I have come back from 10 days of silence...

I have been back for almost one month; I was away on a Vipassana meditation course. It is a Buddhist meditation program where you choose to spend ten days in Noble silence. I wasn't sure if I would be prepared to share my experience. I find myself still landing softly back to what will be my new normal, although I don't at all equate my life with the word normal. Many people have asked me, "Was it challenging to be silent for 10 days?" The truth is...NO. The silence was the easiest part of the journey. In an environment where no one is speaking, silence comes quite easily and, after a while, is beautiful and welcome. In many ways, coming out of the silence is more challenging; however, the process is thoughtful and built from a foundation of careful consideration and loving kindness. I do not intend to preach the value of Vipassana or Buddhist practice; I will share what I have taken away from the experience as a means to open curiosity and perhaps intrigue. The course has brought me a few new and meaningful changes. Let me share a few with you, but not all of them. First, I would like to share the beautiful connection with so many like-minded,d wonderful people I have met, building a community of friends and family who shared this experience. The second is I have found a practice that has provided me with an authentic healing pathway for my mind and body (I have found relief from several painful distractions). The third is that I have cultivated a path to true forgiveness and releasing some deep attachments, freeing my mind and body from unnecessary suffering. The last is I have let go of some unnecessary cravings and aversions that were creating excess baggage in my life, weighing down my mind, body, and heart. I leave my heart and mind open to the concept of anicca and impermanence; we are forever changing. I will definitely change again. I accept that fully.
The next question people ask me is, "Would you do this again?" My answer is once I have completed Dāna Parami. In the tradition of pure Dhamma, no fees were taken from me to be present at Vipassana (meaning I was there for free). All the meals, hospitality, and everything was maintained and provided by old students donating their time back to ensure that new students can experience what they have. No one at Vipassana is compensated; everything is donated. I know in my heart it is my turn to give back, and when the time is right, I will. Once I have served, I will consider returning to another course.
What was the journey?
Embarking on Vipassana means committing to oneself and to the others who are on the journey with you. It includes a commitment to sila, which is based on universal law, and a vow to abstain from killing any living being, stealing, sexual misconduct, harmful speech, and all intoxicants. There is structure to each day, which includes meditation that moves through three phases: Anapana, Vipassana and Mettā. The purpose of meditation is Śīla (morality), Samādhi (mastery of the mind), and Paññā (wisdom that purifies the mind).
Overall, I feel awake, energized, and deeply grateful to have been able to take the time to be on this journey. It is one of the most challenging experiences of my life.

Maintaining Equanimity

Letting go of reaction. Sometimes our cravings feel overwhelming, overpowering, and meaningful. To maintain equaniminity means to not react to those cravings. That means put down the fork and don't reach for that second piece of pie...LOL.

Tips for maintaining equanimity:​
1. Notice when you do react. What happens?
2. Play a game with your partner or kids: choose a week, anyone will do, pick a partner and write down each other's reactions. Pay attention to the following: speech, language (body and voice), tone, sensations in your bodies (both of you), what happens in your minds (thoughts, feelings, emotions), notice if you want to fight, flight or freeze. SHARE - LEARN - GROW. If you want to learn more about the next steps, reach out to me.
3. Try this: when you feel like you want to react, PAUSE and say the word REACT. Disrupt your flow. Take a breath and see if you still feel like reacting in the same way.

A Few Things to Consider...

A GOOD READ: Here is something I recently enjoyed reading: I absolutely adore the quick read - The Daily Skimm...have you ever tried reading it? It's a microbite that drops in every day to share with you what's happening in the world in a tongue and cheek way. For those of you who feel a bit time starved, this might be worth checking out. Click here and you can subscribe: https://www.theskimm.com/daily-skimm​

WORTH LISTENING TO: Do you enjoy podcasts or audio experiences? I like to immerse myself in a good one from time to time. Check out the latest episode of our podcast, The Admit One Radio Hour, here: https://linktr.ee/admitoneradiohour​

SOMEONE I'M FOLLOWING: I recently discovered the Death Dhamma, Margaret Meloni. She is a wonderful resource to learn more about Buddhist teachings and principles. She has a great website and a wonderful podcast. Check her out here: https://www.margaretmeloni.com/​

Monthly Mindful Meditation

Lately, I've been enjoying longer meditations, but there is just as much power in shorter ones. Whether you sit and practice at the start of your day, reset in the middle of the day, or wind down at the end of your day, the length of your meditation is your decision, and there is no judgment. I wanted to share one of my favourite shorter meditations with you.

​

What's NEW!...

I've launched a YouTube channel, and I am excited to invite all of you to check out what's happening... here is the link to my first video about change fatigue:

​

With gratitude,
Jen James
jen@admitone.ca
​https://www.doublejstrategic.com/​

​​​