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.