Retreat

As the saying goes, and miles to go before I sleep…. It has been a wonderFUL couple of weeks since my last blog post. I have already written about some of the specifics in my article for the November Beyond Mastery newsletter, so you will read about those when that comes out (or you can sign up here). 

The past three days were spent at a silent meditation retreat in Howell, Michigan. When I mentioned my planning on going to one colleague, this was his response: "Debra, you're really going to be silent for 3 whole days ????  3 long days ?? Ha Ha..........."

The amazing gift that comes from Noble Silence within a group on retreat is how clearly you can see that the only things that get in your way are within you. The habit patterns of blame and shame (See The Drama Triangle), mercifully, fall away, and you are left there with the invitation to make something beautiful from your experience.

I was rooming with two other women, neither of which I know very well. After the last sitting meditation of the first evening, two of us went to bed. It was some time later the third came in to our room, turning on lights, opening and closing doors, opening (or crinkling) something, as she did her bedtime preparations. 

The annoyance seemed to go on and on and on and on, but, thankfully aware of the gift that is ever-present, I was able to have compassion for my roommate and myself trying to sleep. 

I forgave myself for any time in the past I was interrupting another. 

I made up stories about how this woman must live alone so she was not used to being respectful of others. 

I acknowledged the challenge she must be having trying to find everything she needed in the mostly darkened room. 

Most of all, I was able to ask, "Can I keep an open heart for all of us through all of this?" 

As I was able to lie there in the stillness, I was infinitely grateful for the practice and for this woman who was gifting me so beautifully....

As one of the meditation teachers said, there is no experience in the world that is more rich in practice, more nurturing to body and soul, than retreat. We may be going on retreat with the intention to get away from it all, but while we are on retreat, we find ourselves in love with the ALL THAT IS.