Generally, practice periods are great for meditators who have already been on teacher-led residential retreats and are interested in a more open, less structured retreat experience. The schedule has three group sits a day, a recorded Dharma talk in the evening, and a daily check-in time. For the rest of the time, besides a daily work period, you can choose how you spend your time, with the aim of cultivating mindfulness all day long. You can practice formal sitting or walking meditation, take a walk in the forest or on the country roads, do some additional mindful work, or study a Dharma book. Practicing in this independent way can help us gain confidence in our own inner "Dharma coach."

Don't Have Previous Residential Retreat Experience?

If you haven't been on a residential retreat with a teacher before, a practice period might still be a good option for you. We'd still encourage you to try to do at least a half-day or daylong retreat first, but if that isn't possible, then we ask you to do the following before registering for a practice period:

• Read these practice guidelines carefully
• Listen to this talk by Mark Nunberg, "The Art of Retreating."
• Contact Common Ground's Operations Manager to have an in-person conversation: info@commongroundmeditation.org.