When You Can't Go on Retreat, Create Your Own: Part 1, Meditation and Mindfulness
When you can’t go on retreat, let the retreat come to you.
All aspects of life are so different right now. Simple things like weekly family dinners, grocery store trips, and church services have shifted dramatically. You have had to cancel trips and events we were excited for. You are looking to the future for more stability, but when that will be is still uncertain. Even as places begin to slowly reopen, you are hesitant and worried about moving too quickly.
At Hallelujah Farm, we have had to cancel and reschedule retreats that we and participants were eager to be a part of. We know that many of you had invested time and consideration into choosing retreats that would bring joy and growth into your life. Now more than ever it feels important to take time to care for ourselves.
But, where can you go on retreat? (While not physically going anywhere). So, while you can’t go on retreat at the moment, we thought we would start a series where we’ve assembled an assortment of ways you might bring the retreat to you. Welcome to part 1 of 5: Free Meditation and Mindfulness Resources
Part 1: Meditation and Mindfulness Resources
Many of our retreats work with meditation and mindfulness in a wide variety of ways. Because there is such a plethora of methods and ideas to guide your practice, it can feel overwhelming or like you're not doing it “right”. Some of the following free tools and resources might bring new insight to what you think and are already trying. Some might bring altogether new ideas to the table.
Ted Talks: If you’re interested in the why of creating a meditation practice and incorporating mindfulness into your life, these Ted Talks are for you.
Podcasts: If you’d like a weekly guided meditation that automatically downloads on your phone, subscribe to these podcasts.
The Mindful Minute with Meryl Arnett offers weekly 15 minutes meditations as well as interviews and discussions on a wide variety of mindfulness topics like connecting to one’s true self.
Tara Brach Podcast features weekly guided meditations and talks based on her teachings in Western Buddhism.
Guided Meditations: If you want to try out short, powerful meditations, try these.
Foundational Teachings: If you are looking for more information about some methods and guiding ideas for meditation and mindfulness work, these are two that we often utilize at Hallelujah Farm.
Centering Prayer is a method developed by Thomas Keating. It method and teaching has been continued by many including Cynthia Bourgeault and Richard Rohr.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on peace and mindfulness have inspired many on their journeys in meditation.
Meditation Programs: If you’re ready to commit to incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine, check out these series.
Apps: If you want daily notifications, guided meditations, and tips, try downloading one of these apps.
Websites: If you want to explore larger resources, explore these websites.
Mindful.org is a non-profit organization with a community focused on helping people with mindfulness in order to improve lives.
Onbeing.org is a non-profit organization started by Krista Tippett. It originally was a radio show and podcast focused on questions around the idea of what it means to be human. Their work is broader than meditation, but their site features a mindfulness and meditation page worth exploring.
Stay tuned for part 2 in our series “When You Can’t Go on Retreat …” Coming soon.
