It’s mid-retreat. The mountains weather is bleak, the rain is sheeting in sideways, and yogis are trying their best to walk mindfully: ‘lifting-placing, lifting-placing. … placing-…whoops, lifting placing’, in the hall, along the verandahs, the dining room, their rooms and hallways.
The issue of enough sheltered walking paths on such an architecturally difficult site as BMIMC is an ongoing one, but the recent hall expansion has brought it to the forefront and next on the list of necessary (and longed-for) upgrades.
Happily, there are plans in place to begin a covered walking space off the main hall, a deck which begins under the present deck nearest the carpark, extending from under the hall. This extension will provide us with roughly 6 extra all-weather walking spaces, accessible via stairs near the front entrance of the hall. Construction should begin in the next few months so quite possibly will be in place for your next retreat.
Another possibility for more covered walking paths could also be a clear gazebo
structure over the current sand paths, and this could be deconstructed in the future if
there were further developments in the master plan, what do you think?
Really glad to hear about covered walking paths- allowing opportunity for equal walking/sitting time, which for me is great for concentration and progress on retreat.