My beautiful Dhanakosa ... my experience of a buddhist retreat

Lock Voil ... I think I may have fallen in love with you!

Dhanakosa, Balquhidder Scotland, is placed in a setting that is so beautiful it is hard to comprehend.

Reachable by a single-track road, guided by trees on one side and Loch Voil on the other, Dhanakosa gives you an instant feeling of calm. I have been fortunate to visit the Centre 3 times now and I never fail to feel amazed at the sense of ease I get as I drive towards the big wooden gates.

First impressions 

Standard for me, I was late to arrive on my first trip. Running in a frantic, apologetic mess, I was welcomed by a sea of calm.

Everyone seemed so relaxed and all of a sudden I was very conscious of how fast I was talking, how quickly I was breathing and how shambolic I must have come across.

Shoes off and I headed to my room. The Buddhist retreat relies greatly on trust so there are no locks on your bedroom door, which I was actually strangely comfortable with. You do have the option to have your own room but bunking up wasn't an issue for me and thankfully, I have always been fortunate to land great room-mates. If you are in a relationship, you will be split by gender. The rooms are tidy and clean and the beds are super comfy ... I think I expected to be sleeping on wooden blocks :)

The food was all vegan ... the Dhanakosa team are amazing cooks! I have yet to have a bad meal and would go as far to say that some of the food was the best I have tasted. Which for a foodie is praise indeed.

You will have everything that you need at the retreat including a fantastic library of books. You are never short of tools to find out more about a specific area that interests you. Snuggling up with a good book, a cosy blanket and a nice cup of tea staring aimlessly over the beautiful tranquility of Loch Voil is definitely a memory that I will cherish forever.

Weekend retreat: Introduction to meditation and Buddhism

My first weekend retreat was the intro to Buddhism and meditation. I have never been a hugely spiritual person so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was really interested to learn more about meditation.

The weekend was a perfect intro. The team gave you just enough information so that you didn't feel overwhelmed and were happy to start from the beginning. They weren't afraid to be asked about their beliefs. Speaking to the leaders about religion and spirituality seemed as natural as asking someone what they had for supper the night before. Most leaders live outside the community, so they have and can advise on the same daily challenges that you face.

The centre itself follows Triratna which means that although it pays attention to contemporary ideas, it is based largely on Western philosophy, psychotherapy, and art - this made it a lot easier for me to relate to.

Weekend retreat: Yoga and meditation weekend 

I booked onto this retreat as a bit on an escape. On this weekend, I was introduced to one of my favourite meditations, the Metta Bhavana. This is a meditation of loving kindness. It helps to connect to self-love, as well as to enhance your feeling of love for other people. It helped me to channel my energies more positively.

I found that by taking Buddhism out of this retreat, you focused more on meditation as an art-form in its own right. I had decided quite quickly though that yoga wasn't for me (at that time). My lack of enthusiasm toward it didn't dampen the weekend though. Participation was optional. No-one complained if you decided to sit a class out and there were different classes for the different skill levels. You could take part as a novice, without distracting others or taking away from their experience.

The knowledge of the team was fantastic and the other people who attended seemed to know a lot about Yoga. This would be a great retreat if you are a yoga buff.


Week retreat: Mindfulness and the path to freedom

Now this was a biggy! My first week retreat ... it could be said that I got cocky. I though that after a couple of weekends away that I was a meditation master. I was wrong.

I guess that it depends on what you have going on at the time, but I found this to be very intense. The team was super supportive and you could take it at your own pace ... but by day 3 I was emotionally drained. 6 hours of meditation, almost daily silences and a lot of overthinking on how not to overthink almost broke me. I slept pretty much all the time, although with no coffee, junk food and regular fresh air, I was sleeping like a baby and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Looking at things on the grander scale, my life was really quite calm when I went to Dhanakosa but ... I would warn anyone looking to go for total emersion that meditation, especially somewhere like Dhanakosa, is like opening a surprise door; you can't really predict what's going to present itself. One minute you feel a little like a child on Christmas day and the next you feel as if you have been attacked by every demon you have ever faced. Which I guess brings you to the purpose of the retreat: to pick up a few practical tools that can help you to rein those demons in ... or completely kick their asses so that they don't cause issues in your life ... did things just get deep ;)

Back to the fun stuff, a week of healthy living, great company, a plethora of books, and the opportunity of not having to be somewhere is fantastic. Being disconnected from the world, alhtough tougher than I thought, gives you such a great feeling of freedom.

Final thoughts

Although for anyone from Scotland, you aren't physically travelling far, Dhanakosa is an opportunity to see so much more than you may predict. The people you meet are so diverse with people travelling from all over the word to experience Dhanakosa. It makes me feel so lucky to have this on my doorstep and so humbled to meet people who achieved so much in their life.

Every time I leave Dhanakosa, I feel so much more energised and excited for the future. For me it feels like a home away from home.

The Centre operates Dhana, which means you can attend the retreat regardless of your financial situation. You give what you can afford. I love this concept as it means everyone has the opportunity to visit Dhanakosa.

Suggested donations (in addition to the booking fee of £75) for 2017:

• Week retreats (introductory): £420 waged, £265 unwaged
• 2 week retreats: £630 waged, £420 unwaged 
• Weekend retreats: £175 wages, £125 unwaged

Visit their website for more information www.dhanakosa.com.

If you like this, subscribe to my blog. I love a retreat and will plan to visit more in the New Year. Suggestions are always welcomed.

Love,
Stacey
x

Top 10 tips to survive a retreat

In my last blog I introduced you to the fantastic Dhanakosa, a buddhist retreat located by Loch Voil ... a location of absolute beauty and tranquility.

When you hear of a retreat you instantly think of relaxation, good food and fresh air ... all that you get, plus picturesque scenery and the opportunity to meet some fantastically interesting people.

What people fail to tell you is that you should never underestimate the effect on your body when you remove distractions and just be.

I have been to a few retreats over the years and one of the things that continuously shocks me is the impact being with your own mind 24/7 has on your sanity. On entering, everyone seems well-balanced, but after a few days the cracks start to show.

Now saying this, I don't want to take away from the benefits of a retreat. I recommend everyone try it out at least once and would be shocked if you don't make a return visit. It's great to escape for a week and to remember that there are alternative lifestyles open to you.

So how do you make the most of the experience, here are my top tips to stay sane on a retreat.

Tip 1: Tell someone where you are going
On retreat I rarely get a signal ... and to be honest I wouldn't want to. Disconnecting is part of the fun. At 12 o'clock at night though, it can also cause a lot of stress. What if something has happened at home? Do people know how to get in touch with you? Don't let these concerns distract you. Tell someone where you are going in advance and make sure your out of office is on.

Tip 2: Wrap up warm
For some reason, on retreat, people seem to feel guilty about putting on the heating ... there is no reason for this but it seems to be a consistent theme. You also want to make sure you have some cosy footwear. Most retreats ask you to leave your shoes at the door so make sure you have some cosy socks or slippers to bring along.

My person preference is Mahabis. Be warned, at £79.99 they may seem expensive, but with slip on soles it means you get the value of two shoes without the bulk.

Tip 3: Take money
Most retreats also have a store where you can buy books, equipment, clothing, photography etc. When I go on retreat I take lots of books and writing material but once there my mind always seems to go in a different direction. It's good to have some spare cash to be able to buy the books that fit with your mood and with most onsite stores, doubling up as a social enterprise, you are also helping people with your purchase.

Tip 4: Take running shoes
You may want to invest in some running shoes or walking boots. Most retreats are surrounded by amazing views. You naturally want to sample some of the beauty but more so ... you may have a Forrest Gump moment where you just feel like running. If you ask the retreat organisers, they should be able to provide you with maps. Some retreats also have hillwalking in their programme.

Tip 5: Write
Silences are hard core. The first few you may enjoy but after a while you regress to being the 12 year old sitting at the back of the class, writing notes to your best friend. As a chatter box, this was tough for me. Reading is a great escape, but for me writing is the best way to get through a silence. Your brain will throw up some weird and wonderful thoughts at you. Trust me you will want to record some of it :)

Tip 6: Warn your family and friends
Going back into 'real' life is one time when throwing yourself in the deep-end isn't best. You may be overly sensitive and won't take negativity very easily. You may want to warn your nearest and dearest to treat you with kid gloves for a bit.

Tip 7: Integrate gradually
You may feel anxious about going back on the grid. For me, dipping your toe in the water is better than diving right in. I start off by switching on my phone. Anything urgent will come through phone calls or text messages. Once you realise your world hasn't fell apart, gradually introduce social media ... then when you are feeling brave, check out your emails.

Tip 8: Remember not everyone has been on the same journey
What you have taken part in is very unique. A few demons may have came to the surface and you may want to talk or even confront someone about it. Whatever you feel the urge to do, remember that not everyone has been on the same journey as you. They may not feel as intensely about the situation or may not want to talk about it.

Tip 9: Find a meditation playlist
Meditation and mindfulness is becoming a lot more common and I can see it's popularity increasing .... In the UK social acceptance isn't quite there yet though so be prepared to get some comments if people find out you are meditating. I recommend investing in a pair of headphones. Meditation doesn't need to be done in a shrine room. You can do it anywhere ... work, home, walking, running ... the bathroom. You Tube has some great videos that you can listen too ... a lot last as little as 10 minutes. I recommend Doreen Virtue as well as Wild Mind.

Tip 10: Make your own
I have OCD when it comes to blog numbers but I only have 9 top tips so I am opening this up to the floor. If you have any practices that you would like to share, I would love to hear your comments.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and love your retreat.

Love Stacey x