Looking For Calm

I leave today for my Mindful Schools final retreat. Our East Coast cohort of 75 will gather at the Garrison Institute in New York State. My mind is swirling as I am reflecting on the last 12 months of learning and growing. It was not until I returned from Kripalu and my retreat with Jack Kornfield, that I learned about Mindful Schools and had the good fortune of beginning my work with this extraordinary organization. This morning I read an update on Thay, written by the monks at Plum Village in France. Thay has been recovering from a massive stroke and has returned to his beloved village to continue to heal, gather strength, learn to walk (he is partially paralyzed on one side) and practice. Reading through the latest update on the progress Thay has made, is nothing short of miraculous, and I was struck by his words about his leading Dharma talks…”You don’t need to talk in order to teach.” His lesson, his witness, practice, commitment to wholehearted living and being is a testament to the power of mindfulness. I want to be a listener this week on retreat-listen to stories that others are sharing, to my own, and for all that is possible in the world in which we live. I am looking forward to slowing down-to walk, eat, pray, sit and lay more mindfully. I am humbled and grateful for the journey on whichI am traveling. I feel indebted to the extraordinary teachers of my program, Chris, Megan, Vinny and Pam who have given of themselves in a deep and meaningful way, by imparting knowledge, sharing wisdom, encouraging questions and practice, maintaining a sense of humor and for being kind. The knowledge and generosity of our cohort has been amazing and inspiring as well, and I feel that I have learned much from the spirit and commitment of each of the members. I am grateful for the willingness of this group to be vulnerable-to share testimonies, failures,questions and reflections with the larger group. I look forward to being in the arena with these friends and to continue our exploration and commitment to practice.