Retreat
7 days of practicing together with discussions, guided self-inquiry & meditation
Rest
1 day off mid-retreat for hiking, soaking in hot springs, exploring, being
Practice
Final 2 days are set aside for a personal practice / retreat / one-on-one work
Seeing through the solidity of thoughts and emotions
This meditation retreat takes place in Crestone, Colorado and holds a dedicated space for a deep and introspective immersion into life below the surface and into a mind-body significantly more subtle than form.
When thoughts and emotions lose their solidity, there is no more mental labyrinth to navigate – consider the implication of this.
Prior meditation experience not needed
We will explore meditation as entering into a living relationship with oneself, assist the mind in discerning imagination from reality on the subconscious level and discover the ease in the nervous system when stress-driven thoughts and emotion dissolve without any external effort.
Intention
Arrive with the intention to work sincerely and to pour your heart into discovering and developing an inner stamina and composure that is capable of holding, softly allowing and witnessing the arising and passing energies of what is named as thoughts and emotions.
Structure
The following questions will serve as a structure for self-inquiry and meditation work during a focused time at the wonderful Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado. We will inquire into these questions by directly witnessing the answers in the body, without relying on prior knowledge.
Prior to Meditation
- Perspective:Â Self-Improvement as a form of self-inflicted violence.
- Meditation is not about silencing the mind, on the contrary it is about learning how to listen to thoughts and understand them.
- Spiritual bypassing—a misguided form of spirituality—may deaden emotional access by falsely striving for a “neutral mind.”
- Entering into a living relationship with yourself – relating not to a mental construct of self, but to the actual, living human being.
- Giving accumulated knowledge its proper domain – is knowledge a “middle man” in relationships?
- Is there a relationship between self-image and the nervous system?
- Cultivating a mind that is free of internal conflict – no emotion possesses an internal split where a virtuous “better half” attempts to correct its inferior counterpart.
- Emotional Freedom: an emotion is able to flow without friction, telling its complete story without internal resistance..
- Recognizing oneself as a continuation of humanity.
- Understanding Self-Esteem / Becoming an independent thinker.
- Meditation – not a mechanical practice nor a technique.
The Relation Between Thought, Mind and Body
- What is a thought beyond an image?
- How does thought travel in the body?
- How does thought create sensation?
- With what speed does thought energy move?
- Is there a relationship between thought and electricity?
Understanding the Thinker / Observer
- Observing how the self arises from memories.
- Witnessing the relationship between the thinker (self) and thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations.
- Sensing how the brain manufactures artificial intelligence that is self-aware (the self).
- Considering the possibility that the nature of even the most intense thoughts and emotion may be more mechanical than living.
- Learning to deescalate the charge and importance of a thought-emotion-feeling-sensation.
- If the self is made of thought, is it actually alive?
- Does thought have a center that says “I”? Does this “I” have a human face / voice?
Navigating the Labyrinths of Thoughts
- Is imagination 3-dimensional?
- When an image is visualized, does it have width, height, length or depth? Is the space around it also visualized?
- Is the distance between the image and the observer also imagined?
- Are thoughts spatially organized in mental space? Does the distance between thoughts exist?
- Is the observer also a part of imagination?
- Is the sense of time also a part of visualized space? How do we discern projected future vs. projected past?
- What is the relationship between a thought and an emotion? What makes one thought more important than another?
- How does the thought-created space/time bind to attention?
- Do thought-emotion energies accumulate in the body’s energy field? What are the implications of this?
- Can a strong emotional charge be released without action, causation or change to the external circumstances?
- Is it possible to completely abandon all prior knowledge during introspection?
- Is it still necessary to seek a way out if the thought-created labyrinth loses it’s solidity?
Troubleshooting / Fine-tuning Meditation
- Short meditation drills with check-ins, feedback and possible suggestions for course correction
- Exploration of inner experiences, witnessing wealth of information in the seemingly insignificant observations
- Partner Work: “Assisted Meditation” in the exploration of muscle tensions
Serene Retreat Space
Quiet, tranquil, peaceful nature around the beautiful Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Lodging
Private Rooms
Settle into a cozy, private room designed for restful quiet, comfort, contemplation, and a focused practice. Each space features a meditation nook, storage for personal belongings, and a window with breathtaking views of the San Luis Valley or the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Clean and convenient shared bathroom facilities, which feature seven toilets and five private shower cabins for community use.
Individual Rooms with a private bathroom +$30 / night
Getting There
Arrive: Oct 30
Arrive at Denver International Airport between 12pm and 1pm
Depart: Nov 9
Depart from Denver International Airport after 6pm
Rental Car
The retreat center is about 4 hours drive from DEN airport. You would need a car or a bus to get to the center.
Carpool
For those wishing to carpool and split the cost of the rental car, groups will be arranged.
Your Guide
Vova Kuperman
I aspire to become literate at being human. In early twenties I had a flashback to a childhood memory of being miraculously healed from a chronic illness by a touch of a hand. Years later, my thirst for answers took me out of software engineering and through many books, places, people, countries and experiences, eventually settling down to explore within.
With many years of an in-depth dedication to meditation, self-inquiry/introspection, healing arts, and somatic practices, I continue to probe into the depth of existence. The direction of my work is set on maturing the capacity to sense with discernment into the subtle sheath of psycho-energetic imprints that span across mental, emotional, physical and energetic domains. Further emphasis is placed on the extraordinary psychosomatic relationship between thought and matter.
For over a decade, I have been restoring hearts and sharing my findings via various modalities including developing emotional intelligence, rites of passage work, one-on-one and group self-inquiry sessions, retreats in remote wilderness as well as in the comfort of a meditation center. This work is my labor of deep love and the most sincere blueprint of my individuality.
Sensing a Connection?
If you have any questions, please call / text at 224-300-0499 or send a message here
Payment Options
- Cash / Check
- Zelle / Venmo / PayPal
- Credit Card
Refund Policy
- Fully refundable up to 3 weeks before the retreat
- Less than 3 weeks, %50 refund will be issued or a full refund if someone else can take your spot.