Meditation and silent retreat in Wat Suan Mokkh Thailand

Before I left Denmark I didn't really have many plans about where I wanted to go or what I wanted to see. One of the only things I knew I wanted to experience was going to a meditation and silent retreat at Wat Suan Mokkh near Chaya, Surat Thani province Thailand. 
I first came across reading about it here. http://www.bemytravelmuse.com/suan-mokkh/

This is just what I need, 10 days in solitude. Sure I don't expect to come out as a new person, but I reckon its a really good way for me to take a look inside and get to know myself a bit more. 

The word retreat is a bit misleading, cause really it doesn't sound like one of those nice retreats where you go to detox, sleep in a beautiful bungalow and having massages and scrubs and great juice ect. 

It actually sounds like hard work. 

• 4am start each morning
• Hours of hours of sitting in uncomfortable positions.
• Two vegetarian meals a day (8am and 12.30)
• No coffee.
• 6 hours of sleep on a concrete bed.
• No killing anything (this goes for mosquitoes also)
• No talking, reading, writing for the duration of the retreat.

Just you and your thoughts.

For some the thought of during this would scare the shit out of them. For me its a challenge.
I once took the trans Siberian railway for 7 days straight because I wanted to see what would happen to one after 7 days on a train....  

The daily schedule looks like this:

04.00 Wake up by the monastery bell

04.30 Morning reading

04.45 Sitting meditation

05.15 Yoga/exercise

 07.00 Dhamma talk & sitting meditaion

08.00 Breakfast & daily chores

10.00 Dhamma talks

11.00 Walking or standing meditation

11.45 Sitting meditation

12.30 Lunch and chores

14.30 Meditation instructions

15.30 Walking or standing meditation

16.15 Sitting meditation

17.00 Chanting & loving kindness meditation

18.00 Tea & hot springs

19.30 Sitting meditation

20.00 Group walk meditation

20.30 Sitting meditation

21.00 Bed time

21.30 Lights out

This schedule is pretty much the same for 10 days.

So Saturday I go to Surat Thani to spend the night and the main monastery and Sunday morning early I make my way to the Wat for the interview and registration. Then repacking so I only bring the essentials and put away the rest for storage. 

10 days of being cut of from the world. No internet access, no news, no emails, no music, no tv, no books to read, no social media, and no journal to write down my thoughts. 
I am actually really looking forward to this, only thing I think I will miss is not writing my thoughts down... But then I guess that's a big part of it. Just being in the now, not the past, not the future, just being in the present.

Why am I participating in this? What do I hope to achieve?
I am participating in this because I am ready for it. I want to get to know myself more. Being surrounded by no material things, just me and my thoughts.

The last couple of months I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what is good for me, 
This has let me to do a lot of yoga back in Denmark, and it also took me on a one week yoga retreat on Rhodes in the beginning of May. (an that was actually a retreat)
It was a week in beautiful surroundings, with some amazing woman around and with only one purpose. To do a lot of yoga. 
A post about my one week yoga retreat will come at a later point. 

For now I am enjoying the simple land tranquil life on beautiful Koh Phangan, staying at Beach village, relaxing by the pool, reading my book, writing my journal and just looking out over the sea. Preparing my self mentally for what is to come. 

My lovely bungalow at Beach Village Koh Phangnan

The view from my bungalow