Yoga Vs. Zen Retreats - Similarities and Differences!

This month I've been fortunate to attend both a full-day Yoga retreat and a full-day Zen retreat. Spiritual retreats are a great way to deepen your practice, feel more connected with yourself and the world around you and work through any difficult problems in your life.

With that being said, what I've noticed is that HOW you experience these benefits are quite different when you're in a Zen retreat vs a Yoga retreat.

Transcript

Hey this is Ish and today I'm going to be talking to you about the differences between yoga retreats and Zen retreats.

So this month I've been fortunate enough to go to both a yoga retreat and also a Zen retreat as well.

So you can see that this month has been very spiritual for me.

And in particular these types of spiritual retreats,

Whether it be yoga or meditation,

Has a lot of benefits for you.

So some of the examples of some benefits you might experience through going through a retreat would be that you experience a connection,

A deeper connection with yourself and then also the world around you.

The second is that you take a break from the hustle and bustle from your daily life.

So you have a job,

You might have responsibilities in taking care of kids or plants or pets.

You have all these different duties that you have to do.

Well taking a one day retreat or multiple day retreat will allow you to temporarily forget about these responsibilities and focus on yourself.

You're also able to use this time to take care of yourself and nurture your own needs and that's actually very important because nowadays people tend to neglect that because they tend to be focused on whatever that they're working on and different problems and challenges in their lives and they actually don't take time to look inwards and reflect.

And going to a retreat you also experience a lot of,

As we call it,

Higher vibration qualities such as expansion,

Awakening and also deeper connections with yourself and then other people around you.

So clearly a lot of benefits from taking a retreat itself.

And what you'll notice is that when you take a yoga retreat and a Zen retreat you actually achieve all these qualities that I've just mentioned where you feel connected and you feel very relaxed and also more awakened as well.

But how you get there is very different from a yoga retreat and then also from a Zen retreat.

So in a yoga retreat we experience this divine connection through the fullness of life and fullness of experiences.

So if we actually think about it,

Yoga actually means union.

So in this sense when you ever go to a yoga retreat what you'll notice is that you will be so in touch with everything around you that you'll achieve these qualities such as the awakening and connection through being one with everything.

And then if we look at Zen it's actually the opposite.

So we experience these same qualities through emptiness.

So the oneness is actually through being emptied out of everything.

So then you merge with everything around you.

So these are it's a very subtle thing that I'm mentioning here but you're still able to access all these qualities through different means.

And I'm going to be going over how this kind of manifests.

So with yoga like I mentioned you experience the divine connection through fullness and this is reflected in nature for example.

So you'll notice that oftentimes yoga retreats are hosted in very nice looking environments.

So typical retreats will be like in Bali or Hawaii or Costa Rica and these very nice tropical areas.

The one I went to was actually here right here in Texas.

But even then the scenic the scenery was really nice.

So there was a lot of trees everywhere.

It was a very pleasant place to be at and you know a lot of like nature and birds chirping around you.

So you feel very connected with your environment around you.

The second thing in regards to fullness is that you have a lot of full foods.

You have really nice cuisines half the time and cooking and you know I had a really nice meal like a rich pasta dish and tofu and these like amazingly tasting foods.

So when you eat these really nice foods you feel connected with whatever you're eating.

And then also a big quality and aspect of yoga retreats is the community.

So you'll notice that the yoga retreats are very encouraging and they encourage a lot of connecting with other people and sharing experiences.

And there's a lot of harmony there.

And you typically will do a lot of group activities together such as sightseeing or connecting in nature and just talking and sharing feelings.

So this is a really great quality that allows you to be connected with other people.

And in regards to the personal growth aspect because oftentimes people will go to a meditation or yoga retreat to improve themselves or work on a particular issue in their lives that you know keep reoccurring.

What you'll notice is that in a yoga retreat you will experience a releasing of emotions and you have a lot of support there.

So if you have something that you're working on like a difficult emotion you're able to release that through sharing and connecting with other people.

So it's actually a very cleansing environment to be in.

Now let's talk about Zen.

So Zen,

So take all these qualities I just spoke about earlier and flip it all the way around.

So Zen is actually the opposite of all these qualities.

So instead of being in a very you know scenic environment you're actually stripped away from that.

So you're actually just staring at a white wall if you practice Soto Zen.

And this is because in Zen you're again experiencing that emptiness and this is done by taking away all these layers.

And the theory behind this is that if you take away all these expressions of fullness and you're not distracted by anything you're actually able to completely look inwards and feel empty.

And in regards to food like you don't have really nice meals you just have a salad,

Oatmeal,

Just very basic things that are just aimed to sustain you and to really keep you awake so you can meditate.

But it's not something extravagant or super tasty.

Rather food is seen as something that will nourish you.

And in regards to the community aspect obviously Zen Buddhism is big into community.

I mean it's called Sangha.

But in this sense you're not really sharing and connecting with people like you did in a yoga retreat but rather you are supported silently.

And actually going further with this whole asylum thing you actually take a vow of silence in a meditation retreat.

So you're actually not allowed to talk to your partner next to you or make friends in that way of thinking because it's more so an atmosphere where you focus more on yourself.

So you're going deep into your problems and working through different things in your life and actually experiencing stillness through solitude and contemplation.

And whenever you start talking to people you'll start to obviously gather new ideas and information and that's actually seen as a hindrance to do all that.

So it's funny that in these types of environments you're actually not allowed to talk to people and they're very strict on that as well.

And in regards to working on personal issues you'll find that this method of growth and self-discovery is based upon strength and also discipline.

And this is actually very empowering when you think about it.

So in regards to the structure like these Zen types of environments are very structured.

So they have set schedules on when you're going to wake up,

When you're going to meditate.

You're going to meditate for 15 minutes and then after that 15 minutes or sorry 25 minutes and after that 25 minutes you're going to do walking meditation.

This only lasts for 10 minutes and then after that 10 minutes you're going to sit down and do this.

So your whole day is structured.

You have even in terms of eating meals you have to fold your napkin a certain way.

You fold it in thirds and then put it this way.

So everything is very structured and this is so you can discipline yourself.

And this actually helps you a lot in terms of dealing with yourself and actually not thinking about different things because your mind is already occupied on the task.

And while Zen does not feel as fun as doing a yoga retreat you'll actually learn a lot from the experience itself.

You'll feel more strong and self-reliant and you'll also experience a different kind of stillness that isn't accessible in a yoga retreat.

So you're actually able to go really deep into this because by its whole nature and atmosphere you're reducing all kinds of distractions or potential distractions.

So you're just able to sit and blast through.

So Zen can actually be very transformative but it's transformative in a different way compared to yoga and both have its merits.

So how do you exactly choose which one you should go on whether it's going to be a yoga retreat or a Zen retreat.

And I feel with this there isn't like a blanket statement or one answer because there's a lot of different factors.

Mainly it could be your personality type,

What you prefer,

Your learning styles,

It could be your lifestyle choices,

What's going on in your life and essentially just understanding what you need in this present moment.

But I'll try to give you a few pointers.

So the first in regards to if you are facing a certain problem and that's why you're going to retreat in order to have a period of self-exploration and discovery and personal growth,

Then you have two options.

So one is do you need more of a nurturing or supportive type environment?

So perhaps you have something really traumatic or stressful or you just want to release any stored emotions.

Then I would say you need more of that need a hug type of approach where you go to a yoga retreat,

Where you're able to share your feelings and this is actually encouraged.

You share,

You connect and you will release those things through connecting with others and release work.

So that's what a yoga retreat is really known for and really strong at.

But on the other side,

Maybe sometimes you just need to develop your strength.

So perhaps you are a bit too emotional and you're too sensitive and you're just always like playing the victim or crying about things or you don't feel strong in yourself.

Well,

In that case,

I actually wouldn't recommend you go to a yoga retreat but actually go to a Zen retreat because in Zen,

You'll particularly you learn how to be strong,

How to be firm and also you feel very empowered and strong within yourself because Zen make no mistake is actually very tough of an environment because you're sitting there in front of a white wall for like hours at a day and you can move,

You just sort of sit there and actually will teach you that once you go through the whole experience that you're actually very strong and stronger than you think and you're actually able to burn through your problems at a lot stronger rate and you'll develop that toughness and also independence that comes from yoga,

I mean from Zen.

So you'll feel more empowered within yourself.

Also if you're currently feeling that you're a bit burned out by life or you're feeling very jaded,

There's a lot of different life scenarios that are going on and you're just like,

Oh,

I need a break from life,

Then in that case,

Zen will be a good antidote for you because you essentially are meditating upon emptiness,

Right?

So everything is stripped away from you,

So you're able to just kind of go in your own zone so to speak and through very deep periods of meditation,

You'll actually forget that you have your problems,

Your body and all that through deep meditation and afterwards you'll feel very relaxed and you come out of a Zen retreat feeling very unattached,

Which is very positive.

On the other hand,

If you have a job that is pretty isolating,

You're by yourself all the time,

A lot of people are now working remotely,

Right?

So they're not connecting with their friends as much or perhaps you're just constantly just focused on your own little world and problems,

Then a yoga retreat will actually be very beneficial for you because you're able to connect with other people and you're able to feel fullness whereas you hadn't before because feeling jaded and all that is the opposite of fullness.

You feel like very like apathy,

Or if you feel apathetic,

Then the fullness practices of yoga will actually be very nurturing for you.

Another factor could be demographics.

Disabilities is also a very small thing and from my experience and what I've noticed is that yoga retreats typically will attract groups of people that are usually in their 20s,

Usually female as well,

They tend to love going to retreats because they are able to connect with other people,

Young people and they're very lively and active and that type of energy.

What I've noticed is that in these Zen retreats or areas where you're silent,

You don't talk for much,

It does cater to a crowd that's slightly a bit older,

Usually in their 40s or so,

Both men and women.

Maybe it could be age where you just don't feel like talking to people,

You just want to go in your own little bubble and just meditate and that could be very valid.

But then again,

I have done both so don't use that as an excuse but that's just another factor.

Once again,

Retreats are very helpful for you.

It allows you to experience a deeper level of connection and awakening that you normally wouldn't experience in your daily lives.

It also provides a very nice break from your life as well and also allows you to connect with other people and experience deep calm and stillness.

So I definitely recommend that you check out a retreat and hopefully with this video you'll be able to see whether you prefer more of a yoga style or Zen,

You can always give it a shot.

And one last quote I would like to leave you with is by Daily Om and the quote goes as follows.

Going on a retreat is a time to cocoon,

So we may emerge ready to return to our lives with a new perspective.

So I'm going to leave you with that.

Thank you.

Reviews

Thank you 🙏🏽 very clear and helpful 😊

Beautiful guidance. I never thought that a personality and life experiences can tune you towards enjoying one kind of retreat more than another. After listening to this now I know Zen is the one for me. Thankyou very much