2-Day Retreat Personal Experience & General Observations

Written by Mason K. 

As the Year of the Horse begins, the swift horse gallops straight to the place of true treasure.   
  
I was very grateful to have the opportunity to attend and assist new students at this 2-day retreat.
I was personally glad for the opportunity to refresh my meditation knowledge and gain new insights, such as knowledge about times not suitable for meditation.
I was very stressed on Saturday due to events from the previous week, but by Sunday, I felt a lot more relaxed.

Student Feedback (So Positive)

Discussion Utility:
Many students found the in-person discussion really useful. They noted that while material to learn meditation is abundant online, the in-person discussion allowed them to feel truly connected to the group.

Atmosphere:
The relaxing and relatively less strict atmosphere was highly encouraging for many students.
Rest Encouragement: One student who was very tired reported feeling much better and was grateful when told they could lie down and rest. They were encouraged that they did not need to force meditation when fatigued.

Meditation Mix:
Most students really enjoyed the mix of sitting and other forms of meditation.
It was such an inspiring experience to learn from walking, meal meditation, sitting, lying, standing etc. in the two-day program, and apply whatever we've have learned in life.

To Ven. Guo Chii's guidance :
My sincere thanks for Ven. Guo Chii's message and for the course. Her explanation of the progression from counting to stability to awareness is very clear and encouraging for me to continue to practice with the breath.