Silence is true luxury these days. Especially when living in a big city such as Hong Kong, the chances of having access to quietude are quite small.  

When people are surrounded by an overwhelming environment, the hectic mind gets even more alert and reactive, making it more difficult to slow down.  

Going on a silent meditation retreat is a powerful opportunity to dive into the inner self, a place in which one can finally disconnect from the thinking mind, and listen to their core essence.  

Where to find Silence in Hong Kong

To escape the intense pace of the city, the best solution is to go on an immersive journey. Silent meditation retreat is carefully designed to support you in finding tranquility and peace.  

“When you are living in the constant buzz with time it blends into the background noise, that exact noise that causes people chronic anxiety. And only when you find yourself in the silent retreat, surrounded by tranquility, you finally realize how loud that noise was. And you can not believe how you managed to get used to it. That is the beginning of mental health.” , says Vlada de Sousa, meditation teacher and the creator of Bliss Body Journeys’ Silent Retreat in Hong Kong.  

Benefits of a silent meditation retreat 

There are plenty of beneficial aspects when it comes to silence and silent meditation retreats. Our experts in meditation and spirituality collected a few of them: 

Find peace through digital detox 

We live in the era of digital connection. With a mobile in hand, one gets intensely attached to the outside world, and this overstimulation brings up constant worry and anxiety.  

When the focus is turned to what’s happening on the outside, it is not possible to go inside.  

“When I speak to our guests before their silent retreat, they express that the biggest concern is to let go the phone. And when I speak to them after the retreat they are amazed how profound and impactful it was for them to live a few days without their digital devices. I can confidently state that digital detox is a powerful medicine for modern society.”, says Vlada de Sousa. 

Recover from stress and burnout 

The mind is designed to protect us. It keeps itself alert and wired to think about the worst possible scenarios. But when one realizes there is no possible control over our thoughts, the only way out is to disengage from them.  

When people are immersed in the space of silence, they begin to let go of their thoughts and start focusing on the present moment, which immediately brings the body and mind to relaxation.  

It is not always possible to change the circumstances around us, however a conscious decision to go on a meditation retreat will grant you the shelter for deep rest and healing. 

Practice of being in the here and now

As Vlada de Sousa constantly points out, undigested and unprocessed traumatic experience take us out of the body into the state of dissociation. “The first step to get out of mind spinning and disconnection from the present  is to ground back again into our physical bodies. I teach embodiment practices during the retreats to support people finding their way back again into themselves. With safety.”, she says. 

Participants will be going through the steps like: breathwork, energy release practices and conscious bodywork to feel ready to sit down and meditate.

“The mind will settle and ground in the present, once we do the work of detaching our attention from the past, and from the stories we are re-telling to ourselves. As you get into the body, you will get out of the mind.”, she adds.  

In a silent meditation retreat, the facilitator presents guests with these tools to better manage the never-ending mind chatter, while guiding them through yogic and meditative practices, so they can experience what it is to be in the here and now.  

Gain clarity 

However, a silent retreat must be closely planned in a way that takes guests further and further away from their mundane problems.

Once people are given the opportunity to experience emptiness and total care freedom, they begin to shift inside. They are able to connect their thoughts with their emotions, and their emotions with their body.  

After accessing this sense of clarity, the answers to the big questions in life start simply to appear. 

Discover how to better navigate through life 

True transformation cannot happen just in a few days, let alone in one afternoon. Going on a retreat is an invitation to change, however, maintaining the peace achieved during the retreat can be challenging. 

That is why Bliss Body Journeys focuses on providing guests with tools that can be used daily as a lifelong support. 

“Liberation is the freedom from the prison of the roundabouts of the mind. And every silent retreat is a tremendous gift, tremendous opportunity to get closer to this liberation.”, says Vlada de Sousa. 

Bliss Body Journeys has been offering full immersive experiences in Hong Kong since 2020, creating a true healing centre amongst the nature environment of New Territories. Their signature silent retreat in Hong Kong, designed by Vlada de Sousa in collaboration with Ryan Grimes, has been supporting residents to recover and replenish ever since. Click here to learn more.