Episode Details
Back to EpisodesGo see the Stars...Going on Retreat
Description
Sean Coyle uses a story from a week-long retreat in dark-sky Colorado to explore how conditions shape meditation practice, attention, and everyday life. The stars become a metaphor for what may already be present but obscured by distractions and responsibilities. Sean connects the tradition of Buddhist retreat with the possibility of practicing at home. He reflects on balancing solitude with community, treating practice as self-care, and recognizing the role of supportive conditions in growth. He also names the privilege of retreat and encourages listeners to start where they are and keep going.
- Sean’s Colorado retreat and the Milky Way as a metaphor for practice
- How everyday distractions can obscure what is already present
- The history of Buddhist monastic seclusion during the wet season
- Balancing a wish for solitude with staying connected to community
- The Satipatthana Sutta and reducing distractions to support mindfulness
- Practice as self-care and a way of showing up for yourself
- Wisdom and compassion as two doors into practice
- The Buddha’s remembered experience of joy arising in seclusion
- The tomato plant analogy: why growth depends on conditions
- Samadhi as concentration and the gathering of energy
- Walking meditation and loving-kindness practice
- Generosity, community, and carrying retreat momentum into daily life
- The privilege of retreat and the value of practice at home
WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED? New Year's Meditation Retreat with Mikey Noechel and Matty Finn - Dec. 29th, 2026 - Jan. 2nd, 2027 in Bay St. Louis, MS - Learn more and register here: https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/events/befriendchange2026-azgg2
THE UNIFICATION OF MIND: Cultivation of Samadhi Silent Meditation Retreat with Mikey Noechel and Andrew Chapman - Jan. 27th - Jan. 31st, 2027 in Sewanee, TN - Learn more and register here: https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/events/befriendchange2026-azgg2-tz2zc
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