Meditation Demystified, Retreat Program in North Thailand - Pai and Chiang Mai

About our meditation teacher:
Mr. Daishin, our meditation teacher, was first introduced to meditation 25 years ago when he attended a 10-day retreat with Ruth Dennison, a Vipassana teacher and student of Goenka. After studying with Ruth for five years he met Kobun Chino, a Japanese Zen Master in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi of Tasahara, California. Upon completing a year of study with Kobun Daishin was ordained as a lay monk and was given the name Daishin. He has been teaching meditation ever since. He also studied with Jack Kornfield who was trained by Ajahn Chah, the renowned Vipassana forest monk of Thailand. He has taught meditation at Chiva Som Health Resort and the Earth Spa, Evason, both in Hua Hin, Thailand.

He has an M.A. in clinical psychology and practices cognitive restructuring (Buddhist psychology) with individuals and families. He is an expert in guiding people through lifestyle changes and internal cleansing and fasting programs.

By combining his varied training and experience into a comprehensive Program, he offers a truly Holistic Health practice to our valued guests.

THE RETREAT MAY BE ATTENDED FOR TWO TO SEVEN DAYS. EACH DAY WILL INCLUDE  THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCES:
Day One and Two

• MEDITATION DE-MYSTIFIED: an INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS

Every thing we do begins with a thought. Mindfulness is a tool that cultivates an awareness of our thought process and of the direction that our actions take as a result of our thoughts. Yet there is mysticism around meditation that can be intimidating and uncomfortable. In the first two days of this retreat we begin de-mystifying the concept of meditation and present it as a simple non-sectarian way of to relax, focus the mind and live more in the moment. We will learn to act optimally with a clear mind rather then react impulsively with a suboptimal habitual behavior. The mind that has not been developed or trained is very scattered. That’s the normal state of affairs for most people, but it leaves us out of touch with a great deal of the richness of life.
We will clarify what meditation can do for you personally and experience several forms of meditation (sitting, walking, laughing,movement, and more) allowing you to find a basic practice that suits your individual needs.

Day Three

• HEART/MIND and BODY CONNECTION MEDITATION

One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intra-psychic technology
that’s been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know
a lot about the mind/body connection. These ancient traditions teach us
to be aware that you are more then the thoughts that flow through
your mind. We discover the heart/mind-body connection, that stress is the
response to the demands placed on your mind and body. By moving our
awareness fully into the stress we notice the mind and body’s reactions
to stress and learn to let go of that reactivity . And then you find
that there is as inner stillness and peace within some of the most
difficult life situations that previously might have sent you spinning
out of control.
Within this journey of quieting the mind and opening the heart we use
repeated words, phrases, and images to cultivate a state of
friendliness, kindness, and acceptance towards ourselves and others.

Day Four

• MINDFUL DECISION MAKING and MINDFUL STRESS MANAGEMENT MEDITATION

     When you have a situation in your life that needs attention, awareness
meditation can help to develop options and responses which can assist
you in moving forward in creating better choices. The techniques
presented offer the foundation skill sets for practice in  life
situations where options or results may seem to be limited by fear and
the uncertainty of it all. You will discover how to respond, consciously,
versus react, unconsciously, to challenging situations.
Participants practice a solution-focused approach and get answers to
their questions. Mindfulness meditation techniques are powerful tools
for reducing physical and psychological stress related symptoms and
promoting health and well-being. Your target areas contributing to
stress will be identified and mindfulness practices will be explored and
customized to suit your needs. Information and resources to support your
on-going stress management are provided to help you bring the practices
and their benefits home to your daily life.