Clear Sky's Spring 2022 Pun Retreat
Build up your kit of wit at our upcoming pun retreat.
We’ve had two years of lockdown. Let’s face it, who wants to travel to be with a group of like-minded, compassionate people and not be able to talk to them?
Enough of these unfairly silent retreats. Instead, join this unique retreat–where talking at mealtimes forms the central practice!
Puns in Retreat? Really?
Don’t go wild. Let’s address the elephant in the room right away.
The pun doesn’t get good press.
We brave souls who go there, we risk it all. Rolled eyes and groans. And the silences, oh, the silences cut so deep.
Yet our teachers affirm again and again that, unlike other forms of humor, there is no victim in puns. No fool, scapegoat, or target. Pure wordplay.
In other words, puns are wholesome. And what does the Buddha suggest we do with the wholesome? Increase it.
Heeling–This Retreat’s Greatest Feet
Are you anti-pun? This retreat will heel you of that. Corny though it may sound, we’ll shoe away your fears around punning in public.
Imagine it. To serve a pun so awful even you cringe as it leaves your lips. To wait, to hold your breath for the reaction. Finally, as the long moments of fear and distrust fall away, your reward is pure love and support for your courage. Well, sometimes.
You are weird. It was a stretch. And it’s ok. The world did not end.
So, don’t toe the line. Take this step. Walk toward the heeling. Let it fill your sole.
Table Talk – The Central Practice
Anything’s fair game at the dining table, no beefs allowed.
Doubts? Just meat us halfway, it’s not so offal as you might think.
In these pun trips around the table, you’ll feel the drive to play on words about, say, ‘parts of a car’. Don’t stall, gear up for this fun retreat. Wheel get your motor running even if you’re at starter level. Wheel steer you in the right direction, and you’ll make it with fuel to spare.
How much mileage can I get out of this one? You’ll be wondering this too, as you pass your limit of self-editing, time after time.
Open that throat chakra, explore your creative limits!
You Chews
Go for easy points and get your just desserts, sticking to quips about veggies and dips. Or, push out the gravy boat and verbally penne lines about food that’s pasta sell-by-date. It’s all up to you.
How far will you go? For some it’s easy peasey, for others not so macha.
Non-mealtimes
Outside mealtimes, retreatants are encouraged to talk normally (good luck) and devour thesauruses, encyclopedias, and dictionaries to feed their brainstorming.
Stay ever mindful and watch for sudden giggling, the inability to stop puns appearing every other thought. See how you irritate yourself even more than others, and try to notice the moment when you forget how to have a normal conversation.
Registration opens after April 1st.
Not for you? You might like to take a look at some of our upcoming programs. To guarantee a pun-free environment, we recommend a silent cabin retreat.
FAQ's
It’s both! The pun retreat is a lighthearted April Fools’ post, but Clear Sky Center is a real meditation retreat in the Rocky Mountains of BC that runs group retreats, private cabin stays, and immersive programs year-round.
A pun retreat is a playful take on the traditional silent retreat — instead of silence, wordplay at mealtimes becomes the central practice. Clear Sky’s version encourages retreatants to pun freely in a judgment-free, supportive setting.
Yes. If you’d prefer a pun-free experience, Clear Sky offers private silent cabin retreats with valley views, locally sourced organic meals, and optional daily meditation guidance.
Clear Sky Center is in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern BC, near Cranbrook International Airport — about four hours from Calgary and one hour from the US border.
Clear Sky runs group meditation retreats, private cabin stays, online courses, spiritual coaching, and longer programs like the three-month Karma Yoga intensive.
