The Nobility of Retreat*
I think I know why.
It was too much.
Too much happened.
And
It happened
Too close together.
There was too much driving
In between,
From
Place to place.
Tight timing
Creating
Tight driving.
It put me down.
You know,
That kind of napping,
Uncontrollable,
Having
Absolutely
No choice,
We just fall out?
I did that
Throughout
An intimate
And healing
Zoom call.
With
Four women.
This was a
Tiny
Circle
Of
Intimate
Sharing.
We meet
Bi-monthly.
This night,
There was
Absolutely
No way I could
Keep my eyes
Open.
I couldn’t.
I simply kept falling asleep,
Shaking myself
To stay awake.
My eyes would close
Automatically
On their own.
I would fight them open,
Hearing snippets of
Intimate sharing,
And slipping back into sleep.
Peppering my presence
With apologies,
I was powerless,
In and out,
Powerless
Over
Exhaustion.
Too much happened
Today.
Too packed together.
Too much is happening
Around me.
I’m worried.
Worrying
Is
Exhausting.
~~~
My friend Tracy says,
Slow is smooth.
Smooth is fast.
Am I scanning
Too many headlines?
I’m trying so hard to
Contain them.
Am I peeking into
Too many articles?
I’m trying so hard
To
Ignore
Them.
Folks,
I’m tired.
Can I slow
Things
Down?
~~~
When I
Get
Scared,
I
Speed
Up.
Am I trying
To outrun
The
Feelings?
It doesn’t
Work.
It makes me
Even
More
Tired.
Is anybody
Else
Tired
Around
Here?
_______________
Swami Kripalu
Invites us into
The nobility
Of retreat.
Slowing.
Stopping.
Leaning
Away
From
The
Busy.
Realigning
In
The
Sacred
Slowness,
In
The
Sanctity
Of
Rest.
~~~
Retreat
In my
Olden days,
Included
These
Non-negotiable
Items:
- Chinese take-out.
- TV with
Sound
Off. - Marijuana.
And plenty. - A silent National Geographic
Animal show. - Phone unplugged.
Although
Not many people
Did call me.
That was
My
Old
Idea
Of
Retreat.
New ideas?
Body centered
Rest?
A good hike.
A hot bath.
Relaxing
Music.
Truly—
I
Really
Don’t
Know
How
To
Stop
Myself
From
Running
From
2025.
_________________
Well, yes, I do.
Prayer.
Prayer
Slows
Everything.
Mantra.
Mantra
Soothes
Everything.
Dog cuddles.
Dogs
Make
Everything
Okay.
You?
How do
You
Slow
Down?
~~~
“Rest is Resistance,
Rest is anything that connects
Your mind and your body.”
Says Tricia Hersey,
The Nap Ministry
Woman,
Who also says,
“Rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back
Against capitalism and white supremacy.”
Powerful insight.
I must say,
For myself,
Working
Keeps me—
Well…..
Working.
~~~
What did Swami Kripalu
Mean by
The nobility
Of retreat?
Can it be
As simple as:
Slow
On
Down,
Aruni.
Slow
On
Down,
Folks.
Soften into
Gentle
Awareness.
Stop
And
Breathe.
~~~
Let’s slow on down with some time-lapse photography.
Check this out and enjoy.
Leonard Cohn.
Another hero of mine.
His Live in London concert from 2008 is considered by many to be one of the best live in concert recordings.
Cohn’s kindness and attention to his musicians transports this musical experience.
If you know this song, please listen to this exquisite rendition.
Enjoy, folks.
~~~
Dear Friends,
May we be present.
May we be healthy.
May we
Ride
The
Waves
Of
Our
Lives.
May we live
In peace,
No matter
What
We
Are
Given.
May all beings benefit from our words and time shared.
Stay blessed,
Aruni
~~~
*Nobility of Retreat—quote by Swami Kripalu