EVERYONE WELCOME - FROM BEGINNERS TO EXPERIENCED!
Spring Day retreat report
Our first retreat at Clothall Village Hall.
Paul Goddard
3/28/20264 min read
It was about three in the afternoon that I found myself admiring a warm yellow rectangle of sunlight projected onto the wooden floor of the hall. It came from the skylight above and I was relieved that it hadn’t landed on anyone. The brightness caught my eye, it seemed to accompany the environment of complete silence perfectly. I was quite taken, and not the first time reminded that periods of quiet can unexpectedly reveal what is often missed; the ordinary is actually extraordinary.
Around me sat eight others, all in meditation, all experiencing their own inner and outer world. Some were motionless, others gently rocked in the ebb and flow of afternoon energy. Others too shifted in discomfort, trying to find a sweet spot.
This was our first day retreat at Clothall Community centre. Earlier that day and after a frantic forty five minutes trying to get into the hall with an incorrect key code, mats were placed around, each with their own liturgy and timetable for the day. There was just enough room around the outside of the mats to take a walking meditation. Large windows revealed to one side views of gently swaying mature trees, on the other a small grassed area. Further on lay the countryside of Clothall village.
A small table acted as a shrine, placed upon it a Buddha Rupa, sided with candles and two vases of fresh tulips. The retreats are held in silence, not as strict as some Zen schools, but unless essential, no one talks. Just in front of the Buddha sit several instruments, struck at various times of the day to help inform everyone of the beginning and end of the various sessions.
They consisted of a large carved wooden instrument called a Mu-Yu (Chinese - Wood Fish), a small brass bell called an Inkin and finally a large singing bowl.
The community centre was lovely, with new and well kept facilities. Everyone would bring food to share and at lunch a small vegetarian buffet would be arranged.
As people began to arrive, many due to generous offerings of lifts to anyone who needed one, the hall came into life. Food was stored in the kitchen, some had cooked beforehand and brought it ready in large pots. Teas, fruit juices and jugs of fresh water were arranged to enjoy throughout the day.
The retreat began with a short opening ceremony and a vow to keep the precepts for the day. The silence began and we would not talk again till the end with tea.
A day retreat can be just the job for deepening our contemplative practice. No need to pack or arrange long distance travelling, no waving goodbye and hoping all will be well while away. The morning periods of sitting, walking and sharing in standing exercises massage the body and mind and maybe at a level beyond our recognition. We are gently taken toward greater ease.
Life is newly expressed within the context of each and every changing moment and this is certainly perceived more keenly on retreat: We arrive with energy and enter into the day with stillness and balance, the day seems a breeze of mindful activities. Later for no good reason, we find ourselves tired and unfocused, now the day seems to falter a little, time slows down. Then the standing exercises or even just a breath of fresh air outside is enough to lift our state of mind, which begins telling us how beautiful it all is.
Beneath all of the metal pulling and pushing, we can perceive a subtle sense of impersonal knowing, Joko Beck called this the container, the space within which our experience plays out. The ‘knowing’ of it all is untouched, untainted and we can experience both this and our emotional world together without conflict.
Lunchtime arrives quickly and everyone helps prepare tables to present the food. Chairs were placed outside so we could sit in the afternoon sunshine. In the silence, we all find a little job to do and with almost nothing said, everything goes smoothly.
Lunch is another opportunity to appreciate the simple, and often rushed act of eating. We can take our time, we can look, feel, taste and savour. Not so easy to do at home, but on retreat we can indulge, all the time being accompanied by the blue sky, passing clouds and surrounding trees.
Retreat is such that we don’t get to do any one thing for long. This creates waves of varying attention and sensations in the body and mind. We meditate, both walking and sitting, then practice standing exercises. Short breaks untether us for a few minutes and then the bell rings and we begin again.
After lunch a reading by Joko Beck was given and followed by some standing exercises, the periods of meditation were shorter and also included some simple chanting. Unlike sitting or walking, chanting limits mental chatter and when the chant is finished, the silence is often more pronounced. We sit for the remainder of the session appreciating nothing more than just being present
The retreat was brought to an end with a short closing ceremony and the silence ended. Now we could have tea and share conversations with each other. Everyone helped to empty the space, wash up and make sure everything was tidy. In a short time, the hall was empty.
We could not have asked for a better retreat, the hall, the weather and each of us playing an essential part in making the retreat a success. Supporting each other even in many ways but especially by being there. We will surely hold another there in the future.
Copyright 2026 Paul Goddard