Hello Steve,
I would appreciate suggestions regarding practicing between now and then, increasing daily practice, increasing frequency, etc. I would appreciate hearing how other yogis prepared themselves for a 30 day retreat and, naturally with the hind-a-scope, if they would have done it differently.
I am not an advanced meditator but I have been to a 30 day retreat with Sayadaw U Pandita and would like to share with you some of my expriences. First of all, if you are not a beginner meditator (I suppose you have been to the retreats in the past) who practices 3 hours a day on average, you will not encounter any significant problems.
Before I went to my 30 day retreat, I was meditating on average 2 hours a day but was forced to skip on weekends due to other obligations. I was lucky that I got 4 weeks vacation approved by my boss. When the retreat began, it took me maybe a day or two to get acclimated to the rigid retreat schedule, e.g., waking up at 4:20 am, two meals a day, approximately 14 hours of practice - alternating one hour of sitting and walking, etc.
What bothered me was the mental state that I was in before coming to the retreat - you see, I was quite unhappy with some events going on around me at the time and all the negative thoughts and emotions from such events began to surface as I began my 30 day retreat. And it created a myriad of distractions and wondering thoughts and bothered me considerably during my sitting meditation. Physically, I was going along with the rigid retreat program fine, but mentally, I was struggling quite a bit.
It took me almost a week for my mind to settle down and be able to concentrate. At the end of the retreat, I did have a good experience and my concentration definitely improved. But I felt that had I been more mindful in daily activities besides sitting/walking meditations before coming to the retreat, my practice would have gone much smoother. I think your preparation for the retreat is fine, but also try to note and be mindful of your feelings and emotions you encounter in your daily activities. Any past events that have agitated your mind will surely resurface during the intensive retreat and can bother you with all the negative feelings if they go on unnoticed (not noted properly) and forgotten.
The most important thing with maximizing your potential in retreat is, as those monks will tell you: note every moment as much as you can! From the moment you wake up in the morning till you fall asleep, note all your feelings, emotions, bodily movements, etc.This is very hard to do. Being mindful while sitting and/or walking meditation is walk in the park compare to noting all your mind and body while engaing in daily activities. So note continuously through out the day.
You may also experience fluctuating enthusiam and energy level as the retreat progresses. Mostly in the 1st or 2nd week, your energy level is high but toward the end, you may start slacking off due to boredom, homesickness from having to put up with inadequate facilities for so long, or whatever reasons. You may start counting the days that's left until the retreat is finally over. Your enthusiasm in the beginning of the retreat will be highly in contrast to say, in the middle of 3rd or 4th week. But to my relief, this happens to many other yogis, I was told. If this ever happens to you, I think the best remedy is to just stay in the moment. Just fully focus on what's going on right at this moment whether your sitting, walking, eating or showering. Don't let your mind wonder about how many days are left for the retreat is over or what are the first things you want to do when you get home, etc. That will make your retreat that much harder.
I don't really know your level and experience in meditation. What I wrote above may not apply to you if you're already an advanced meditator. But these are some of the experiences I had from my 30 day retreat, and if my limited experiences are somewhat of helpful to you, I would be very pleased.
Anyway, good luck with your retreat.