This month I have set an intention on slowing down, to breathe, to wake up, to feel, and to just be present with all the beings around me. Everything is changing, and yet it is familiar. As. I sat outside by the pool, ALONE, it struck me how so much has changed, as our eldest daughter departed for her new adventure of creating a life in Hawaii and our youngest is heading back to college treading her own path. Being alone by the pool felt so familiar, just 23 years ago I sat there- same pool, same intention, and so much has happened and I see how things have come full circle.
Slowing down this month has been prompted by a tiny voice inside that started to yell a bit louder in recent months. There is not enough time or energy to do all the things my mind creates and it’s OK. Although I love the ideas I have and have fun sometimes imagining them, I am acutely aware that they have become distractions or more like weights. Some of my dear ones around me will be glad I am slowing down this idea factory, or at least not chasing each one like a cat chasing a mouse.
Many students in our Treehouse community know that Nikki and I are going on silent retreat this week and when you read this we will be several days into slowing down, cultivating stillness-not just for the purpose or intention of slowing down and nourishing our mind, body and spirit, but also for making space to wake up out of conditioning. It is in stillness, quiet, and times of retreat that I can return to the very important work of releasing the conditioning that was formed, not just in childhood but generations before. The Buddha’s teaching of the third noble truth, that we can be FREE from the suffering, means the suffering that our human experiences bring can be released It is this reason I choose to practice and make space so I can think, move, act, and become my true self. Again, those close to me are cheering me on…hoping for me to return liberated from all my shortcomings. I too wish it were that easy, yet I trust that the easy way is not THE WAY.
If you cannot get away for 7 day retreat, make your own. Start small with just one full day. Here are some tips to help you.
10 tips form Nikki on creating a retreat at home
1.Plan in advance — give yourself time to put your retreat together and to make sure you can go into this time feeling like your to-do list isn’t going to be looming.
2.Carve out the time — put it on your calendar and do not make any other commitments.
3.Ask for help — I know this is a hard one! If you have others (humans, pets, plants) that you are responsible for, see if you can ask someone else to take the helm for the duration of your retreat.
4.Tell the people close to you (the ones most likely to be your distractions!) — that way the will have a heads up that you won’t be available for that period of time.
5.Ask yourself what foods will be most nourishing and shop beforehand. Maybe even make a tentative menu, of course with the flexibility to make choices about what your body NEEDS and heart desires as the moment arises.
6.Make a commitment to eliminate electronics. This isn’t a hard and fast rule — if you have children or others that you are responsible for and need to have the phone nearby for emergencies, it makes sense to check it from time to time or to have the ringer on. An intention of retreat is often ease, and if having a hard and fast rule of no electronics will add additional stress then mindfully make choices around them. That said, movies, television social media, and the like might be distractions from the reason you have decided to take retreat.
7.To that end, set an intention for your retreat and return to it again and again throughout the retreat. Use your intention as a filter through which you make decisions from moment to moment.
8.Remember, you can’t make a mistake. If you choose silence and find yourself speaking to a neighbor on your sense and savor walk, notice it with nonjudgment and simply begin again.
9. Select a sort of playlist on insight timer, youtube or other apps like CALM to use as you move through the day. MBSR graduates can click here: Sacred Practices that are on our website and may help you return or deepen your practice.
10. Make a schedule that allows for sitting, movement, eating, and end the day with a gratitude practice for giving yourself the gift of presence.
With Love and Gratitude,
Patty and Nikki The Sacred Treehouse Faculty
Need support in overcoming obstacles? Just email me us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching or join our upcoming classes of MBSR or MSC for guided practices in a supportive community.
Go to www.sacredtreehouse.org
Patty Thomas Shutt, founder of Sacred Treehouse, is a licensed psychologist and co-owner of Therapeutic Oasis of the Palm Beaches . Dr. Shutt is passionate about helping others discover the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. She offers Beginner Meditation & Advanced Meditation classes at Sacred Treehouse, in addition to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self-Compassion and various book studies throughout the year.
Nicole Davis is a licensed psychologist practicing at Therapeutic Oasis of the Palm Beaches . Dr. Davis starts with the core belief that each person already has everything they need to live a life of joy and fulfillment, and that therapy is just a process of uncovering their inherent wholeness. Dr. Davis gently invites her clients to uncover their strengths in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Dr. Davis completed MBSR facilitator training through the Center for Mindfulness at UCSD. Dr. Davis is also a 200-hour trained yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance