Scheduling a mini home meditation retreat
Update: how it went
My morning sits have been feeling a bit flaccid, like I need a big uninterrupted block of meditation to get back on track. Apparently it was April that I was last on retreat (it feels much more recent).
I was considering driving the 2+ hours to a mediation day, but that means 5+ hours of travel for a 10am to 5pm 'retreat day'. That will probably end up being only three hours of actual sitting, so I decided to try doing something at home, instead.
(Of course, going to the meditation day, hearing the talks, having other people surrounding you, the travel itself, all can be useful, but I just wanted a longer than usual sit to get myself focused again).
I've tried this once before, and it wasn't too bad, but I've made a few adjustments. The schedule is this:
I start with coffee (frowned upon a little by some, but haven't noticed any adverse effects, yet) while I listen to a short dhamma talk to get myself motivated.
Then, a 45 minute sit. Followed by a 15 minute walk around the block and some stretching. Then another 45 minute sit, then another 15 minute walk and some more coffee. Then a 1 hour sit, a quick walk around the block, then a final 45 minute sit, then a final walk around the block.
I have kept the walking portions quite short this time, just enough to loosen up my body. I will try to keep hold of my concentration through the walking period, noting all the while, noting the making of coffee, etc -- sustaining focus as much as possible through until the next sit. At home, it is especially easy for a longer walking period to result in a distraction.
I also added a final walk, this is mostly so that the fourth sit doesn't feel like the end of the retreat. I know that my mind will slack off in the last 15 minutes of the sit otherwise, so the final walk is the official end, and therefore I must be fully focused all the way through the fourth sit. The last walk will also let me transition back into the rest of the day a little less brutally.
I discussed this with my family a week ago, and the time is in the calendar. They know that if they see me walking around very slowly with an odd expression that I am still doing my meditation thing, and to try not to talk to me.
Whatever happens, it will be glorious.