Retreat II

 

Highlights from our second retreat:

Walking the Labyrinth
I walked the outside labyrinth once and the inside one 4 times. :) Since I don't have easy access to a labyrinth here at home, I wanted to make the most of my time while at Siena. I am noticing that I am more comfortable walking...I don't try as hard. Plus since I knew I could walk multple times....I could" afford" to be more open and just let the walk unfold. When I can only walk it once and then who knows how long it will be...it seems more important that I "get something worthwhile" out of it.

The walk I remember most was on Saturday morning...I walked the outside of the 11 circuit labyrinth ( Chartes)..there are curves called lunations...and you can walk around the labyrinth by stepping into these. I walked with no intention...I actually didn't think I would "like" it at all...since I wouldn't really be in the labyrinth.

It was a very powerful metaphor for me...it was the wheel of life... I got to the first cross quarter and thought...this is the childhood of my life...where was I then? who was I? what did I value?
And got to half way round..which seems about where I am now....who have I become? what do I hold sacred? How do I know? I sat there for quite awhile. I found myself crying...it felt like grieving for the part of my life that is over.
But also looking to my right...for the part of my life that is left to live. Who am I becoming? What does my life hold? I did not come away with answers...just a deeper awareness of the wheel of my life..that if my life is like the wheel of a year and I started as a child in spring....am I coming to the end of summer and at the cusp of autumn?

Spiritual Practice practice
We go to try three different spiritual practices.
Meditation, Centering Prayer, Tai Chi. I, true to my nature, liked them all and wish I could try them all. Of course I can...at least for the next few months. We are encouraged to try any and all of them to see which seems the best fit. Going into the weekend, I thought it would be Tai Chi ( if any of them) because I am so drawn to walking meditation in the labyrinth. But I found meditation...at least as lead at the retreat, to be a moving and powerful experience. I do think that part of my journey is to practice stillness and to just be. To wait until my muddy water settles.

I still love my yoga class and may choose to continue that as my spiritual practice. If the idea is to see which practice chooses you...right now, I would say yoga. But I am practicing trusting the process and moving at the pace of guidance. I don't have to decide right now...so I'm doing my best to stay open.