Two-Day Retreat :: Day 1: Meditation

Having had such a difficult time lately, The Daddy Monkey suggested that I “take the weekend off.”  With that in mind, I made a commitment to recharge my own batteries and restore my sense of balance over this weekend.

I began by getting some much needed acupuncture on Thursday evening, to help soothe my over-taxed adrenals.  It felt soooo good.

I started my day today by sleeping in, then enjoying a quiet, solitary breakfast.

Afterwards, I had the great pleasure of taking a half-day retreat at my local Buddhist meditation center.  I contemplated inviting a friend or two along, but decided that being by myself was what I needed to focus.  As it turns out, I ran into a friend there.

Just being in such a beautiful place filled my heart.  Hearing the words of a wise, young, vibrant, soft-spoken Buddhist nun filled me with not only a small sense of peace, but also gave me encouragement to take better care of myself.  Today’s experience deepened my understanding of mindfulness, lovingkindness, and even the task of ordinary household chores!

I wanted desperately to take notes during the teachings, but realized that in the two (!) bags I had packed (wallet, phone, keys, knitting, zafu) I did not have a single pencil. I felt a bit twitchy that I couldn’t write anything down. I decided to focus on listening rather than writing, and letting go of my attachment to always writing everything down. During our break, I asked my friend for a pen, and took a few notes on the back of my knitting pattern.  Ironically, when I left, I left both my knitting pattern and her pen on the chair next to me.  How’s that for releasing attachment?

I purchased a book and a lovely art card, and left feeling peaceful, rested, and relaxed.   I headed out for a roll of sushi.  I enjoyed my salmon roll (alone!) and read my book (with no interruptions!) in a lovely, sunny window.

I got home, read some Curious George, and took a nap.  Then I stayed in bed and read some more of my new book.

We plan on ordering in some Thai for dinner, and I am looking forward to it!  What a great day it has been.  Thank you to the Daddy Monkey for giving me the space to work on myself this way.

One of the tasks of meditation is to allow your heart to sustain a certain feeling for an extended period of time. Now if only I could sustain this wonderful, relaxed feeling every day.