I had the honor of sitting a 10-day silent meditation retreat in July with teachers Winnie Nazarko and Tara Mulay at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. The focus of the retreat was samadhi – concentration – the unification of the mind. It was intense as retreats can be as well as deeply impactful. Something significant shifted in my body, heart and mind mid-way through the retreat. I worked with some intense aversion that has plagued me for a very, very long time. The experience of acceptance was possible somatically once I released the tight grip of trying to fix it with the mind.
It is difficult to express in words the profound impact of retreat. While it is encouraged to not read or write during silent retreats, I did write a short poem each morning to capture my experience or to express a nugget from the teachings. It was a way for me to continue with my 5 year commitment to record a daily intention. And because I have been playing with the haiku form, or more like the 5-7-5 form (not even close to crafting true haikus), I allowed myself to mindfully reflect and express in this brief form. I hope these short poems that follow my retreat experience provide you with some benefit.
Day 1:
Unification
Of mind with moving breath
Peace is possible
Day 2:
Let go of tension
Drop stones collected from past
Just habits of mind
Day 3:
Love your younger self
Breathe metta into her heart
Know you are enough
Day 4:
Drop into body
Connect gently with the breath
Receive its guidance
Day 5:
Sticky mind habits
Pull me away from kindness
Hand on heart and breathe
Day 6:
Just be with this breath
And now this one and this one
Rest in wise effort
Day 7:
Like the eye of a storm
Deep concentration brings calm
This moment no fear
Day 8:
Flowers come and go
Sit in stillness as breath flows
Know this truth of change
Day 9:
Walk the whole life path
Find kalyana mitta
Trust ripples of love
