This year we had our 10th Autsit retreat. Our first was held back in 2011! We had six sitters this year, with newcomers Stephanie and Ellery, and veterans Paul, Hal, Anlor and Greg. All participants had prior experience in meditation. If you are neurodivergent and would like to begin meditative practice, you can join our regular online sittings; see Autsit.net. Retreat highlights this year included tennis, mushrooms, auts in a boat, a beaver in Fallen Leaf Lake, and another bear. Here you see us arriving at the cabin, and the cabin perched atop its cliff overlooking the famous waterfall. "The front yard is a tourist destination!" remarked one of our number.
Paul rang the wake-up bell at 5:20am (his turn), with the waterfall in the background. Anlor sipped tea before the first sit.
We forgot our usual meditation bell, so struck a brass hotel-desk bell with a rock. Attention!
Down to business, repeated many times during our stay. There were times of calm and times of discomfort, all illuminating.
We improvised clackers to time walking meditation. When too loud, the clack made some of us sensitive ones jump.
There were different styles of sitting.
Later Hal's collapsible chair collapsed, and he switched to an elevated round wooden cushion.
One pine needle triplet, gathered beside the deck, filled our incense needs for the retreat. May the elk, who seemed concerned about possible fire, rest. Out of respect for sensitivities, we always extinguished the incense after a few seconds.
There were talks about meditation, received with due reflection.
Apparently there was something big.
There was tennis, itself a serious practice ...with a nod to Magritte.
Then it was time to cool off (read freeze) at the lake. Ellery found a stick!
Cooking was a significant part of the daily practice, especially at breakfast-time when care was needed not to harsh the mellow silence we maintained until noon. Here Stephanie prepares her exotic assortment of mushrooms.
There was tasty food of many kinds.
We often ate overlooking the waterfall. With the pleasant weather and snow-bejewelled peaks it couldn't have been lovelier—a perfect setting for neurodivergent conviviality.
The deck was always a friendly meeting-place: It was a pleasure to be among others who share the experience of being a bit different from many people.
There was ample opportunity for contemplation. Here Paul recollects his experiences hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Then we headed off into the mountains on hikes. That's a sketch of the cabin at the right, as seen from the mountainside across the Glen Alpine Creek—in an effort to communicate some point during the morning silence.
Where's the trail?
Paul gamely forded a stream.
A saprophytic Snow Plant
There was lots of wildlife, including a grouse whump-whump-whumping, butterflies sipping water at the lake, and a lone beaver perhaps planning to dam Fallen Leaf Lake (3 miles long). Not pictured are a dusty brown toad we spotted and this year's bear.
Let's go already!
Five auts in a tub, at pretty Angora Lake, home of famous fresh-made lemonade...
...the dregs of which are here drained by Anlor.
Work, especially cleaning, is an important part of meditative practice.
We came to the end of our beautiful retreat and convened to share our experience.
May our efforts encourage your own meditative practice, neurodivergent and all!
