That's the only word I can use to describe my recent four-day silent retreat. I wish I could convince every one of you to do a retreat of this kind once or twice a year. Forget vacations. Stay home or go to a retreat center and get off screens, off phones, off clocks, off voice, off distractions. Actively invite your own personal spiritual awakening. I'm serious. You can do this and reap remarkable insights.
Each retreat I do is different although the trappings are similar. I'm silent and alone. I do some kind of physical work. I stare out into space. I journal and read. I meditate. How often and for how long changes as I follow my inner guidance. While some of you might think it would be boring, it is far from it. My mind is active with ideas, my heart is full of gratitude, my body speaks to me of pain and sorrow. I soar to breathtaking heights. I plumb the depths of my being. And I become aware of something greater than myself reaching out and embracing me. You couldn't write a screenplay to compare with it. The theme which reveals itself to me is also different for every retreat.
This time my vehicle for insights was dreaming. Being off alcohol and caffeine cleared my brain, and I was sleeping with less disturbance. I had two big dreams whose symbolism was startlingly clear: Self first and walk my talk. They gave me the courage of my convictions and the ability to loosen my grip on some old beliefs. Four days later I am falling back into some old patterns. But I can see that, even chuckle about it, and know where my center is.
Here is the question I pose to you as a result of my retreat. It is not rhetorical. Really take the time to think about it. Do you know what you are missing? If your mind is filled with images, music, news, screens are you even remotely aware of what wisdom and insights lie within you? How can you hear it, use it, be inspired by it if you don't make the opening for this richness to stream through? How many of you might discover a prayer has been answered but missed the response amid the cacophony? Who among you might observe your own powers of extrasensory gifts without distractions to blind you to them?
If any of you are interested in pursuing this further, I am happy to assist you with it. If you live nearby, I am offering my trio of talks on Simplicity, Solitude, and Silence through the Valley Regional Adult Education program (www.vrae.org). I also offer silent weekend retreats here at Orchard House for clients looking for a guided retreat experience. And soon I will be offering a workbook for those of you who wish to pursue these experiences on your own. But promise yourself to get silence into your life. I guarantee you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Pax tecum.
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