At Common Ground Retreat Center, we offer two main kinds of practice opportunities: traditional teacher-led residential retreats in the Insight Meditation tradition and a more innovative form we call “practice periods.” Both are conducted in what is called Noble Silence. Read on to learn more about the differences between these two, and which one(s) may be right for you.
Teacher-Led Residential Retreats
These retreats are guided by one or more teachers. They offer meditation instructions, Dharma talks, and Q&A sessions over the course of a long weekend or longer period. These are suitable for most meditators, whether you're new to residential retreat practice or experienced. We recommend most meditators attend a few half-day or daylong retreats at our city center before signing up for a residential retreat. The typical schedule involves periods of sitting and walking meditation throughout the day, as well as an encouragement to practice mindfulness at all times. You can see a sample schedule here. If you are currently experiencing a significant flare of physical or mental health symptoms, a silent intensive retreat has the potential to exacerbate them. Feel free to reach out to us to discuss whether a retreat is right for you. See upcoming teacher-led retreats here.
Practice Periods
Practice periods are community-style, silent practice opportunities with a more open schedule than traditional retreats. Everyone is expected to attend the three group sits, practice check-in, and recorded Dharma talk each day while the rest of the time is open for practitioners to follow their own rhythms and intuitions about how best to support mindfulness throughout the day. For this reason, it’s strongly recommended that people have previous insight meditation retreat experience, ideally residential retreat experience.
While the schedule is spacious, there is still a group commitment to supporting each other by practicing sincerely and by contributing with a daily “mindful service job”: setting out a meal prepared by a retreatant (or a previous volunteer), cleaning up after meals, etc. This combination of independent time and group support makes for a unique retreat container that emphasizes relaxation, mindfulness at all times, and community connection. Many people have found this style of practice to be deeply supportive; we encourage you to check it out, especially if you feel somewhat independent in your practice and are looking for a quiet, simple, beautiful, environment to practice in.
If this form sounds appealing to you but you haven’t attended previous teacher-led Insight Meditation retreats, you are asked to read these practice guidelines carefully, listen to this talk by Mark Nunberg: The Art of Retreating, and have an in-person conversation with Common Ground's Operations Manager.
Typically, two experienced “practice leaders” will lead the practice period and be available to support you during your stay. Practice leaders are not teachers and won’t provide formal meditation instruction, but are there to facilitate the daily schedule and provide general support for your independent practice. The practice leaders can point you to talks and readings that can provide good instruction. The practice leaders are also responsible for making final decisions about any concerns that may arise during your stay. Read more about the practice leader role here.
Occasionally we offer teacher-led practice periods, which follow a similar schedule to “regular” practice periods but have a teacher to offer light guided meditations and be available to answer questions during the daily check-in.
See upcoming practice periods here.
More experienced practitioners may be permitted to practice on their own outside of these scheduled practice periods, following a staff review of their retreat and practice background. If you have questions about the best way for you to participate in retreat practice at CGRC, please contact retreatcenter@commongroundmeditation.org.