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questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED
PLEASE TAKE A LOOK OVER SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS BEFORE BOOKING A RETREAT
How much does a retreat cost?
It is $265/night which includes meals and retreat support.
And $150 for shuttling both ways to/from the Medford (MFR) airport.
How many dark retreat cabins do you have?
We have 3 dark retreats.
One is a cob/strawbale cottage that we’ve been using since 2019
The other two are “hobbit” cottages built into the hillside and are fully burried in the Earth. We’ve been using them since the end of 2021.
How many days should I book my dark retreat for?
We typically recommend starting with 3 to 5 days in the dark and ask that retreatants book one full day to settle in upon arriving and one full day to integrate after emerging from the dark.
When does the dark retreat begin?
People tend to enter into the dark in evening.
Check-in time is 3 hours before sunset .
We will have an hour orientation in which we will bring you up to the cabin, get you situated, review the meal plan, run through the day-to-day, and answer any questions that you may have. You will have the remainder of the day to settle into the space, get oriented and familiar with the cabin and enjoy the surrounding elements.
What kind of meals do you serve during the retreat?
We serve all organic meals.
We bring all the food in the evening to minimize disturbance.
When available, as much as possible of the food will come from our abundant gardens and fruit trees. These meals will be delivered through a double door around sunset everyday. Upon your arrival, we will meal plan together.
We can and will cater to gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets.
Can I fast during my dark retreat?
We highly discourage fasting and ask that people do not fast.
If someone naturally feels moved to fast once they have begun their retreat then we are happy to support them in that.
We have found that it is most important for people to feel safe, relaxed and nourished. This is one of the main reasons that we discourage fasting as it tends to create a more cold and enduring quality.
Where does the water in the cabin come from?
The water is spring water that runs through both a sediment and UV filter for total purification.
Is there hot water?
Yes. The bathtub and sink are plumbed with hot water
Is the cabin and the entire land off-grid?
The cabin has its own, self-contained off-grid system to power the ventilation fans and lights that are occasionally used during the integration process.
The entire land is off-grid and the "caves" are out of cell service range. We do however have WIFI and are able to use our cell phones to make calls out in case of any emergencies. The dark room retreat cabin is 1/4 mile away from any other dwellings on the land and thus is totally contained in an EMF-free zone.
How is temperature maintained inside?
There is a wood burning stove inside one of the walls thus enabling us to stoke and maintain the fire from outside without allowing any light to be seen within.
While tending the fire in the evening, we do our utmost to be as quiet as possible. It only takes a couple of minutes as we start a new fire. Due to the nature of how the retreats are built, they hold heat very well and one fire a day is sufficient at keeping it cozy. And they remain moderately cool through the heat of the Summer.
Will I ever hear people while in retreat?
The dark retreats are totally sound-proof.
How does the toilet work?
The cabin is equiped with a flushing toilet.
What do I do in case of an emergency?
If you ever feel that you need additional support, there will be a bell inside your dark room that you can ring when we come to deliver food to let us know that you are wanting some additional attention.
The cabin is nestled in the woods on a mountain side 1/4 mile away from any other structures on the land.
During the orientation, we will walk through where to find us in the unlikely event that any emergency situation arises and you need immediate assistance.
How is the ventilation?
The retreats have been built with a very well engineered active ventilation system that includes a couple fans and a series of ducting that run through the walls that constantly circulate fresh air into and throughout the building.
What can I expect my experience to be like?
Every retreatant will have a completely different experience and even retreatants who have done more than one dark retreat find that they have an entirely different experience each time.
Typically, most retreatants find that they sleep, more or less, for the first 24 hours.. As the days continue to unfold, they tend to find that they need less and less sleep.
There is then a period of novelty where there is a deep enjoyment and appreciation of the quietude and simplicity. This tends to last for up to 6 to 12 hours for some and just a few minutes for others.
After that follows the discomfort and this is when it really begins.
The darkness invites us into a new relationship with discomfort. One where we don't draw on our typical ways of posturing around it through distraction, numbing, insulating, controlling and subtly manipulating our experience.
As we simply allow the darkness to take us - we begin to soften. relax and include. We find that more important than what is happening is our relationship to what is happening.
Can I come before and/or after my dark retreat?
Integration from the dark can be a very delicate process.
It is a great idea to consider booking a few extra nights both before entering the dark retreat and, most importantly, afterwards so that you can deepen your retreat and slowly integrate.
When do I come out?
We suggest coming out of the dark in the morning and planning for a full day and night to integrate.
We work with you to craft your retreat experience during booking.
Check out is a couple hours after sunrise.
" Enlightenment was my biggest disappointment. "
- Suzuki Roshi