In April, I was lucky enough to go on my first 5-day meditation retreat at The Art of Living Retreat Center in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Winter had been long in Montana. Like reallllllly long. And from the looks of the gorgeous website photos, I could really use a little Blue Ridge Mountain spring weather relief.
The retreat center was beyond incredible and the people were even better. Synchronistic connections every time I turned around. I have definitely encountered these connections here and there throughout my life, and I have a wonderful array of friends sprinkled around in different states. But to show up to this spontaneous adventure and instantly meet approximately 30 of them at once felt magical and empowering.
Have you experienced something like this before?
The food. It changed my life. Little to my surprise, eating warm, lovingly prepared ayurvedic meals with extra ghee completely changed my experience in my own body. While I know the 'rules' for healthy digestion, cooking is different in my daily life while I try to accommodate the needs and desires of each of my family members.
Here, I was able to simply take care of one body and gratefully filled my plate at the vegetarian buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Who knew meditating all day took so much energy? Gratitude to the chefs for providing the incredible nourishment and inspiration to prepare more meals like these at home.
Solo morning yoga in the trees, birds alive and welcoming the spring sunrises, leaves beginning to unfold. Moisture in the air, soft winds, group yoga with a vista to drink in, and gentle walks around the grounds. I followed my teacher's wise advice and treated the whole week as a meditation. Unplugging from social media and taking a little space from loved ones, all in the name of spiritual growth and heart-based meditation.
Each day, we cycled through 6 hour-long meditation sequences that included yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, rest and a bathroom break, all in silence. It was astounding to observe people being in the present moment. No one was on their electronics, instead taking that time to sit in the sun and close their eyes. I miss being in a world where people are present, and I have taken with me a new sense of being intentional with the time I do spend online.
The most profound thing I learned was from my teacher, Dr. Paul Dugliss. To summarize, he explained that there are no mistakes. No wrong choices exist. Our souls have asked to learn certain lessons during this lifetime, and no matter what you choose
(think: career, where you live, if you have children or not, if you are married, divorced, etc.) we are learning exactly what we are here to learn. What feelings does this bring up for you? Do you wonder if you made the right decisions along the way?
Personally, I have spent a lot of energy wondering about the 'what if's' in my life and that perhaps things would be easier, simpler, if I lived somewhere else, had chosen a different major in college or had waited until I was in my 30's to have kids. These thoughts are distracting, reduce my ability to be present in my life, and are actually a waste of time because I would be learning the same things no matter what decisions I made throughout my life. I also came to realize: It isn't supposed to be easy.
Understanding these concepts has allowed me to let go of many energetic drains, be more present and embrace this one unique, complex and beautiful life I am living. I would love to hear what concepts you have come to learn through your meditation practice?
If you are interested in booking your own retreat, check it out: https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/
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