Peace in Solitude

by Padmadharini

I recently had the privilege of taking a 3-week solitary retreat at Dharmadhara in Lake County, California—the retreat center set up by the Triratna community in the Bay Area. Seclusion can be an enormously rich experience. You may have had a taste of this on shared retreat when in silence together. Whilst any retreat provides an opportunity to step away from daily responsibilities and attend instead to the inner world of our heart and mind, a solo retreat can take this intimate encounter into deeper territory.

Part of Buddhist tradition is contemplative—where individuals practice in solitude, often in remote and isolated places. The benefits of sitting retreat on your own is that you can design and pace the retreat in a way that meets your needs. When we retreat in beautiful places, it can be such a delight to bathe the senses in the sights and sounds of the natural world, enjoy more time for meditation and reflection, and of course invite in some of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

After 3 weeks away, I felt rejuvenated and deeply nurtured. Returning to my work as a hospital chaplain felt easier to navigate with fresh inspiration. I was also inspired to offer a 4-week course on self-care. I am often struck by how hard it can be to grant ourselves the kindness of a break, a retreat, even a walk in nature. I invite you to consider if there’s one thing you could do for yourself this week. You can also talk to one of our regular sangha members who have gone on a solitary retreat and find out more about this wonderful way to support yourself and your practice.