Artwork: Josef Albers
I write to you coming out of a six days silent meditation retreat in Granada, Spain.
I can actually write for days about being in silence and coming back to the present moment, catching my mind going into one of its many crazy scenarios. So no talking, no eye contact, and still, everyday a different story or some sort of narrative clearly asking for an ending. The magic i experienced last week was not instant, it was about sticking to it, even if i didn’t feel like sitting for another hour. The magic also unfolded in the group coming together and in the way we were held by our teachers. Every night, a different talk filled with golden nuggets of mindfulness and everyday a little more surrender to the wisdom so loud in the silence.
I can report that the return back to town ain’t for the faint hearted, but that the magic is still within me. Again, what we know cannot be unknown and what i take with me the most to avoid suffering is to notice when i go into judgment, comparison or fixing.
When i notice my mind doing any of those three things, i know that i am not present and that the use of my breath, or my body as an anchor to come back to what truly is, is of prime importance.
Yet, compassion and Metta always come into the mix, reminding ourselves that we all do our best, and that every moment is a new doorway to be present to the magic in what is.
On this note, if you feel called to breath together and welcome the wisdom that is within you, please email me or have a look at the workshop and events schedule on my website. I have also uploaded a new meditation that i hope you will enjoy.
May you be free from suffering, always.
With Love,
Vanessa
