Buddhist meditation retreats
Buddhist meditation retreats are the ideal locations for meditative education and practice. They are the ultimate resource for the wisdom and inspiration that you need to meditate successfully. Even so, you may have difficulty finding-or, for that matter, affording-an upscale retreat location in your area. In this case, you may look in to the development and creation of a home-based meditation retreat.
Though this concept may sound unrealistic, rest assured that you will not have to renovate or even transform your home to make it a Buddhist retreat. You won't have to buy any expensive furniture or equipment, and-perhaps most important-you won't have to disturb the lives of your family members.
In order to create your own Buddhist meditation retreat, all you really need is a little creativity-and a lot of personal faith. You need to feel first and foremost the desire to meditate; this will inspire you to create the ultimate retreat, and in the comfort and privacy of your own home. You must in other words imbue your home with the true spirit and divine purpose of Buddhist meditation.
You can start by selecting a quiet room that you usually use for purposes of sleep, study, and quiet contemplation. Then make this 'quiet room' even more sedate by unplugging all sources of possible distraction, such as your television, your radio, your telephone, your CD and DVD players, any really bright lights, etc.
Of course you can't 'unplug' your spouse and kids; you can, however, ask them to leave you alone for a certain designated time period each day, barring an emergency of course. If their feelings are hurt, just explain the importance of your meditative sessions and set aside some family time later in the day, when you and your family can enjoy a shared activity.
For everything-and everyone-that you remove from your meditation room, be sure to put some elements in as well. These could include meditation books, CDs and/or DVDs, relaxation tapes, soothing music (that's right, put aside the Aerosmith and the Stones discs!:), wind chimes, candles and incense burners, soothing and eye-catching wall art, anything that will add to the ambience of your special new retreat.
Finally, be sure to furnish your room with the chairs and cushions (indeed, they even sell specialized meditation chairs to fit this purpose) needed to facilitate a comfortable meditative experience. Also keep your closet stocked with the loose-fitting clothes and robes that you will wear to meditate.
You don't have to travel or spend a lot of money to set up the perfect Buddhist meditation retreats. As the old saying goes, there's no place like home...
Though this concept may sound unrealistic, rest assured that you will not have to renovate or even transform your home to make it a Buddhist retreat. You won't have to buy any expensive furniture or equipment, and-perhaps most important-you won't have to disturb the lives of your family members.
In order to create your own Buddhist meditation retreat, all you really need is a little creativity-and a lot of personal faith. You need to feel first and foremost the desire to meditate; this will inspire you to create the ultimate retreat, and in the comfort and privacy of your own home. You must in other words imbue your home with the true spirit and divine purpose of Buddhist meditation.
You can start by selecting a quiet room that you usually use for purposes of sleep, study, and quiet contemplation. Then make this 'quiet room' even more sedate by unplugging all sources of possible distraction, such as your television, your radio, your telephone, your CD and DVD players, any really bright lights, etc.
Of course you can't 'unplug' your spouse and kids; you can, however, ask them to leave you alone for a certain designated time period each day, barring an emergency of course. If their feelings are hurt, just explain the importance of your meditative sessions and set aside some family time later in the day, when you and your family can enjoy a shared activity.
For everything-and everyone-that you remove from your meditation room, be sure to put some elements in as well. These could include meditation books, CDs and/or DVDs, relaxation tapes, soothing music (that's right, put aside the Aerosmith and the Stones discs!:), wind chimes, candles and incense burners, soothing and eye-catching wall art, anything that will add to the ambience of your special new retreat.
Finally, be sure to furnish your room with the chairs and cushions (indeed, they even sell specialized meditation chairs to fit this purpose) needed to facilitate a comfortable meditative experience. Also keep your closet stocked with the loose-fitting clothes and robes that you will wear to meditate.
You don't have to travel or spend a lot of money to set up the perfect Buddhist meditation retreats. As the old saying goes, there's no place like home...
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