My experiences and learnings from the silence retreat in Lithuania
I have been to the silence retreat a few weeks ago for the first time in my life. I took a few weeks to let all the information and experiences sink before I was going to tell you almost all about it. Still want to keep a few things for myself…
When you think about silence retreats, you probably do not think about Lithuania. Some time ago I also did not. I was thinking if I will ever go to one then it will be in India.
But originally I am from Lithuania, I am born there and raised there (emigrated to Denmark 15 years ago). Very often I go there to visit my family and saw so many activities that I would love to participate in. I started following some coaches and teachers in Lithuania and really felt the pull to listen to them. I have also been experiencing a few dark nights of my soul in the last winter months and could not find my way out. I was living a fine life, but I knew that usually I am more happy, I am more energetic, I am more free. It started to feel that some sort of a gray cloud is hanging above my head and something is weighing me down. I needed something or someone outside of me to guide me and give me a new perspective.
Silence retreat seemed a perfect idea. I needed to get away from all the noise of the people and my thoughts. I needed to stop doing and start being. Also, the theme of my 2022 was — TO BE MORE and TO DO LESS. and my theme for this year is SLOWLY. I needed a break from all the to-do lists, all the messages and emails and just be.
I do not know what I expected, probably to experience something new, to learn something new, maybe get some answers. But what I really experienced was so much more. What I got was so much more.
I loved the silence. I loved not having my phone with me, not feeling that I need to respond to anyone, that I need to check social media. I enjoyed my thoughts because I spent some time with them and found so many answers. Some things I did not even know I was looking for. I cannot believe until now that I got so many answers just by meditating, breathing, walking, simply being.
It was not a long retreat, only three days, so that is why it was not complete silence. We had breathing exercises, various meditations, morning exercise routine. We also listened to mindful living lectures.
As I am in mindful living and human psychology, most of the things I knew, but was it worth hearing them again? 100%. One thing is knowing those things, and completely the other is doing them.
I loved to get into the routine of waking up early, washing my face, going to the hall to do my morning exercise regime, breathing exercises, meditation, then having freshly made healthy breakfast. And all this with no hurry, with no one to reply to, with no one waiting for your call or message.
We also had many hours just for ourselves, with no agenda. We could do what we wanted. So on many breaks, I would go for a walk, watch the river, or sleep. I felt so tired all the time. But I got to know that it is very normal. We have no idea how tired we are rushing through life, we do not let ourselves rest at all. We are always on the go, even when we think we are resting, we are not. We are always doing something. We watch TV and check the phone at the same time. We think about what to do next or what happened earlier. We are never really here enjoying the moment.
I already miss that silence, the peace I had within me, the sense of really being and noticing the life around me. I brought a little piece of it to my home. I practice every day what I learned. I start my mornings earlier and have time for breathing exercises, meditation, and morning movement exercises. If I skip even one day of doing them, my whole day is not as good as it is when I do all of it. Just 1 hour spent differently in the morning changes my whole day. I am more attentive, less reactive, more joyful, and noticing the life around me and within me. I am more positive, more optimistic, more understanding, and more forgiving. I am less me and more love.
I am not so good at writing yet to describe the power of silence and the priceless experience I have had. Try it and you will see it for yourself. Mindful living changes the way you walk through life, the way you see life, and the way you understand life. Mindulf living gives taste to life, gives extra flavors, colors, sounds…
This was one of the best investments I have made and I am going to make it again. I was even thinking to practice silence at home. Pick a weekend every second month and be alone without any screens, any plans, or any to-do lists. Just practicing breathing, meditation, yoga, walking, and mindful eating. I think I do not need to go somewhere to do this, I can do this at my own home (I live alone). I will try that and will let you know my experience.
Below you can find a few inspiring, thought-provoking sentences I wrote down during the retreat.
- Everything is just the way it is. And it will be as it has to be. (learning to accept life and not worry about things I cannot change)
- Having no expectations leads to no disappointment ( I can only have expectations for myself, not other people. If my happiness depends on my created/expected scenario, I can be very disappointed very fast.)
- Firstly take care of my body, as only in a healthy body can live a healthy mind.
- Breathing, sleep, diet, and exercise regime = taking care of your body.
- The power of breathing is huge on our energy levels, health, longevity, and clearness of our thoughts.
- We create pain for ourselves through our thoughts. Painful situations happen, but we increase the suffering through our thoughts. Mindfulness teaches us how to live through the pain without creating more suffering.
- To learn to sort the thoughts into different buckets: benefiting thoughts, not benefiting thoughts, and neutral.
- Do not get attached to anything. Nothing belongs to me. The more I attach myself to things, people, and titles, the more suffering I will feel when one day it will eventually be gone. Live today, enjoy all of those things today without wanting to own them.
- All emotions are needed. They are part of life experience. And all emotions become positive when we put mindfulness in front of it. Mindful anger, mindful pain, mindful doubt. Then we learn from those emotions, we make changes, and we grow.
- Through mindfulness, I create inside of me all that I need to be happy, fulfilled, and full.
And I could write and write and write about it. So many reflections, but most important — I feel free, I feel light, I feel energized, and I feel at peace with all of me, with all of it what is happening and not happening in my life. I feel I am here and right now. I feel I am living and smelling the roses… But I also know, it will not last unless I practice and practice, and keep learning and learning.
Thank You to the universe, to the life that happened to me in that retreat.
I might do a live recording of my experiences as here I just wrote 1/10 of all that I wanted to share… so keep tuned and live mindfully.
Sending you hugs and peace and love.
Irma
If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a starting writer, consider signing up to become a member of the Medium community. It’s only 5 euros/dollars per month, giving you unlimited access to all the stories here, along with helping me earn a very small commission. If you sign up using my link, I’ll receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
Join Medium with my referral link.
If you want to chat with me, ask me questions or just send me a nice encouraging message, you can do it here or by mail connect@irmavalantinaite.com
