Fresh Start Monday #042: Reflections from 7-days of silent meditation in nature, part 1
Yesterday I returned from my 7-day silent meditation retreat located in the Rocky Mountains just outside of Ward, CO. It's like I returned from another planet. It's hard to write about as I feel like I'll be processing and reflecting over the next few weeks.
The difference between this retreat compared to other Vipassana retreats was we spent the majority of our time outdoors. I camped each night, and our meditation practice was done in meadows, forests, and off of hiking trails on a 180-acre property. (With several moose sightings!)
While a typical Vipassana retreat may have more time sitting in meditation and allow for a greater depth, what I appreciated by the end of the retreat was the fluidity between different sit spots and how we moved mindfully throughout the day.
I feel more able to incorporate a lot of the lessons back into my life as I settle back into reality.
Mark Coleman was our phenomenal meditation leader and he shared poems throughout as part of our program. This one resonated with me:
Clearing by Martha Postlethwaite
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself to this world
so worthy of rescue.
This retreat created a clearing in the stressful, always-moving world that we inhabit.
One concept he introduced was the "returning mind". On our way back from anything, our mind has a tendency to make plans, think of logistics, and what's next in our day. We never give our minds a break.
On our hikes back to the lodge, Mark encouraged us to stay present and mindful, and not of lunch and what we're doing once we get there. We focused on using sound to stay present and engage another sense.
It's about creating pauses in our day. A pause to the constant rumination, planning, and whatever else flows through our minds. To give our thinking minds a rest just as we rest our bodies.
It doesn't need to be meditation. But maybe it's taking two extra minutes in the morning to make your coffee. Smelling the beans, watching the cream spread, and feeling the warmth in your hands before taking a sip.
I'm still reflecting on what that means for me, but how can you create more presence and space in your life?
Local to Boulder, CO?
Join me this Wednesday (6/21) on Meetup to explore how to create more mindfulness in your life through a series of journal prompts with other like minded people in their 20s and 30s.
Wednesday, June 21th at 6pm MT at Silver Vines Winery