Going on Dathun

I won't be online for a few weeks because I am going on a dathun, which is a month-long meditation retreat. I'll be waking up at 6:30am and then meditating for most of the day, with periods for meals, chores and hearing teachings and instructions. 


According to the Shambhala website: 


Dathün (Tibetan for "month session") is a one-month group meditation retreat lead by a senior teacher.  It is open to anyone and is a very powerful introduction and deepening of mindfulness-awareness meditation... Silence and functional talking are observed throughout the day.  Meals are served in the shrine room oryoki-style, a practice of mindful eating taken from the Zen tradition. There is regular individual instruction with trained meditation instructors.


This is something I've been planning for and looking forward to for years. I'm not sure I know what to expect. I'm kind of in it to go along for the ride, which I've found is a good way to approach things like this.