We live in difficult times. There is no shortage of issues and situations to be concerned about; our lives and our world are filled with unknowns. Particularly stressful is the state of the economy – as blue chip companies become penny stocks, and job security becomes job insecurity.

Anytime, and particularly during difficult times, stepping out of your regular activities and usual pace can be important and rewarding – as well as lead to more clarity and more possibilities. I realize this can seem counterintuitive – when we feel pressure, when life becomes more difficult, the tendency is to push harder. Instead, explore taking a retreat. Consider taking some time to investigate and experience the power and meaning of your life that exists outside of the day-to-day changing circumstances.

One way to take a retreat is to not go anywhere but to create some simple rules for yourself that you follow during a day. When my children were young we had 3 simple rules that made a big difference for our weekly “Sabbath” – this was our weekly day of rest/day of mindfulness. We generally took this day each Saturday. The three rules were:
1) no spending money
2) no television or other electronics
3) we did something together as a family.

Just having these three rules in our lives made an enormous difference in the quality of day. We generally began our day the evening before by making a nice dinner and lighting candles at the dinner table.

Another option is to find a meditation center or wellness center in which to do a 1-day, several day, or even a week-long retreat. Ask your friends for ideas and referrals, or search for meditation groups, Zen groups, our church groups in your area that offer retreats.

When you go on or create your retreat, here are some things to keep in mind:

Change the pace: Slow down. Structure a day, or part of a day, where the focus is on paying attention to yourself and your surroundings when you have nothing to accomplish. Slow down the pace from your usual activity by removing all external distractions. Leave your cell phone and BlackBerry behind.

New perspective: If possible, retreat away from your office space and home space. Be in a place that is less familiar and where you are less apt to feel the pull of everyday tasks and usual routines. Quiet and spaciousness are very important.

Get to know your monkey mind: Don’t be surprised or discouraged if you notice how busy and noisy your mind is at the beginning of your retreat. In Buddhist practice this is sometimes referred to as “monkey mind,” the mind that is always jumping around from tree to tree. Just pay attention to it; stay with and be curious about monkey mind. Use your meditation and mindfulness practices; come back to your breath and body.
Become sick of yourself: Pay attention to the patterns and habits of your thinking. Stay with the stories you tell yourself — what you could be doing instead of being on retreat, how bored and uncomfortable you are, what a waste of time this is, how frustrating it feels to repeatedly face your fears, and so on. Let yourself become sick of yourself.

Find your center: Notice that you are more than your stories. In the busyness of life, you can easily become fooled into believing that the stories you tell about yourself are you, and that they absolutely define you. As your mind becomes more quiet, you gain access to your still, undefinable center. You glimpse the ways you create these stories about yourself, about others, and about the world. Are these stories necessarily true? What if the opposite is true? Could both versions of the story be true? Who is it that is creating these thoughts? Find your center beyond your stories, beyond your personality. This is the realm of all that you are and have the potential to be.

Refresh and renew: Allow yourself to step (or more accurately, drop) into a place of not knowing, of uncertainty, of joy and refreshment. See if you can just appreciate everything you are, even your doubts and discomfort; just appreciate being alive.

Blend the mundane and the sacred: See and appreciate the gamut of life — from the immensity and sacredness of all existence to our need to earn a living and even to our need to eat and afterward wash the dishes, sweep the floors, and clean the counters.

Let go of expectations: Just stop. Sit. Let go of the routines and activities of your life. Don’t expect anything. Be curious. Be open. Let yourself be surprised. As with meditation, you can’t do a retreat “right” or “wrong.” Don’t get caught in comparing your experience to anyone else’s. Of course, you will judge; you will compare. Pay attention to this. “Ah, isn’t this judging and comparing interesting?”

Reenter and re-create your world: Returning from retreat can be challenging. I recall some Zen retreats where at the end of the seven-day period, desserts were served and there was a celebratory atmosphere. Yet I wanted and needed to be quiet, to connect quietly with people. I felt shy, vulnerable, and exposed. I was usually lured in by the prospect of a piece of chocolate cake, but then quietly left and returned to my own quiet space.

What do you think? Have you had experiences of retreats being important during difficult times?