What is retreat (yoga)? Retreat centers in Moscow and Moscow region

The intensified pace in which a person lives today does not leave him any chance of a full rest. Concerns overtake and on weekends, and the aggressive urban environment keeps in constant tension. More and more often adherents of a healthy way of life aspire to change an environment to give rest not only to a body, but also to mind. Therefore, recently, yoga classes in retreat format are gaining popularity.

What is a retreat?

Retreat is a solitude, a distance from society in order to immerse yourself in some kind of activity. Among practicing yoga, interest in this type of recreation is growing. Retreat can be collective or individual, last from several days to several years, have an extensive theme or a narrow direction. An obligatory condition for such an event is to draw a clear boundary between the surrounding world and the place where the practice takes place. Therefore, as places for retreats choose a picturesque area in the distance from civilization.

Seeking to know what a retreat is, one can turn to the main world religions, where this phenomenon is described as hermitry, seclusion, devotion to prayer and compassion. In Buddhism there is an annual tradition of leaving in a three-month retreat for the rainy season. In the modern world, in a context free from religions and rituals, retreat is a way of restoring one's strength, relieving inner tension, mental restlessness.

What does this give?

During the retreat conditions are created in which a person stops, stops running, fussing. There is relaxation and liberation of the body, calm the mind. In this state, you can see yourself from the outside, understand your desires, aspirations, goals. There is a reassessment of values, a rational arrangement of priorities, an ability is acquired to use all of its resources as efficiently as possible.

What is a retreat? This is a distance from the familiar surroundings. Such conditions do not allow attention to slip into the world of gadgets, the Internet, social networks, and the person directs all the forces to work on himself. There is a meeting with those aspects of life, which we hide from ourselves and other people. The atmosphere and atmosphere of practice are taught not only to live with these emotions, but also to own them, so that they do not control us.

Retreat and personal freedom

We are used to doing many things automatically, without realizing it. So the unconscious works. The ability to act was automatically shaped by life experience. We have a number of templates, according to which we act, speak, react in the usual circumstances. It brings a sense of stability, comfort and security. But if the situation changes dramatically, it ceases to correspond to the usual patterns, we suffer, we look for the guilty ones, we blame ourselves.

The desire to make everything around you familiar and familiar is one of the strongest instincts that helped to survive the ancient man. The world has changed, but we persevere in making everything new "the same", it happens automatically. We hold on to the old, considering it familiar, familiar, safe. But we do not realize that this or that situation not only does not bring benefits, but it also spoils life. Psychologists call this a "comfort zone". And in its framework usually includes uncomfortable situations, because they are familiar and familiar.

What is a retreat? This is the creation of conditions under which thinking learns to be plastic, so that non-standard situations do not cause stress. The essence of the method is the entrance to the usual framework, the change of everyday decorations. Then all mental and behavioral patterns are destroyed. The negative experience of the past loses its influence, opening the way to more rational thinking and behavior. So a new quality is acquired-freedom, the ability to independently devote the right direction to the unconscious mind, which possesses immense power.

How do the changes occur?

All our feelings, emotions, behavior are determined by thinking. Restrictions such as fears, doubts, uncertainties exist only in the head. Changing thinking, we change our lives.

The mechanism for launching long-term changes is usually standard in all situations and includes the following stages:

• Awareness of the problem;
• View from a different point of view;
• Creation and achievement of new goals.

Usually strong attachment to their habits leads to the fact that changes occur only under the strongest pressure. The attractiveness of the retreat is that this process is much faster. Instead of a few years, it can take several days.

What is included in the program?

The most part of the retreat is practice - yoga and meditation, the smaller part - theories and reasoning. This is what distinguishes this format from an offsite training or seminar. This rate allows you to quickly reach the state of "here and now", clear your head of the wrong concepts and concepts.

A qualitative retreat program presupposes a healthy daily routine - early awakening, timely bedtime. During the day - yoga, meditation, bodily-oriented practices; Can be short lectures, conversations. As a rule, certain norms of behavior are established, alcohol, narcotic drugs and smoking are prohibited.

Food during the retreat is agreed in advance. Usually it is a vegetarian food with a rich fruit and vegetable ration, but it is not always so. It is necessary to specify in advance the gastronomic preferences with the organizer, especially if there are contra-indications to these or other products.

Why yoga?

To understand the whole benefit of this type of physical activity, one must understand at the simplest level the device and work of the brain.

Most of the brain activity is associated with a group of cells, such as neurons. They constantly "talk" among themselves, pass on information to each other about sensations, movement, emotions, thoughts and the formation of memory in the form of nerve impulses. When a connection is established between the neuron chain, the habit of transmitting the same types of messages is formed on it. So the biological basis for many repetitive actions, harmful and useful habits, phobias, fears is laid.

The combination of static poses, inconvenient for an ordinary person, leads to a reorganization of the neural structure of the brain. Some neural circuits are replaced by others in the process of repeated repetition, as a result of which negative experience can easily be replaced by positive experiences.

Who is the retreat for?

Retreat is called spiritual practice. Often this designation scares off people who consider themselves inadequately informed in theory. However, it is not necessary to re-read mountains of specific spiritual literature in order to pass a retreat. The opinions of people say that, on the contrary, theoretical knowledge can only prevent one from concentrating on one's bodily sensations.

The average duration of retreats is from 7-10 days or more. It should be understood, then someone can be hard to sustain such a pace. But practice shows that the more a person focuses on themselves, the easier it is to manage even the most complicated yoga asanas.

Since the retreat is seclusion, exclusion from society, it is not necessary to take on those activities those members of their family who can bring home with them. There can be no question of any immersion in ourselves here. It is best to go through the retreat yourself, alone, but there may be exceptions.

Retreat in Russia

For those wishing to take retreats in Moscow, there are special centers, for example:

• Sarasvati Place;
• Academy of Meditation Ilya Bondarenko;
• Buddhist Center "Ripa";
• "Club Swami".

However, the most complete immersion in oneself takes place away from city noise and fuss. Therefore, residents of the capital prefer to retreat in the suburbs. In this regard, many retreat-centers organize outreach activities on the basis of boarding houses, recreation centers, cottage settlements located in secluded picturesque places.

Separately, one should speak about the meditation centers "Dhamma Dullabha" (Moscow region, Orekhovo-Zuevsky district, Avsyunino village), "Zolotaya Gorka" (Lodeinopolsky district, Leningrad region). These are the only places in Russia where Vipassana courses are held - the oldest meditation technique.

Retreats Abroad

Especially popular are the retreats in India - the home of a large number of teachers of spiritual practices. The city of Rishikesh is a world capital of yoga. Annually hundreds of pilgrims from all over the world come here. Retreats here are held in ashrams - Buddhist monasteries, built by monks in ancient times. In addition, Rishikesh is considered a unique place - it is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, hence the path to the sacred temple mountain settlements of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

Retreat beneficially affects a person regardless of time and place, religious preferences, physical fitness and other factors. But once the decision to go this way changes life once and for all.