Sacred Space

“Pause practice can transform each day of your life. It creates an open doorway to the sacredness of the place in which you find yourself.”
– Pema Chodron

Sacred Space

Lessons from a Silent Retreat

I recently returned from a Silent Meditation Retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. It was an incredible experience for so many reasons. It allowed me the sacred space to reconnect to myself and the world around me in a deeply meaningful way. This is what meditation can do.  It can rewire us and boost our well-being, the effects of which can be felt in our body, mind, and soul.

I have always wanted to spend a few days in silence at this beautiful retreat center founded by some of my favorite Buddhist teachers, like Joseph Goldstein, Sylvia Boorstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield. They were the people who brought mindfulness practices to the West and continue, through their books and teachings, to help us apply these ancient practices to our modern lives.

Each day consisted of periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, work meditation (I was a dishwasher), silent meals, time for hiking in the gorgeous mountains, and, interestingly, time to connect with this beautiful community of human beings as we moved together through our days in silence.

One of my favorite activities, and there were many, was waking up before the sun rose and walking slowly down to the dining hall under the light of the moon and stars. I would pour myself a cup of hot coffee and sit outside in the crisp morning air, simply gazing at the mountains as the sun rose. There were a few of us each morning at this early hour, taking our place beneath the stars, sitting on chairs along the path, as we drank our coffee and started our day in the quiet stillness of the morning, alone, yet very much together. It was magical.

I had no cell phone, television, news, or computer to interrupt my time there. As wonderful as that was, I also noticed how attached I am to technology. Disconnecting was challenging. We are so used to living our lives connected to the world and each other.  I felt the pang of wanting my phone and feeling the need to check in with my family and on world events. Yet, realizing that the world would go on without me checking in was quite beautiful and freeing. I could immerse myself in being where I was instead of constantly worrying about everything going on elsewhere. Since being home, I have set an intention to continue to limit my use of technology and spend much more time being where I am without the distraction and noise of that digital connection.

The teachings of this retreat where “What the Buddha Taught,”  a return to the foundations of mindfulness, that resonates so deeply with me.  At silent retreats, the retreatants are in silence, but the dharma teachers give educational talks each day on a particular topic. Although I thought the teachings would be a good review for me, I was blown away by the incredible depth of these teachings and how these foundational teachings continue to offer such profound and helpful lessons and guidance about myself, life, and how to live it.

Lastly, I was accompanied by my son Sam for this retreat. Sam had never been on a silent retreat before this one.  I was worried about him and how he would do it. The bottom line – he did great!  It was so meaningful for me to have him there with me, sharing an experience and a practice that means so much to me. We moved through the retreat together and separately, navigating our challenges, joys, and journeys through our presence. For me, it was a practice of endlessly “letting go.” This was his experience to have and not mine to manage. All I could do was feel his presence and support him with mine. What a lesson in parenting it was!

A retreat experience is a beautiful way to soak in these incredibly helpful teachings and practices in a very concentrated setting. I look forward to leading anyone interested in a weekend silent retreat once again, May 16-18 (save the date), at the Won Dharma Center in Claverack, New York at our Pause to be Present Silent Meditation Retreat.  More details and registration coming soon!  In the meantime, I will continue to share more of what I learned at Spirit Rock with all of you!

You don’t have to be on retreat to practice and experience mindful presence. You can create sacred space in your life each and every day to reconnect to yourself and find your inner guidance and deep connection to the world around you. We are here to help you do just that!

🙏,

Cheryl

 

Please join us for our daily classes, learning series, sound baths, and more! You can find more details here, on our website!