I have a bad back and my chiropractor has me doing daily stretches which I perform religiously. While I stretch every day, I can't touch my toes.
Once a month I go to the chiropractor and she does deep stretches with me. She pushes my leg past a point that I imagine is possible. She leans into each stretch, over and over again, going a little deeper each time. We stretch longer together than I ever do by myself.
The next day when I return to my solo stretching I discover something amazing: I can touch my toes.
Our meditation practice is just like this.
A daily meditation practice will fend off much of our suffering and bring with it great mental, emotional and physical benefits. We talk a lot in these emails about building and sustaining a daily meditation practice and that habit is our top priority.
A meditation retreat deepens our daily practice in a way that we can't do by ourselves. We need longer periods of sitting and we need the support of a group to sustain the effort. I find that when I come back from a retreat that my daily practice is super charged.
To this end, a small group of us are getting together for the next Zen Happiness Project Silent Retreat on May 1 - 3 in Fairfield, CT. You can find out more information here.
Whether you join us or find a retreat in your local area, consider going on a retreat this spring to help deepen your daily practice.
May your practice be strong!
Best,
Anthony A. Cernera, M.Ed.
ZenHappinessProject.com
P.S. We rented a small vacation house that can hold 8 to 10 people for the May 1-3 Silent Retreat. Space is limited. Sign up today.
Recommended Reading: The science of gratitude - http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude
Quote of the Week: "'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding." ~ Alice Walker