“Sound is our mind, silence is our being”
― Osho
Join me for a 6-day mostly-silent retreat in beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being.
You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.
This retreat was designed for those who feel called by the still, unchanging silence that is your true nature. Something is calling you to slow down, explore your nature, and simply be.
Why Silence?
“The mind is like a candle while your essential being is like the sun. We’re staring at the candle and missing the sun”
― David Bingham
Sitting in silence for a prolonged period of time is not about getting somewhere, accomplishing something, or chasing a new experience.
If anything, it’s the opposite of all of that. It’s an opportunity to not chase experience. A chance to be as you are.
Experience will arise and it will dissolve as it always does. You are untouched by what moves through. In silence, this becomes clear.
Prolonged silence is an opportunity to steep in your very being. Like a cup of tea becomes stronger as the tea is left to steep, your very being becomes more palpable and familiar in silence.
Silence is an opportunity to recognize yourself as what is always here, but typically overlooked. It allows for a noticeable absence of the person you take yourself to be.
Silence offers an opportunity to see how “you”, “your life”, and the entire world is created, destroyed, and recreated on the spot, in real time. The ability to see this is always available, of course, but the constant noise of busyness and connection with others has a way of veiling it.
Silence is the essence of everything. A prolonged experience of silence makes this abundantly clear.
“Noise is silence shouting”
― Tim Cliss
What to Expect
Throughout the week, you’ll explore:
Self-inquiry methods, including guidance on how to recognize your essential being while watching thought, experience, and “self-ing” come and go
Daily guided meditations and silent sitting sessions
Guidance feeling into the senses and direct experience
In addition to our guided and silent meditations, there will be a daily Q&A session, breaks for nature walks and hikes, as well as sound baths and breathwork opportunities throughout the week.
You will be surrounded by like-minded people in a safe environment designed to hold space for whatever wants to unfold.
Some common benefits of prolonged silence are a sense of deep peace, increased creativity, emotional release, energetic shifts, deeper knowing of your true nature, and many more.
Please be clear that I do not treat silent retreat as a way to have pleasant or transcendent experiences. You’ll be pointed toward what never changes rather than always changing experience.
Ultimately, what transpires is a complete mystery. We never know what will arise but we sit and trust what is.
Sample Daily Schedule
The retreat will begin Sunday, February 23rd at 3pm Eastern Standard Time and end Friday, February 28th at 11am Eastern Standard Time.
Click here to download a sample daily schedule.
Location & How to Get There
The retreat will take place at Wafloy Mountain Village Retreat Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg is about 80 minutes east of Knoxville.
Wafloy Mountain Village Retreat Center is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes by car drive from Knoxville Airport. More information will be shared upon registration, along with attempts to pair participants who might want to share rides.
*Please note that while Waflow Mountain Village Retreat Center is a Christian center, the entire program is created and run by Amy and there is no religious aspect to it.
Meals
A private chef will prepare meals curated to provide warmth and nourishment while on retreat. There will be an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and healthy, mostly-vegetarian meals with gluten-free and other options available. You will be able to share any dietary restrictions to be passed on to the chef upon registration.
Rooms & Pricing
There are two lodging options available.
The prices below reflect your all-inclusive cost for 5 nights/6 days lodging, three meals per day plus one meal on arrival and departure day, plus everything included in the 6-day retreat.
Option 1: $2900
Private room with full bath and two queen beds. Room comes with a private balcony.
Option 2: $2000
Shared room with two queen beds and full bathroom. Room comes with a private balcony.
*These prices are early bird prices which may only be valid for a limited time.
Cancellation Policy
- A full refund is available (minus a $100 processing fee) on or before January 23, 2025 .
- Nonrefundable credit toward a future retreat, course, or live event will be offered if you give notice between January 24, 2025, and February 22, 2025. Credit may be applied to any event or live/digital course for one year following the date of issue. Credit may not be used on private coaching.
- No credit or refund is available if you cancel on the arrival day, if you do not show up, or if you leave the retreat early for any reason.
“I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me”
― Albert Einstein
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’ve never meditated? Is this retreat okay for beginners?
You don’t need any meditation experience to be able to take part in the silent retreat. Each day will begin with a guided meditation which serves as guidance to get you started. I will also share various self-inquiry and other methods throughout the retreat that you can choose to practice during the silent sitting sessions.
If you’re familiar with meditation and longer periods of silence, you may find the retreat a bit easier at times and more familiar. You also may not! No experience is necessary.
Is it normal to be nervous?
It’s very normal to be nervous! Nervousness is a feeling that will come and go, as all feelings do. In silent sitting you’ll have the opportunity to become more acquainted with what’s always here when nervousness, and all feelings, ebb and flow.
What sort of experiences are typical?
It’s really impossible to say what’s typical in a retreat like this. In my experience, a lot transpires and it also sort of feels like nothing transpires. You may experience periods of time when your mind is very busy and times when it’s very quiet; you may feel uncomfortable at times and you may also feel extremely peaceful and full of gratitude at times. Sometimes people experience emotions they’ve been innocently trying to avoid. There will likely be tears as well as spontaneous laughter throughout the week. Any and all temporary feelings are fair game. We are the capacity for all of them.
What type of support is there if I’m struggling with emotions during the retreat?
I will be available to support you as needed. The group will be quite small so there will be plenty of opportunity for one on one time as necessary.
That said, the tone of the retreat is about each of us seeing that we are capacity for anything that arises. In general, we need far less support than it may seem. Emotion is natural and healthy. You’ll be in a safe space to experience anything that wants to move through.
What do you recommend in terms of consuming outside content (e.g., reading, listening to YouTube videos, etc.) during the retreat? What is there to do on breaks?
My recommendation is to not consume outside content during retreat. That said, everyone is different. Some people enjoy reading during the breaks and it’s always wise to follow your own intuition and do what feels right for you. I would definitely recommend limiting such content.
There are many areas to take nature walks or longer hikes around the retreat grounds on our breaks. You might be in nature, go for a walk, take a yoga mat outside (or inside) for some stretching, gaze at the incredible mountain views, take a nap… The purpose of the week is to be still and go “within”. You’ll likely find that you don’t have the desire to fill your time with highly active, entertaining, or distracting activities. The silence and stillness begins to call to you more than activity and entertainment.
Can I have my phone with me? Is it okay to speak during the retreat if I need to call home?
You can keep your phone with you during the retreat and wifi will be available. I will ask that phones are stored away and completely silenced (not on vibrate, which is easily heard in silence!) throughout the week.
The extent to which you use your phone is up to you. You’re strongly encouraged to eliminate or limit technology and talking during the retreat and it will pay off to do so, but of course you’re free to do what feels right to you.
What should I bring?
I would recommend bringing comfortable clothes you can wear in layers (including warm socks) and shoes that are easy to take on and off as we will leave our shoes outside the meditation room.
Yoga mats and blankets will be provided but they are in limited supply. If you’re driving to the retreat and have the ability to bring your own mat, blanket, or meditation block, that would be very helpful. (If you have the ability to bring any to share, that would be very appreciated!)
I would also recommend bringing your own refillable water bottle. Water and tea will be available throughout the day. There is no food or drink sold on-site.
Have other questions?
Please share your questions here and we will get back to you. I would love to have you at the retreat!
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