Happy Holidays!
Hope your holidays have been very cozy! I'm currently holed up in Pittsburgh, where snow is all over the place.
If you've been following along you'll know that for Immediacy Month I recently spent 10 days of my life meditating for 10 hours a day.
100 hours of meditation!
How was it?!?
Well, I've been trying to figure out how to put what was a very indescribable experience into words. Here's my best attempt at capturing 10 lessons learned.
Forgive me if there are typos -- I'm also trying to practice immediacy by spending quality time with my family while I'm still at home so probably pushing send a little too soon :)
So here we go!
Props to my brother who asked if I was like Ron Swanson meditating and prompted this meme.
|
|
10 Lessons, 10 Days
Fun fact: my friend Amanda Kwok just did the same meditation course in Toronto. Her Facebook post prompted me to compile into 10 lessons learned.
#1 Vipassana 10 Day Courses Are Hardcore
There was no easing into the course -- day 1 we jumped right into meditating for about 10 hours a day. And I mean that. 4am wake, then meditate for 2 hours. Breakfast & break, then a 3 hour meditation block. Lunch & break, then a 4 hour meditation block. Snack, then a 1 hour meditation and 1 hour lecture.
You follow the schedule rigorously. You follow the rules rigorously.
It felt like we had entered into a voluntary extreme bootcamp of sorts and once we were on the rollercoaster, well we were on it.
#2 Not Talking, Not Writing, Not Reading Are Easy
If you recall my other posts, during the retreat you can't talk, make eye contact, read, write, do yoga, go jogging, eat snacks outside of scheduled times, etc etc. It sounds miserable.
But you know what? It was all totally fine.
Not having to make small talk when you're trying to do a total mental demolition & refurb was a huge relief.
#3 Meditating For 10 Hours A Day Is Hard
No bones about it, 10 hours a day meditating is a long time. Some sessions were blissful, some were ridiculously boring, some were filled with terrible nerve pain.
It tested me, big time.
#4 Nature Is Awesome
While I was living in my inner world, I took extreme delight during my walks to the meditation hall and on our 1/4 mile trail during breaks. I connected with rabbits, hummingbirds, dragonflies, cacti, the wind, rocks, lizards, birds, and trees. I spent at least 10 minutes one day watching ants building a new ant pile. Sound really boring? It was actually super cool and inspiring.
Just some of the many nature photos I took on Day 11 when I got my phone again.
#5 Our Minds Are Crazy
When you are really quiet and not taking in a lot of information you realize how totally jumbled and insane our minds usually are.
Comparisons came up. I caught myself making up stories about other participants with whom I was having zero interactions.
I found my mind caught in a lot of loops that I didn't even want to be in! One of the bigger ones: wedding planning which really bummed me out because I've been trying to be chill about the whole thing, but there it was, staring me in the face.
My mind majorly calmed down on Day 2 or 3, and what a relief. And even in that calm state I realized how much of my own discomfort and dissatisfaction is just my a product of my mind.
It's like an insane person is running our minds and we're not even aware of it most of the time.
#6 Our Brains Are Crazy
Minds are crazy, and brains are crazy. And I draw the distinction because our brains are what are recognizing sensory information and our minds are interpretting it into a story.
Brains --> Recognize sensory info
Minds --> Make up a story about it
When you are very very still, with your eyes closed for most of the day, your brain can do some CRAZY STUFF. My hearing became super sonic after a few days. I could pick out different birds by their call and started recognizing how the wind sounded passing through different types of trees.
#7 Our Bodies Are Crazy
Not sure how I missed this in my research on this meditation course, but you spend 6 days doing a body scan, which is Vipassana meditation. And while that sounds ridiculously boring, WOW OUR BODIES ARE FASCINATING.
Selfie time, Day 11 when I was released into the wild. Badass background courtesy of Joshua Tree National Park.
Starting on Day 4 or 5 all that stillness started to light my body up like a Christmas Tree. We have something like 500 nerves per square inch of skin, and I think I might normally feel about 2, but many times I swear I felt all 500.
Imagine having full body tingles and energy waves happening for 1.5 hours straight. That happened one day.
HOUR 54 & 55 = MOST BLISSFUL BODY SENSATIONS
Of course I also had ridiculously painful searing hot nerve pain shootin from my shoulder down into my hip for 1 hour one day, which I declared to be "The Longest Hour of My Life."
HOUR 63 = LONGEST HOUR OF MY LIFE
Even weirder was when I'd have this terrible pain that throbbed and felt endless, and then suddenly it would just disappear without me moving at all.
Which brings me to...
#8 We Create Our Own Reality
This is a deep topic not really fit for my listicle write up, but yeah I already kind of believed this, and now I totally do. At some point I felt like I was able to reframe my reactions to all events, positive or negative and for a few fleeting moments felt like I got to some deep level of true inner peace.
But yeah, I saw it. Stuff happens around us, and our peace of mind comes from how we react to it...subconsciously.
#9 We Can Totally Rewire Our Brains
If you had told me on Day 8 that we were actually part of a Jedi Mind Training Course, I would have believed you.
Even early days into the course, I could see how my brain was being reshaped. I was becoming less reactive, and could see thoughts coming from very far away and was able to just let them float on by.
It was incredible.
I felt like Neo at the end of the Matrix when he realizes he can control the Matrix.
Me, to all my thoughts & attachments (retreat only, see lesson #10).
#10 BUT...We Have To Practice
I got to some deep insights on this retreat. Related to my own reactivity, my relationship with trying to control time, my work purpose, and my emotions. I felt lighter, more powerful, and way more peaceful after 10 days.
Then, I came back home.
And it all felt a bit like a dream rapidly fading away.
Where was my zen!?! It was just here!!!
Which brings me to the most important lesson, #10. Whatever we want to keep, we've got to practice. Because anything profound has to be continuously practiced and integrated into our lives. Otherwise it's a strong experience that becomes weak.
Coming back, I see how absolutely essential it is to keep up with my meditation practice, every day.
#11 Bonus: It All Ties Back
If you made it this far, thank you for your attention, I love you.
The last thing I'll share today, is my insight about the 10 Principles Project.
10 Principles Project = My Daily Practice in living a better life.
One day on retreat, I realized I had unintentionally developed a daily practice for a year related to ethics.
I didn't just read a book about the principles, I didn't just do them 1x a year at Burning Man, I didn't just talk about them.
I actually did it. I wrote 40+ newsletters, hosted at least 10 events, wrote 30 gratitude letters, gave a public speech on authenticity, got involved in politics, and cleaned up a lot of trash.
This past year has absolutely changed and challenged my life for the better, and is a year that felt more self-less, more joyful, more spontaneous than any other one I've had.
But it happened because I practiced. And if that sounds cheesy, oh well, but it's true and I'm sharing because I've been so happy and I want you to feel that too.
So from the bottom of my little heart HAPPY NEW YEAR
And I look forward to sharing what's next for this newsletter and for me in 2018.
|
|
That's it!
Bye Bye 2017!
Love you all!
Thanks for reading! Drop my any comments, anytime.
xxx maria 🙋
|
|
|
|
