Online Format and Etiquette.
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Please check your email folder to make sure you receive the emails we will send you from hello@mindfulnest.global.
We will meet for group meditations, Dharma Talks, practice discussions, and Q&As using the Zoom platform. Zoom links will be available with a password only to registered users. This link will be emailed once everyone has confirmed their participation in the retreat. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHERS. This retreat is centered around our community; sharing the link with others will break this intention.
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Please connect five minutes early to ensure your equipment and connection are working correctly, and the sessions can begin on time, with all participants present and ready.
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If your circumstances allow, having your video camera on during all online sessions is preferable. This helps create a sense of community and can help manage that sense of disconnection that can come with using an online format. You are supporting your fellow retreatants in their practice by showing yourself on camera. It is also easier for instructors to teach if they can see who they are speaking to.
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Please do not engage in other activities while participating in online sessions. Give your full attention to the presentation, just as you would if you were in person.
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Please keep your microphone off unless you are actively conversing with your group or the instructors.
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Avoid moving your phone, tablet, or computer with the camera on. This helps bring a sense of stillness to the online experience.
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Phones and Electronic Devices.
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Just like in an in-person retreat, avoid using electronic devices throughout the entire retreat unless it is to connect to online sessions or to review retreat-related material.
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Treat this time as a digital detox. One of the transformative things that can happen with home retreats is having time to enjoy the space you live in without engaging with technology or media. This shift alone will help you experience a different way of being in your life.
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We will have some additional, pre-recorded resources to be used optionally in your individual sessions.
Commitment to Practice.
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Self-discipline: One of the challenges of home practice is getting caught up in the daily grind and forgetting about formal practice. This is a common challenge you will face. It would be beneficial to be honest and open about handling it.
Set and Intention.
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As you begin the retreat, take a few minutes to consider what is calling you at this moment to deepen your practice. It may be for the benefit of yourself and those around you. Taking on this retreat may be a way to deepen your balance, compassion, and presence in difficult times. It may be to release your fears and be more loving or to contribute to a better world. You may light a candle or place a flower or image that inspires you if you wish. Find a state of stillness and internally create a clear and strong intention. Once you set your intention, you can recite it in your mind or write it on a piece of paper and place it next to the candle or image. Throughout the retreat, constantly remind yourself and reaffirm this intention.
Welcome Everything That Arises.
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Time in silence and stillness allows for peace and many thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and other experiences to arise. This is completely normal. Welcome all the experiences that arise and allow the practice and community to support you. With the guidance of the instructors, the talks, and the exercises, you will discover that every experience is temporary. On a retreat, there are no “good” or “bad” experiences. They are all part of the changing nature of reality, and your mindfulness practice will help you relate better to each one of them. Remember that if you need to talk to one of the instructors about a circumstance or experience requiring special help, you can contact them.
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Thanks to Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Center for their instructions, which we have adapted.
