Dark Retreat
Sample Itinerary for
5 days/4 nights
Embark on a journey supported by our Association of Friends at Dark Retreats Oregon guided by your internal guidance and intuition. Experience deep introspection, rejuvenating rest and renewal and surrender to the Dark while being compassionately supported and nourished.
Day 1 Gentle Landing + Settling In
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Arrive at least an hour before sunset
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2:00 - 4:30 pm November to March
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3 - 5:00 pm April to October
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Land Tour - Get familiar with surroundings. Choose your emergence location at this time. The most often chosen locations are the pond, mountain vista, century old orchard or hobbit holes in the woods.
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Orient in the light and layout your personal items in the retreat space. Select instrument or other tools from the common space to customize the layout of your retreat space.
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Share a communal dinner as we record your needs and preferences.
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Intention setting and Tea candle lighting to ignite and align with your retreat purpose.
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Gentle transition and immersion into darkness and stillness.
Days 2–4 Immersion + Stillness
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Immerse yourself fully in darkness during days 2, 3 and 4.
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Enjoy two consciously prepared meals.
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Participate in one daily check-in usually 10-15 minutes (verbal or non-verbal if silence is preferred). We provide additional support when requested.
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Explore taboos when no one is watching for example:
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Surrender and let go of control
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Do nothing
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Eat with your hands
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Skip showering
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Process emotions
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Cry and process repressed emotions
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Request and receive support
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Ego death and rebirth
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Day 5 Emergence + Integration
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Receive a notification that it is time to emerge. Take 15 minutes to awaken, get dressed, go to the bathroom and put on your blindfold. Most people choose to emerge before first light as it is the most gentle time for the eyes to adjust.
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Be guided to your emergence location or go it alone. It is up to you if you choose to be witnessed or remain in solitude during, what many describe as, the most profound moment in a Dark retreat.
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Engage in integration activities such as:
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Journal
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Verbal processing with supporter(s)
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Make a vision board
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Walk or hike in nature
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Go to the nearby river or beach
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Sunbathe with a blindfold on (weather dependent)
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Enjoy a final meal together before departing by late morning (11:00 am), carrying the insights and growth from your retreat.
Consious Cuisine
We gather ingredients from three sources to cook nourishing foods served during dark retreats. From foraging, to harvesting, processing and preparation, we place our attention on imbuing meals with your retreat intention(s) in mind. Meals may include canned, fermented or dried foods preserved by us.
Wild Foraged
Seasonal foods are made available by the land without the need for cultivation. These foods are collected and processed during their peak harvesting times.
Garden Grown
We make biochar onsite then inoculate it to create enriched soil used to cultivate ingredients in our small community garden.
Organic Whole
Meals are mostly made with organic whole foods purchased at nearby farms, food cooperatives and distributors.