Retreats - Testimonials

The meditation retreat allowed me to be with myself, to see myself through inner eyes and to face the truth of my existence. Persisting in this state of active awareness brought me less resistance, although it was still present in some way until the end. Resistance to remaining and staying consciously active in the technique and in the posture.

I clearly perceived the strength of my mind, almost like a living entity. It dove into all past experiences, bringing stories, images… And it felt like a struggle to make it stop.

The retreat experience helped me to quiet down a little and to persist more in bringing forth the strength of presence. The teachings that were shared brought clarity about the process of spiritual development and growth, encouraging continuity in spiritual practice and inner work in order to develop the divine qualities of being.

Retreat: retreat from october 04 to october 15, 2022

 

With the end of innocence, faced with a challenging world, I tried to face it. My goal was to become strong, physically and mentally. I dedicated years, decades of my life to developing my mind and body. The body through physical training and fighting, the mind through academic training, philosophy, and meaningful reading. I came in contact with meditation, but with the focus of controlling my emotions and directing my will. In the end I was able to reach my goals and accomplish my objectives. However, after so much time, so many techniques, so much effort, an emptiness remained. An emptiness that afflicted me, no matter how hard my mind tried to explain it, there was no coherence. The goals, all created, no longer satisfied me or managed to distract me. Among the goals I had created was to go on a meditation retreat. And at the most desperate point, the path revealed itself and God acted. Inexplicable coincidences arose and the opportunity to immerse myself in a silent and meditative retreat emerged. Demanding from me a decision, a surrender.

During the retreat I learned about Kriya Yoga, meditation as a path to God. But all the effort to build a strong body and mind would not be in vain. During the retreat the internal war was fierce. The surrender for meditation requires a renunciation of the mind, of the body. It would not be easy and it was not. I was able to experience some moments of surrender and awakening to this new world. This time, not just superficially it, but surrendering to it. Diving without fear, greed or any other feeling. Just surrender.

Something has changed, I don't know what it is, and this time I won't try to mentalize in an attempt to find out and "control" it. I will just be.

Thank you to the Ashram;

Thank you Swamini Anandamayi Ma, Swami Sankara, Gaya and Swami Ram;

Thank you Sriman Narayana!

 Thank you to my path brothers who lived their internal battles and dedicated themselves fully. You have my deep respect!

 

Retreat: February 1st to 12th, 2023

The way to start my report has to be by expressing a lot of gratitude. The whole structure and vibe is really geared toward introspection. The place meets all the needs. Excellent food and comfortable accommodation. Very attentive and service oriented people. Everything is perfect. That's where the work of each participant comes in.

I came crazy to go through the experience, however, on the first day I saw that the thing was going to be a real challenge. There I saw that the thing was calculated. Giving up was never an option, but I confess that it was a possibility at some point. I had the realization that I am my own main obstacle. I am tiny, a circus in the immensity of the cosmos.

It is very clear how the survival mechanism tries to sabotage you in the face of discomfort. The physical discomfort is the most complicated at the beginning. The work of "overcoming" yourself is the real purpose, of returning here. It is impressive how we create and experience the self-created illusion. Driven by fear and attachment we forget who we are. What gave me hope at one time is knowing that I am eternal. The certainty that I am not what I thought I was and that I have much more work to do internally. All my expectations about the retreat were dashed. I didn't get anything I wanted, but I believe I got a lot of what I needed. Recognizing and feeling my smallness showed and brought me much humility.

The body/mind complex deceives you too much. The illusion is very well done. Consciousness or God is the only reality. Consciousness of being conscious. Going through chaos without seeing chaos. Not making things harder than they are.

Gratitude defines the experience.

Retreat: Retreat January 3rd to 14th, 2023

I had already spent a New Year's Eve here at the ashram, also of silence, but not the whole time in which I could have great Hatha Yoga classes, good food and peace on New Year's Eve.

For this retreat the purpose was different, a dive in 10 days of silence for Kriya learning. I found a magic call when I found an email in my inbox talking about the proposal of this retreat, because I had just read "Autobiography of a Yogi" in which Yogananda talks (it seems to me) about exactly the same technique. Four years ago I did the Vipassana retreat and the schedules I could read between here showed me that the workload was just as extreme and rigorous: more than 100 hours of meditation.

The welcome from the Ashram residents was very attentive. The place in the mountains of Minas Gerais is rich in the sounds of nature, the water is straight from the source, and the food is very tasty, nutritious, and light, always giving us the feeling of satiety even though it is offered only twice a day. I never went hungry in the middle of the journey here.

The satsangs have repetition of themes necessary to introject the practice and the way that the themes are presented are elucidative, always providing insights to deepen the technique and the introspection.

The technique doesn't seem complex to learn because it is composed of a few steps. I suffered with the execution because of my particular difficulty in paying attention. To keep repeating something apparently simple was very tiring and painful. But in the moments when I got a good continuity from it, it was as if I dissolved in time and found such a dreamed and unprecedented peace.

Following the Master's advice was essential - No matter what happens: don't give up!

I recommend this retreat to all restless seekers.