What Is A Darkness Retreat?
The darkness retreat is also called dark therapy, dark yoga or dark meditation. It is finding the Light of the Soul and inner responses as well as the time of spiritual experiences.
For me darkness retreat is the original path to enlightenment because after a while the inner light becomes visible even physically. The word enlightenment in fact gets a completely different meaning.
Darkness is an elementary power that helps us to develop personally and spiritually. When we dedicate ourselves to darkness for a longer time, we will experience the being and powers, that are greater than we are, an experience that goes deeper and deeper. Darkness retreats are practised in all traditional cultures, especially in Japan, India and Tibet.
In Bön, the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet, the darkness retreat is called the royal road of meditation. Using the night as a tool to reduce stimuli and for final conditioning is a part of self-discovery in all cultures and religions.
You may have many different kinds of spiritual experiences during a darkness retreat. Self-awareness often deepens. A darkness retreat may also lead to a contemplation, an observation of mental processes, an experience of the primal sound and primal light, encounters with spiritual beings, decedents, figures of light, forces of nature etc., an experience of emptiness, death experiences, an experience of reincarnation, a sense of a second body (bioplasma body).
There is no real method to practise a darkness retreat. The path through darkness is completely individual; there is no prescribed plan through the night you have to follow. You will realize that the darkness itself is the technique. The darkness is your teacher and leads you to the place where you will find your healing. The being itself is the journey.
Who Is Suitable For A Darkness Retreat
There are no special indications or contraindications for a darkness retreat. However, one should be physically and mentally in good shape to handle all internal and external impressions in the best manner. The dark therapy does not deal with individual problems, but takes the human being in a unity of body, mind and spirit, so that he feels as a part again and linked with the universe.
Testimonials
Bianca describes her darkness retreat as follows:
"My darkness retreat was like a big and small trip around the world on that I have realised many things. The senses are opening up to heart, soul and mind. Thanks to Bharati's very kind care I felt very secure."
Groups itself have a special power. Together spiritual experiences are induced much faster. Feel free to listen to experiences of some of my participants of my Columbian group:
Experience Yourself!
It is possible to book this experience of darkness for a single person, for couples or even for small groups. After a phone or skype call you will decide for yourself the length of your darkness retreat. In my experience the inner light becomes visible to the physical eye after 3 to 5 days. Afterwards the spiritual experiences start to deepen. That's why I recommend spending a minimum of 10 days up to a maximum of 7 weeks in the darkness instead of staying only for a couple of days. But of course you decide for yourself the length of the retreat.
If you request, I will come to see you once a day for about one hour conversation.
I recommend to fast during the retreat meaning that you only drink juice, tea and water. If you request, I will bring you light vegetable soups and/or smoothies. For a small fee I will organize daily vegetarian food.
For inner preparation for a darkness retreat, it is an advantage to stop eating animal proteins and drinking alcohol a week in advance. The food has always played an important role in initiation rituals.
At the end of your darkness retreat, you will come back to light in the morning and go for a walk to re-discover the wonders of Mother Earth. The first contact with light and nature is an overwhelming experience often moving to tears. Experiencing this unity regularly continues for weeks and gives a deep balance to the soul.
You have the possibility to stay a few days longer to get slowly used to civilization again.
