As a practitioner, you should have a method, and you should understand the goal of your practice. You should set aside a period of time each day to practice. In addition to daily sittings, every so often you should devote a longer period of time exclusively to practice: one full day per week, one entire weekend per month, et cetera.

If you want to conduct a solitary retreat for a month, a year, or even several years, then certain criteria must be met. You should have a sound grasp of Buddhadharma and your practice. Your physical and psychological health must be strong enough to endure the rigors of an extended solitary retreat. Be familiar and smooth with your method; in other words, be able to cope with any mental or physical phenomena that arise, and be able to correct and refine your understanding of the Dharma as your practice develops. In most cases, experiences will be illusions if you are unable to determine if an experience is genuine. The best attitude is to ignore all unusual phenomena, sensations, ideas and feelings that arise. It is important to have a detached, non-seeking, calm attitude. Remember, I am talking about experiences that arise during practice. If you get sick or hurt yourself, it would be foolish to ignore it. If all these criteria are not met, you will develop serious physical and mental obstructions, and will not know how to deal with the rigors of solitary retreat.

Therefore, beginners should not attempt a solitary retreat. In fact, I would not recommend it for most people. It is very demanding. Most people are better off practicing in a group ─ preferably of five people or more ─ with or without a master. Again, having a master is always better, but group practice without a master is preferable to solo practice without a master. If one member has problems, the others can help.