Dealing with the heat in Southeast Asia

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Misha Sunborn, muokattu 15 päivää sitten at 28.4.2024 9:09
Created 15 päivää ago at 28.4.2024 8:55

Dealing with the heat in Southeast Asia

Viestejä: 6 Liittymispäivä: 1.1.2024 Viimeisimmät viestit
My wife and I wish to do a longer Mahasi retreat (30-60 days), and the only places we've found offering longer residencies at an affordable cost are in Southeast Asia. But the weather is so doggone hot! Constantly sweating through our clothes can be quite a distraction from practice.

To anyone who has done a retreat in Asia: how did you manage the heat?

Of all centers researched, we've only heard mention of air conditioning at Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha.
​​​​​​​What is the situation at MBMC?

Alternatively, do any reputable European centers (with milder weather) offer long-term retreats? Most centers in Europe seem to only offer shorter stays.
 
Olivier S, muokattu 15 päivää sitten at 28.4.2024 11:57
Created 15 päivää ago at 28.4.2024 11:57

RE: Dealing with the heat in Southeast Asia

Viestejä: 940 Liittymispäivä: 27.4.2019 Viimeisimmät viestit
 If you can handle doing this as a solo retreat, you can find lots of places to do a long retreat in europe. I would recommend this option over flying thousands of miles for a retreat emoticon I feel like what really matters is how well you practice, rather than being at some supposedly fancier place. One example, Kalachakra retreat center, in France: you can definitely book an indefinitely long solo reatreat there. I would recommend that place, it is my go to retreat place here in France. You'll have to be clear with everyone there if you want to do a 14h/day silent intensive retreat, that they respect your silence and all that, but otherwise it is really conducive to practice, about 1.5h train away from Paris. 

In terms of Asia, I only went to Nepa, panditarama lumbini (I wouldn't really recommend the place), and I didn't really have a problem with the heat as I went in october. Maybe chose a time of the year when the weather is better ? 
 
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Misha Sunborn, muokattu 14 päivää sitten at 29.4.2024 21:40
Created 14 päivää ago at 29.4.2024 21:40

RE: Dealing with the heat in Southeast Asia

Viestejä: 6 Liittymispäivä: 1.1.2024 Viimeisimmät viestit
Funny enough, we did a 19-day at Panditarama Lumbini in March, and the sweltering heat was the inspiration for this thread.

We are currently in Asia, wondering where to go next. Considering MBMC in Malaysia, and Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha in Burma.
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For anyone reading, would love to hear of Asian centers that manage the heat well, with sufficient fan coverage or even air conditioning.

​​​​​​​Thanks for the recommendation in France. 
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David Matte, muokattu 13 päivää sitten at 1.5.2024 2:32
Created 13 päivää ago at 1.5.2024 2:32

RE: Dealing with the heat in Southeast Asia

Viestejä: 109 Liittymispäivä: 3.8.2019 Viimeisimmät viestit
First of all, I have heard March is in the hot season of Lumbini. If the heat is a problem, best to avoid doing retreats during that period.


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One other recommendation would be to stay in a temple/wat instead of a retreat centre.

For example, in northern Thailand one can stay free in Ajahn Martin's wat, Wat Phu Khong Tong. I'm pretty sure you can do your own vipassana retreats there and receive guidance there. There is also Wat Tham Wua that offers retreats, but I think the max stay in 10 days. Though perhaps you can ask to stay longer when they get familiar with your intentions.
I know another wat called Wat Tam Doi Toan that offers retreats.
These are all three wats in North Thailand. I can't fully recommend them because I've never been to them myself but just heard of them through word of mouth, and know friends who stayed at some of them. 

The north of Thailand can get pretty cool in the winter months (October — Feb), especially at higher elevations.
I was staying in a wat in the mountainous part of North Thailand last October and the temperature went down to around 10 degrees most nights.

all the best,

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Murupolku