Fall Reflections 2022
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I’m recently home after 10 days in northern California, where I lived for 13 years. Feeling both nostalgic for the past and grateful for the life that I have now. While on the Sonoma Coast. I taught a retreat where we weaved Buddhist philosophy together with yoga and movement. Contemplative education using the body as a gateway to explore the heart-mind connection feels potent in our divided world. Our bodies, a trusted and reliable companion offers us cues and insight that sometimes get overlooked or ignored. Most of us feel disconnected, afraid, and alone in the troubled world we navigate.Yet, the tender heart and its potency are revealed when we are brave enough to tap into our vulnerability. Pilgrimage is a journey of leaving home, unplugging, leaving behind habitual tendencies, cultivating positive intentions, and embracing wholesome relationships. What I love the most about teaching are the amazing people that I meet along the way. Going on a retreat is not a spa vacation, it’s work! But, it’s beautiful, rich, and fulfilling. Buddha Sakyamuni himself left home and all of his worldly possessions behind to seek enlightenment.
Of course, the modern-day retreat is much more comfortable than that of Buddha's journey. We typically don’t sleep in the woods carrying only the clothes on our bodies and beg for food. Instead, we actually eat fantastic food to nourish ourselves and sleep in lovely accommodations to support rest because the modern world, with all of its complexities is an easier place to live. But is it? The shared attachment alone to our electronic devices is enough to cause anxiety. Unplugging for even a short amount of time is both noteworthy and difficult but provides so much spaciousness.
After almost three years of isolation, mask-wearing, social distancing, limited travel, etc, it’s interesting to suddenly notice this shift back to normal. What is your normal? I know some introverts that still appreciate the accepted and valid excuse of not participating in a group event or an activity for fear of exposure to covid. Others couldn't wait to pull off their masks and move freely through an airport. Whatever your normal is currently, it's an adjustment.
I have so much gratitude for my Sangha. The last three years have been a deep dive into practice and study. As we emerge together to discover what's normal, let's celebrate life.
