June 22 - Find Solitude at Lake Spofford

“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!”
“You, of all people, won’t be able to manage it!”
“You? Spending a day being silent? What’s that all about?”

Caution: Telling your friends and family that you've signed up for the Silverdale Silent Retreat causes such merriment and disbelief. At the start of the retreat last year, people described the laughter they caused by admitting that this was where they were going.

“I remember the first time I signed up. Inside, it felt somehow “risky”, a challenging thing to do, and then there was the business of telling my spouse that this was what I was going to do. She managed to keep her reaction to a quiet smile. Solitude is such an all-too-rare experience for many.”

Spofford Lake is beautiful, serene, full of coves, wrapped in spirit. Your pulse will be slowed and steadied. Your heart opened further.

In fact, the mix of people who choose to spend a silent day on Spofford is very eclectic. It does not take us long to feel at ease with each other and if some have come apprehensively, others have come anticipating another special time. We are all “guests with quests”; here to lighten up, liven up, or just let go.

Going on retreat is an opportunity to connect more deeply with other people, our environment, and ourselves. A retreat encourages us to engage fully with the present moment and is therefore always a new experience. What takes people by surprise is the way that a silent retreat is a shared activity rather than total solitude. We are being silent together even when we are apart.

The retreat begins with a simple introduction to the house by the host, followed by nine and a half hours of (you guessed it) silent time. Think of this as “creative quietude.” Genuine creation comes when the resources of the subliminal self come into play. Our silence asks the conscious mind to get out of the way so we may experience the simplicity, suppleness, and freedom that flows through us, that feeds us, that graces us, and unites us.

We come together for meals, but engage individually in whatever activities bring us enjoy and weather permits. If anyone wants to read, sleep, reflect, be in solitude, pray, or write – it’s all OK. When we are being silent, we might be sitting outside, strolling the water’s edge, or floating on the raft. On a rainy day one might be found meditating, rocking on the porch, sitting on the swing, writing at the dining room table, or walking and getting wet. A sunny afternoon is when some choose to swim or relax in a tube in the lake, while others paint with watercolors under the oak tree.

Silent mealtime is an unexpected joy. Not only is there good food to eat, but there is an alertness to each other, which is not easily found at ordinary meals. Our choice of silence prevents us asking for the bread or the milk or the salt or the tomatoes. All you need do is look meaningfully and five or six other people are offering you their silent help. This way of dining is fun and emphasizes our togetherness. There’s music playing while we eat, so mealtimes are not awkward and serious, but relaxed, even filled with humor.

We come together for evening meal ending the silence as we give thanks. We’ll have some music at the completion of the retreat. As the day fades we light a fire on the beach (indoors if raining) and share the insights and delights of the day. There may be no better way to enrich us all. This is the opening for being in touch with our community, our Source, a Creator God, the Way.

A silent retreat may be new to you, but be assured a good number of those who have come once, wish to come again. Friends and family come to accept that being silent for a day has benefits they never dreamed of. Everyone benefits from "pattern breaking" in order to gain perspective and finding time to reconnect with the "ground of all being"

Next Steps
It’s time to reserve your place for the 2005 Silverdale Silent Retreat on June 22, 2005. We can accommodate no more than 15 people. Silverdale Silent Retreat begins at 8:00 am and ends at 8:00 pm. For your own pleasure, please bring your favorite beverages and snacks. There’s plenty of room in the fridge. $45 includes both meals; lunch is served at 12:30 pm (silent) and dinner at 5:30 pm (definitely not silent). FYI, Cell phones are best left in the car.

Confirm your place by sending full payment by June 14th. A full refund will be made if you cancel on or before June 18th. Make check payable to “Open Audience” and send to Erik Murphy, 287 Roxbury Street, Keene NH 03431.

Directions and questions:
E-Mail: erik@openaudience.com Phone: 603-762-1222

Enjoy today,
Erik

PS. Don’t leave your intentions “as silent as a midnight thought.”
Places get booked quite quickly, so act sooner rather than later and prepare yourself
for a day unlike any other!