My Meditation Retreat

A friend and I went to Morrison CO this past weekend for a meditation retreat. The location where the retreat took place was a huge 9 bedroom community house tucked away in the hills. In an absolutely stunning area, with red rocks and green trees. While we were there it rained off and on for a day and a half. I can earnestly say I loved it beyond measure and the thunder and lightning, with a little bit of hail, made the experience truly magical. I could smell the storm coming and the clouds rolled in fast. I loved standing in the rain, letting it wash over me to cleanse my spirit and energy.

It was wonderful to be in community with all the people at the retreat. We were a pretty diverse group, different ages and from different places. We sat in circle with comfy blankets and pillows to share stories and experiences. It was really beneficial for all levels of my being. We did different meditation exercises and had a lot of time to go really deep into the work. They played music with drums, guitars, shakers, and sang for parts of the journey work. The music was its own healing medicine. We would pitch in together to make healthy vegan meals and all clean up after. It all flowed very nicely and was a nice break from my normal routine. I had time to sit outside with a cup of homemade ginger tea and do some journaling.

I was one of the few people who spent a lot of time outside. I walked the property and got to know the land a little. An interesting tree called to me far up a path on the hill. Intrigued by it’s song, I made a trek up the hill to greet it, and I was most glad I did as it turned out to be a Juniper tree. Juniper is a protective herb and I loved that I listened to the land and went over to that tree.

I woke up very early one morning and went outside with a cup of mint tea. The sun had just come up and was lighting up the hillside where I saw a family of deer grazing. I was the only one outside and It was magical to watch them just be. What a wonderful reminder to appreciate being in the present moment. The air was clean and crisp because of the rain the day before. There was a slight breeze blowing through and it wasn’t as cold as I expected. It was refreshing.

Over the weekend was the full moon in scorpio representing sacrifice and offering. This created the need to delve into our feelings as deep as possible. At this time the desire for meaningful emotional exchanges are more important than at any other time, it isn’t easy and we are forced to change many things. Superficial relationships cannot fulfill us and we must seek something more permanent, something that can help us purify, or stimulate our spirit, enhance our energy and bring us back to our center. I stood under the moonlight and marveled at the beauty of it. Really connecting into the energy was incredibly moving and I processed a lot of emotions, many tears flowed and it felt really cleansing for my spirit. I had a few breakthroughs that were very interesting. I discovered insights on knowing myself better and what I want out of life. We have to remember we are not alone. We are part of a whole and need to work together to make things better for everyone and everything we share this planet with. Letting go of self-serving ambitions was at the front of my mind. Self-care is often conflated with selfishness in our minds and we lose sight of truly caring for ourselves and those around us. Learning to make decisions that benefit the whole, as well as our own prosperity, seem to be incredibly difficult when seen through the lense of selfishness. The lense of self-care will reveal to us that these decisions are often one in the same, that which benefits the leaves, will benefit the trunk, the roots, and the soil around. The trick is learning to recognize when we are looking through the right lense. As one example, cutting out the convenience of single use items, and making sure you have reusable options. This helps the planet, in turn helping nature, the creatures and us as a people.

Even if you can’t get away for a mini retreat, you can always create this space for yourself at home. Get outside and meditate, find some spiritual indigenous music that moves your soul, appreciate the simple moments like tea and a journal, connect to people in person and ask them about their story, listen to your spirit and not your ego mind. So I leave you now with good tidings, the ponderence of looking inward, and the wish that you find peace.

Many blessings on your journey.

Love and Light,

Shara