fleeting. In such conditions, it is absolutely impossible to take time for yourself, stop and think about who we are and why we came into this world? We cannot realize the nature of our mind, meet ourselves.

Therefore, adherents of Buddhism, and not only this religion, strive to go to a secluded place for some time in order to devote themselves to spiritual practice. Such oases of silence can be found in the mountains, near rivers, outside the city. You can do this at home too.

Nowadays, there are special retreat centers, including monasteries. For example, the “Garden of Tao”, located in Thailand, is surrounded by magnificent gardens with an area of forty hectares, where you can indulge in your chosen practice - yoga, meditation, and a system of breathing exercises. Its sixteen houses and two condominiums can shelter about two hundred guests from the noisy world.

While in the garden, you can also practice qigong, a special system of meditative exercises that was compiled by Taoist monks almost five thousand years ago. It helps manage the energy within the body and effectively strengthens it, as well as the human spirit.

Vipassana, an ancient Indian practice that helps you see things in their true light, can help you clear your mind through self-observation.

The duration of meditation can be days, weeks, months and even years. There is an opinion that in order to become a lama, you need to meditate for three years continuously. Well, as you know, the retreat tradition was founded by Gautama Shakyamuni.

A little history

Most scholars of Buddhism believe that its founder is a real person who was born into a wealthy family of the head of the Shakya tribe in northeastern India.

Enjoying a carefree life, swimming in luxury and not knowing the need for anything, this young man, named Siddhartha Gautama, once felt an urgent need to communicate with the sages in order to learn how to get rid of suffering and a series of reincarnations in life.

He left his home and wandered for seven years to find the answer to the question that worried him. One day, while the young man was meditating under a tree, an epiphany came to him.

Enlightened, Buddha pondered the answer he received for several days, and then returned to the people and preached for about forty years.

Thus, we can consider that this was the first retreat conducted by the Buddha intuitively. At that time, his followers spent their lives wandering and wandering. Gautama established the custom of Vassa (Sanskrit for “rain”), a three-month retreat that required monks to lead a sedentary life each year during the three-month rainy season, from July to October, engaging in meditation practice.

This step was taken in accordance with the Buddhist principle of not causing harm to one’s neighbor, in this case, the residents of the surrounding communities, since the monks, bypassing the flooded roads through the fields, would trample the wheat for them.

This was the impetus for the formation of monasteries. It is interesting that the period spent here by the monks from the moment they received ordination was calculated in vassas.

What are the types of retreats?

Let's consider the types of solitude, as well as how to behave while realizing your purpose. There are quite a few aspects of getting away from the bustle of the world:

external, internal and secret;
individual and group;
open and closed;
in complete silence and in live communication;
in constant meditation and in a festive atmosphere;
in secluded corners of nature and in complete darkness of the room (dark retreat).

Tulku (the form of manifestation of the Buddha in the ordinary world) Urgyen Rinpoche explained that the word “tsam”, corresponding to “recluse”, translated from Tibetan means “border”. Accordingly, the novice was instructed to cut himself off by certain boundaries from the outside world.

External boundaries do not allow outsiders to be present during the retreat, or the practitioner to leave the venue; internal ones prescribe to completely limit the activity of the body, speech and mind, that is, you need to do nothing, not talk about anything and banish all extraneous thoughts from your head; and secret ones - not to be distracted from internal self-knowledge.

The main thing during this action is to deeply understand the impermanence of samsara, that is, the endless series of suffering and rebirths, your temporary stay in this life in this incarnation, and the possibility of dying at any moment. And, in connection with this, involuntarily decide to forever renounce attachment to samsaric concerns, as meaningless and useless.

Individual withdrawal from society allows you to focus as much as possible on the goal, but experienced teachers warn overly introverted people against viewing this method as an opportunity to hide from the challenges that life throws at them.

This will further weaken such practitioners. All unresolved problems will return to them “on their return”, since they are not easy to get rid of.

Collective retreats, on the contrary, allow you to feel a common connection and the importance of everyone’s efforts to achieve a common goal. If you share the joy of learning and inspiration with others, you can jointly create positive karma.

Solitudes are open, when some contacts with others are still made, but at the same time it is very undesirable to be distracted; and closed, when communication with the world is completely excluded.

Silence during retreats is given paramount importance, since by ceasing to talk, the novice cuts off the main source of distraction.

Retreats can take place in the rigor of continuous meditation, but you can also create a solemn, joyful atmosphere in the process of making in a variety of ways, during a variety of Buddhist master classes.

And finally, some people are suited to merging with pristine nature during a hermitage, while others will prefer to practice in a completely darkened room, the so-called dark retreat, so that nothing can distract them from the main activity.

Great Buddhist teachers believe that it is impossible to achieve enlightenment in one life without practicing retreat.

Basics of proper implementation

Whatever form of escapism the novice chooses for himself, some general rules still exist:

Compliance with the planned schedule.
Proper nutrition, mostly vegetarian.
Help from an experienced mentor.

Conclusion

It is known that eight is a sacred number in Buddhist theoretical thought. And it is no coincidence that regular retreat practice will free the meditator from eight worldly attachments: the desire to receive praise, to become famous, to experience dubious pleasures, the desire for consumerism, the fear of being unhappy, scolded, not achieving fame, and the fear of experiencing a sense of loss.

Remains.

Perhaps it's time to stop and think: perhaps we should change our expectations or our attitude towards what we already have.

Retreat: definition of the term

Retreat, or retreat (in English retreat), literally means seclusion, hermitage, refuge. In other words, a retreat translated from English characterizes the time set aside for thinking about oneself, disconnecting from the outside world (husband or wife, friends, TV,).

A person is designed in such a way that he is constantly preoccupied with something: school performance, finding a soul mate, a stupid boss, his own and his personal problems, other people’s appearance and other people’s personal problems, and so on. This does not allow you to feel happy and understand what you need for satisfaction. By going within yourself, you can figure out how to overcome it.

Retreats are:

Dark, for which you need a dark room without access.
Quiet which are carried out in complete silence.
Sociable, in which participants talk to each other.
Political(the term has appeared recently), which are characterized by the communication of politicians in a narrow circle behind the scenes of large international meetings.
Secluded.
Collective.

Secluded

A solitary retreat is done alone. Alone with himself, a person can stay at home, go to or, to. The main thing is that there are no other people (adults and children) nearby, TVs, etc. turned on. You can devote a few hours to this, or you can spend the entire weekend or...

Collective

An unlimited number of people gather for a collective retreat. They can communicate with each other or be in silence. Sometimes they are held in the form of a lecture on how to properly withdraw into oneself. Retreat centers can organize such meditation.

Meanings of Retreat in Yoga

We regard the change as joyful, trying to focus on the pleasant, and do not notice the unpleasant sensations from the disease. That is, while expecting happiness (recovery), we perceive the changeable situation of temperature normalization as happiness, but in reality we are in torment.
The Buddha teaches that the anticipation of future pleasure is accompanied by the pain of life's changes. We constantly strive for change - a new position, a new home, a new loved one - and we continue to suffer.

All-pervasive suffering associated with constantly emerging. Everything that surrounds us is, in fact, neutral - neither bad nor good.

With our thoughts we color events as positive or negative. We see an object and, due to our previous experience, form an opinion about it that may not correspond to reality. According to our opinion, we commit a certain action (positive or negative), which shapes our (destiny).

For example, the child did not return home on time. Ours paints a scary picture of what could have happened to him. We call someone close to clear our doubts, but in response we hear a horrifying story about a neighbor's child. We turn on the TV, and there is a program about how many children leave home every year and never return. We worry and worry, your imagination pictures your feelings that the child will not return, although this has not happened yet. Later, when the child does return, we get angry with him for our own disturbing thoughts, we shout, we punish him.
That is, anxious thoughts penetrate the brain and encourage negative actions. Our actions leave an imprint on our children, affecting their behavior; they will do the same in the future. This means that anxious thoughts have penetrated into our offspring. If we stop acting under the influence of anxious thoughts, we will eliminate negative actions and the future generation will be free from such karma.

Reasons for going on retreat

If it is possible to overcome the suffering of pain and change, then not everyone can overcome the last suffering. A retreat is a way that can help get rid of the disturbing thoughts that poison this life and the future, which will undoubtedly affect its quality.
People go on retreat for the following reasons:

Changing the environmental conditions that we constantly encounter will allow us to tear our thoughts away from the conditions. This is a generally accepted method to relieve stress and relax. By switching, we gain strength for new achievements.
Often the worries that constantly surround us do not allow us to fully immerse ourselves in reflection and escape from. By moving away from them, you can focus on and improve your performance.
The opportunity, without being distracted by a door slamming at the entrance, on the street, by a housing office worker checking something, or by the smell of fried meat from the neighbors.
It disciplines. Going on retreat requires adherence to a strict schedule, everything is scheduled down to the minute. The habit of living according to a schedule is then carried over into life and makes it easier.
Opportunity to lead. To feel the real lightness of the body and thoughts, you need to change, replace the noisy city with a clean and fresh one, do. It is easier to do this away from your usual environment.
The ability to focus on yourself and your feelings. According to, the reasons for dissatisfaction lie in ourselves, in our brain, and not in the people and circumstances around us. To understand this, you need a retreat.

Basic rules of privacy

The retreat has its own rules, and for it to be truly effective, they must be strictly followed.

Time and place

To have an effective retreat, you need to limit your exposure to the outside world, so choosing the right location is important. It's best to make a plan in advance.

An example schedule might look like this:

5:45 – 6:00 Wake up, hygiene procedures.
6:00 – 6:45 Meditation.
6:45 – 7:15 Walk.
7:15 – 8:15 Physical yoga exercises.
8:15 – 9:00 Breakfast.
9:00 – 12:00 Seated meditation with breaks for walking.
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch.
13:00 – 13:45 Reading specialized literature.
13:45 – 14:00 Rest.
14:00 – 14:45 Entries in the diary.
14:45 – 15:15 Walk.
15:15 – 16:00 Afternoon snack.
16:00 – 18:00 Seated meditation with breaks for walking, physical yoga exercises.
18:00 – 19:00 Dinner.
19:00 – 21:00 Meditation while sitting or lying down.
21:00 – 22:00 Relaxing bath.
22:00 Lights out.

Clear restrictions

In order for the retreat to be correct, there are some restrictions:

Avoiding meat, and
It's best to have a mentor guide you.
You cannot leave the retreat site until it ends.
Uninitiated people cannot be allowed in; only meetings with the mentor and other practitioners are allowed.
Stick to a schedule.
Don't be distracted, especially by talking.
Do not pay attention to obstacles, overcoming them (illness, misunderstanding of friends and relatives, resistance of thoughts, doubts, feelings of frustration).

The best places for soul solitude

A retreat will help you better understand your thoughts, as you will be removed from your usual environment. Special projects that bring people together for a retreat can organize the trip, or you can do it yourself.

When trusting the organizers, ask about the event program and view so that you have like-minded people with you.

Important! Do not trust people who demand large donations, who establish bans on communication with various mentors, other yoga groups, who claim that only their instructions are the only correct and true ones.

What is a Retreat?

Unlike seminars, a retreat is mainly devoted to purely practical activities. Retreat is an English word (retreat), translated into Russian meaning “solitude”, “distance from society”. In the Tibetan language there are a large number of words meaning the concept of “retreat”. One way or another, a retreat is always drawing some line between us and the outside world, between samsara and nirvana, meditation and vanity, and so on. Without exception, all masters of the past and present spend a long time in retreats. Retreats vary in length - from several days to several years. There are solitary retreats, and there are collective retreats. Some retreats are general and some are focused on specific practices. Some are held close to where you live, and some are held high in the mountains. And so on. This is why there are so many words in the Tibetan language that describe the concept of “retreat.”

In any case, we go on retreat to be alone; in order to leave behind all vain thoughts and completely devote oneself to meditation, concentration or other type of spiritual practice. An important part of the setting is the place where the retreat is held. As a rule, retreat centers are located in picturesque places, on hilltops, on mountain slopes, far from the “hustle and bustle of cities and traffic flows.” In this case, the teacher or mentor usually establishes various standards of behavior specific to a particular retreat. For example, most of these events involve maintaining complete silence throughout the retreat. In addition, a certain daily routine is assigned, which includes teacher lectures, meditation sessions, meal times, and so on.

I want to become the master of my every day. In order for everything to be harmonious in it, different areas of life are taken into account: self-development, family, friends, work, handicrafts. In reality, it turns out that there is a lot of fuss, but I direct my attention to one of the areas. The rest end up abandoned and forgotten. This creates a feeling of guilt and a feeling of wasting time. Where to start planning your day? What questions should you ask yourself to learn how to prioritize your day?

Marina, Novosibirsk

Life is multifaceted, it includes family, work, and handicrafts... But it is important to understand what is important to you now. To do this, you first need to include in your day not handicrafts, but self-development. Clear your mind and it will tell you how to prioritize. This can be done in evolutionary and revolutionary ways.

Evolutionary is a daily practice, and as a revolutionary I propose a retreat - a deep immersion in practice so that the mind goes beyond the boundaries of the familiar world.

After three days, you'll want to run back to the city. After five, it will begin to seem that everything is already clear and now you can definitely return, but you sit still - more and more profound answers will come.
What will happen during the retreat? You will see your mind, it will tell you: “Why are you here, let’s go back to the city, we have so much to do there”... But you need to clearly understand: now practice is underway and you need to resist the mind’s attempts to return you to the familiar world.

All answers will come from your higher self when you go beyond the usual concept of life. Grab a pen and paper because you'll get tired of writing down what you need to do. The mind will tell you what to let go and what to implement, where to get rid of anger, and where to ask for forgiveness.

Having received a decision, determine one main rule and put it into practice from the first days of your return. You can write at least fifty, but choose one and do it. Due to this, everything else will unfold.

Start practicing consistently, even if it's just 5-10 minutes a day at first. Thanks to this, you will be able to keep your mind clean, and do the “spring cleaning” with the help of a retreat every three to six months or once a year. Over time, you will feel that spiritual practice is a necessity, just like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, you will see that your life has changed.

Also, as a rule, you need a strict schedule. For example, I get up at 6 am, do exercises for an hour, meditate, then go to the shower, have breakfast, then spend a certain amount of time working, doing handicrafts, but at exactly 7 pm I put all my work aside and devote time to my family. Plan your life by introducing self-development tools into it. Take care of yourself - this is the most profitable investment.

About a year ago I lost interest in life. Out of the blue. There were no tragedies or shocks. I just don’t want anything: no entertainment, no travel, no communication. I even force myself to go to work, although I really love my job. Constant feeling of fatigue, dejection, doom. Objectively, everything in life is good, there’s nothing to complain about. But how to get out of this impasse?

Victor, Novosibirsk

Fatigue, doom, dejection - all these are states of mind. But you are not the mind, you need to go beyond it and become yourself. To do this, I advise you to go on a five- to seven-day retreat.

It is better to go to a yoga and meditation master who will help you find a way out of this impasse. You can go to a retreat that we organize every six months.

But you can try it yourself. To do this, go to a strong natural secluded place - for example, Altai. There, where there is no TV, radio, newspapers, people. Leave your phone at home and be alone with yourself.

Wake up early in the morning, shower, exercise, meditate, pray, walk, then come back and pray and meditate again. Don't talk to anyone; when meeting people, try not to look them in the eyes. Switch to a light and minimal diet, give up meat and other heavy foods, and alcohol. Thanks to this, attention from the external world will go to the internal one, you will see yourself and your life from the outside and get out of the dead end into which your mind has driven you.

After the first retreat, the mind will drain a lot of energy, after the second - less, after the third - even less. Gradually, having tasted the taste of peace and quiet, you will begin to change your lifestyle: you will be outside less and less and you will begin to accumulate more and more energy within yourself. But the most important practice is to learn to control this energy - to accumulate and give it to those who really need it. This comes with experience.

You can ask Andrey Alekseev a question in the section.