spiritual lobotomy

I had my first week long silent meditation retreat at Lotus Garden

in Stanley, VA. It was amazing - beyond what words can describe

I wanted a week in nature, where it was warmer than CT, to draw, read, meditate, learn about Buddhism, walk, eat, and sleep.... and I got all that and more!

the giant prayer flags flapping in the tremendous wind all week... this was my favorite place to lay in the grass and listen to the sounds in the air

it was set on 200 acres and I did a lot of walking meditation...

three meals a day were brought to my room... with a knock on the door. the food was great

and I even learned to eat with more mindfulness thanks to thich nhat hahn.

on the property there was a little pond...

and a little waterfall...

and a rock garden where you could make sculpture... thanks for the inspiration andy goldsworthy!

my next door neighbors... moooooooo

Tiji the loving black lab (one of the chillest dogs I've ever met, but you would be too if you could live at Lotus Garden) the only one I was allowed to talk to (I was silent all week, with the exception of answering a few questions during my morning visits from Lama Roar, the resident teacher)

 

after a long and painful ride home (7 hours with a backache from sitting, drawing, reading in bed... but it was soooooo worth it!) I went to a concert called 700 sacred voices at Western CT State University in Danbury to see some of my favorite chanters... 

Wah! rocked the house down. She kicks ass live. We danced and sang our hearts out for 12 hours!

and of course - Krishna Das and his amazing tabla player.... 

he's just too awesome... 

Will called my journey a spiritual lobotomy... I was blissed out for days... and then slowly, reality crept in and I returned to my crazy busy life... work... 

but I still have my trip inside my heart and can't

wait to do it again soon... 

yey summer!