I’ve just returned from a six-week, mostly silent wintery and snowy meditation retreat in the mountains of New Mexico, walking in nature and being with a supportive and generous Zen community. This time away from my devices, from the tangle of work demands is one of the hardest and easiest choices I make all year and has long-lasting benefits.
Studies on work productivity show that the more productive you are, the harder you work, the more important it is to intentionally plan periods of rest, recovery, and renewal.
Tony Schwartz of The Energy Project says it’s important to alternate between periods of performance where you’re engaged, and recovery, where you’re feeling peaceful and relaxed. If you stay in the performance zone too long, to ‘tough it out’, you do this at the expense of your ability to recover, leading to burnout, a tangle.
I call this intentional meditation retreat time untangling the tangle that drives, impatience, irritability, anxiety, and loss of creativity. Truthfully, I recognize the privilege and choice of my time in the mountains for rest and renewal. This wasn’t always the case.
Support your renewal by joining me for these upcoming programs designed to offer you space and support, untangling your tangle.
