Our wonderful retreat came to a conclusion today and the concluding thought we left the group with is practice, practice, practice! Find ways to integrate the tools into everyday life. We can only make progress in meditation if we are working at developing the key qualities needed for meditation in our every day life. It takes a lot of willpower to change the mental patterns that we have to create new ones that support a meditative lifestyle. But we have to start some where. It is also important to be patient with yourself as you begin to do this. As my guru once shared with me "The more time you are willing to take the less pressure you put on yourself, the less pressure you put on yourself the faster you unfold spiritually".
So, start now, integrate the tools into your everyday life and you will slowly start to see in you the changes you are creating.
Photos below show the villa where the retreat was held and a view from the balcony where we practiced each day yoga asana (postures) and meditation.
