Comment by carabiner

Wow. I used to go to the mindfulness retreats at his affiliated monastery in San Diego. You left your phone in your car, and had 3-5 days (or more sometimes) of meditation, fresh cooked meals, and nature. It was really peaceful, and so different from what I had expected (something like a cult, being plied for donations etc. there was none of that). I stopped going when I left California, but it's hard to feel much more free than that these days. You're on a schedule for sleep, meals and events, basically making no decisions, and without internet pulling your attention, you feel like your mind is coming back to yourself.