Osho Vipassana Retreat
It must have been on one of these cold and grey days of November that I felt I needed a silent retreat. I wanted time to just be with myself and not worry about anything. No phones ringing, no deadlines, no talking. A proper holiday! So I set about looking for a weekend away. But some retreats were too far away, some were too long, for some others I could not make the dates and in the end I couldn’t find any. Then the idea came: why not organise one at Croydon Hall, especially with an empty weekend at the very beginning of the year? We’ll just put the answering machine on and plunge into a weekend of silence, Osho meditations and Vipassana sittings. An Osho Vipassana retreat for us, an Osho community, to start the New Year – what could be better?
What was better is that eighteen more people joined us, twelve of whom were beginners to Osho and meditation. Together we dived into the silence: breath coming in, breath going out, Osho Dynamic, Kundalini, Evening Meeting and timeless Osho quotes – concise, funny and always helpful. Anchored to our breath, we were connecting to the here and now again and again and again, while eating, walking, having a tea... The weekend finished too soon and we are planning another one from the 30th April to 3rd May, a day longer, for a deeper relaxation. The longing for another taste of ourselves is evident in this restless age of ecological disasters, economical crisis, political upheavals, personal tragedies. ‘The breath is the key’ as Osho says...
And a few words from others who participated:
"Croydon Hall held its first silent Vipassana Meditation retreat over the New Year weekend, led by Anahato and Leela.
Just two days to unwind sufficiently to go deep into the silence inside? It seemed ambitious but it worked. It worked because the passionate commitment to meditation of Leela and Anahato showed in every aspect of the group – in the thoughtful planning, the simple structure and the quiet, self-effacing delivery. There were no ‘advanced meditators’, no teachers here, no gurus up on a pedestal; just ordinary folk sharing their love of meditation and joining with us, lighting the way, with their gentle presence a shining example.
It worked because of the beautiful and unobtrusive support from the Croydon Hall community. Many dropped in at intervals to share the meditation time with us. The house was quiet, our silence respected. At meals or doing some light ‘work meditation’, the staff held the space alongside us. Our silence became a gift that they joyfully received.
Above all it worked because of Osho’s presence. The daily meditations He gave us in the form of Dynamic and Kundalini released tensions and unblocked emotions, leaving more space for the inner stillness we had come in search of, and found."
Mayavati
"I am still bathing in the deep relaxation which I experienced after the retreat. I am glad to hear that you are planning another retreat – I have put the dates in my diary. I liked the organisation of the event; it prevented my mind from getting distracted. I loved the food and eating in silence. I loved the beautiful nature around. I appreciated the involvement of the community in the retreat, it felt very supportive – I may otherwise have been distracted by lots of people who were not participating. I liked to hear Osho’s explanation of Vipassana; it was very helpful."
M.L (new meditator)
text by Leela – January 2010
