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I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here’s What I Learned

Sep 18, 2024

Joseph Goldstein, a renowned meditation teacher, joins Dan along with meditation experts Marissa Schneiderman, Alexis Santos, and Andrea Fella to unpack their experiences from a 10-day silent retreat. They delve into the ups and downs of retreat life, discussing the allure of 'cowboy dharma' and the importance of recognizing mental traps. Listeners learn about the significance of repetition in practice, the challenges of navigating self-identity in silence, and the transformative power of mindfulness. Personal anecdotes bring the philosophy to life!

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Quick takeaways

Meditation retreats challenge participants to confront discomfort and distractions, fostering significant self-reflection and personal growth during the process.

The structured format of retreats, whether rigid or flexible, can greatly influence individual experiences and ultimately affect one's meditation journey.

Building a supportive community among practitioners enhances the retreat experience, providing camaraderie and a platform for shared learning and personal challenges.

Deep dives

Experiences and Expectations of Meditation Retreats

Meditation retreats, particularly silent ones, can evoke a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Many individuals wonder about the practical aspects, such as maintaining silence, daily routines, and the behavior of fellow participants. During a recent silent retreat, the speaker reflected on their own experiences, emphasizing that such retreats often reveal personal attitudes, including distractions people typically engage with, like music addiction. The considerable challenge of participating in these retreats centers around self-reflection and confronting one's discomfort without the usual distractions.

Embrace Awareness to Alleviate Aversion

02:59

Practice Without Pretense

01:03

Embrace the Impersonal: "Not Mine, Not I, Not Myself"

04:39

Embrace Flexibility in Practice

01:33

Intro

4min

Exploring Podcasts and the Joy of Parenthood

2min

Silent Transformation: Insights from a Meditation Retreat

17min

Embracing Perception in Meditation

15min

Navigating the Mind in Meditation

8min

Finding Freedom in Silence

19min

Meditation and Mindset

6min

Navigating Post-Retreat Meditation Challenges

13min

The Journey of Spiritual Practice and Persistence

4min

Meditation retreats are the object of much intrigue and even suspicion. So today, we’re going to take you inside a 10-day silent meditation retreat that Dan recently did with his teacher, Joseph Goldstein. You’ll also hear from Senior Producer, Marissa Schneiderman, who was fresh off a retreat of her own, with meditation teachers Alexis Santos and Andrea Fella.

In this episode we talk about: