Thank you for preparing for your upcoming online retreat with IRC.   Participating from home has unique benefits and challenges. As with in-person retreats, we can support ourselves and one another by considering the following practices: 

Preparation
Your Retreat Space

• If possible, choose an area that is quiet and free of distractions with reliable internet access (a direct Ethernet connection is best, or a strong WiFi signal).
• Closing the door and turning the phone off are helpful, especially for the time you will be interacting with others on the retreat. 
• It can also be supportive of your ability to settle and focus on your retreat to “freshen” or neaten the area in which you will be practicing.  Some people find it helpful to place a Buddha, a candle or flowers in their practice area to support an atmosphere of a meditation hall.
• Find a place(s) for walking meditation. This might include walking around the block or in a hallway or larger room or yard. It is preferable not to have to navigate street crossings or traffic.
• If possible, it supports fellow retreatants and teachers if you sit in front of a clean, simple background, just as meditation halls are kept visually clear of distractions.  If you choose to use a virtual background, please choose one that is simple and not distracting to others.

• If possible, do all of your food shopping before the retreat begins.
• Consider writing a meal plan so you do not have to decide what to prepare for each meal.
• It helps to cook meals that can be reheated easily or frozen, such as a large pot of soup for dinners.  
• For longer retreats consider whether it would be helpful to have groceries delivered during the retreat rather than going to the grocery store.
  • You might consider buying fresh produce that keeps for long periods like apples, cabbage, onions, garlic, carrots, beets, potatoes, yams

• If they are NOT sitting the retreat
  • Discuss with them what kinds of interactions you may or may not have during the retreat.
  • Post your retreat schedule and let them know what to expect, including what amount of speaking they can expect from you. 
  • If possible, ask for support in having a quieter overall living space. Ask people to use earbuds or headphones or at least keep the volume low in a separate room.
  • For some it may work better to switch a practice time with a meal time to limit interactions in the kitchen.
  • If you have children at home and they are old enough, talk with your kids about what you are doing and ask their input for how to create a supportive environment. Enlist them as allies.
• If you are doing the retreat with a partner, here are a few tips to consider:
  • Sitting together in the same location can be very supportive
  • Decide before the retreat how much speaking you will do with each other.  It’s very supportive to only have functional speech and refrain from casual conversation.
  • Decide before the retreat how the tasks of meal preparation and clean up will be shared.  It can be helpful to create a schedule for these activities.  

Participation

• Please arrive early to online sittings and practice discussions, just as you would in a meditation hall.
• It is supportive for your fellow retreatants if you leave your camera on during sittings and discussions.  This gives a sense of sitting together, instead of simply viewing names on a screen. However, if you are doing non-retreat activities please turn off the video so as to not distract others. Some people find it supportive to have the computer screen to their side or at a distance during the meditation sessions so that they are not distracted by the screen.  We trust your discernment in taking care of yourself if it is legitimately challenging for you to keep your video on (for example, if you have limited internet, or due to health conditions.)
• Please be mindful of your physical movements during sittings the same way you would in the meditation hall, not moving around, not drinking or eating, and not “leaving the hall” unless necessary.
• Be mindful of moving the phone or tablet while the camera is on as it can be visually disturbing to others.  
• Keep your microphone muted until those times retreatants are invited to engage in questions or discussions.
• It's helpful to consider any other activities you need to do as a continuation of your meditation, doing them unhurriedly and mindfully.

Media, phones and other Technology

As with our in-person retreats, it is important to refrain from using electronic devices for anything other than retreat activities.