This week’s post is shorter because I was invited to write an essay for Beyond with Jane Ratcliffe. The topic is how my spiritual practice influences my writing practice. The title of the essay is “Beautifully Ordinary” and it was published yesterday!
Please check it out!
After a recent, very intense bout of covid that lasted 2.5 weeks, I have finally begun to feel like myself again. Except for one thing. A particular kind of residue has remained from the forced experience of having to surrender to what is.
I think it’s called contentment. During my illness I had no choice but to be at home. I slept and read and ate a little bit of whatever Brad put before me. As I have gotten better and regained my mojo, my mind and energy have stayed in that place. In Sanskrit, this state of mind is called Santosha.
Like most human beings, I have a habit of craving. I like planning for the future. I like imagining what I could buy or make or do to jazz up my life/home/work. But I also know that is just a habitual response to being bored, wanting to avoid something, procrastinating or simply not wanting to be present.
When I was sick I was full of gratitude for my husband, my comfortable home and the healthcare workers who took care of me. I felt so fortunate. There was nothing more I wanted.
Now that I am fully recovered, I find that my gratitude and appreciation is still in the front of my mind and heart while my craving habit has fallen away.
I am quite sure that my years of practice have helped me notice these feelings of contentment and appreciation. And for that, I am also deeply grateful.
You just never know what will wake you up! Being sick was almost like being on retreat. Everything supports your practice by giving you uncomfortable things to rub up against.
Here are some retreat opportunities coming up soon that I am excited to share with you! I’m only offering 4 Mindfulness Meditation mini-retreats this year and 3 Saddha Meditation Retreat Intensives. I hope you can join me for these transformative, nourishing experiences.
Practice Opportunities
Online
The first MINDFULNESS MEDITATION MINI-RETREAT of 2024 will be about GAINING CONFIDENCE IN YOUR PRACTICE.
Confidence, trust, faith - this is the first of the 5 STRENGTHS in Buddhist Practice. We explore this for 5 days plus practice shamatha, mindfulness meditation. A little stretching or a restorative pose could also happen. And rousing discussions!
Recordings offered daily if you have to miss.
This retreat will give you the grounding to begin, to continue, to feel clear about your relationship with practice.
Grow your practice gradually with each retreat. Longer times allow you to drop in a little deeper. Sessions include a dharma talk, sitting meditation, stretching, breathwork, group discussion.
Path
APRIL 14 11:30-2:30
Connecting mindfulness meditation practice to life off the cushion. How the technique can be applied to all your relationships.
Fruition
JUNE 9 11:30-3:30
Recognizing the benefits of the practice and how the Path has helped you move from your starting ground closer to your aspirations.
In Person
Explore the notion of sustainability in yoga. This work is about presence, curiosity, and personal connection; it is never goal-oriented or performative.
Through nourishing movement designed to balance your physical and mental strength, you will embody sustainability as you experience:
Inspiring dharma talks
Medium-paced asana flows that combine precision and playfulness
Meditation for focus, awareness, and mental nimbleness
Breathwork to regulate the nervous system
Restorative yoga to relax and refresh
Return home feeling more energized and expanded in your capacity to move, breathe, and live well into the future.
*** CEs available for Yoga Alliance ***
Spiritual refuge offers a path for connecting to the basic goodness of the body, breath, and mind. Breathwork, meditation, and OM Yoga are all effective tools that offer healing, self-awareness, compassion, and mindfulness.
Join legendary yoga teacher, Cyndi Lee, for a week-long program that immerses you in deep embodiment, mindfulness, and curiosity. Through meditation, breathwork, yoga, time in nature, group discussion, and more, you will:
Understand the relationship between breathwork, meditation, and asana.
Develop a reliable structure for ongoing personal practice.
Enhance your work as a yoga or meditation teacher.
Begin, or further, your Buddhist studies.
Transform boredom into curiosity.
Each day’s work will build on the day before so you can observe the effects of your practice. Return home with resources that offer you a refuge for the rest of your life.
*** 6 rooms left! ***
This retreat is open to everyone! Our practice will focus primarily on sitting and walking mindfulness meditation, sustainable yoga, and restorative yoga. Yoga props will be available in the yoga studio and modifications will be offered for everyone. Each morning will include a short dharma talk and group discussion.
Sorry to hear that Covid lingered with you for so long. Thank you for finding strength to continue to write & share both the substack and your essay. Thoroughly enjoyed reading both!!
So glad you’re feeling!