It has been some time now since my actual journey began, although before I go into detail it might be helpful to start from the beginning. What am I doing ? Where am I going ? What are my motivations and intentions ?
More than ever i am becoming a believer that everything happens for a reason. So many moments of my life leading me to where i am right now. Finally feeling that although i really no no idea what the future will bring that i am pointed in a direction, down a path that has meaning and value for me. Always having an interest in science, studying Electrical Engineering, taking a job with IBM in Vermont.
Vermont ! Was really where it all began. I am so grateful that these series of circumstances led me to a place where i would discover my true passion, even though it would mean leaving mostly everything i have been doing behind. As my time living in Vermont went by , my interest , study and practice of Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, the relationship with modern physics and science, etc … continued to grow exponentially. Inspired by so many wonderful teachers both locally and through books/media. I started to see the transformation of my own mind an body, subtle, slow and gradual, it was not sudden and dramatic. Noticeable enough that it was worth continuing to explore and push the limits.
Eventually beginning to teach Yoga and bring mindfulness practices into my work at IBM, it dawned upon me that this was really where my passion was, where i really saw there could be benefit to help and connect with other living beings. Something that is really needed in a world where we are driven by a fast paced, technology, consumerism driven culture. Sharing some great wisdom that i have learned from my teachers and resources that I have connected with the most, I was feeling as on some level I was more passing on things that logically sounded good to me , than totally coming from my own direct experience. If all that i was talking about was actually true, than wouldn’t it be nice to actually know so from my own direct experience. To see what the true potential of the mind and heart is. To approach it from radically empirical, scientific perspective, going deep into the practice and seeing what emerges. Not reading a whole bunch of interesting books and agreeing with the points that are made.
When certain circumstances is my life happened to occur, i knew the time was right to give this some honest effort. Extremely grateful for my Job and experiences that i had in Vermont, it was time for a change. So with out knowing exactly what will happen when i return, i downsized my life , quit my job and started to plan for a year long adventure through Thailand , Nepal and India. Although the aspect of travel and adventure is exciting and a wonderful experience, the specific purpose of this trip is not to travel for travel sake. But to spend most of my time in full time Meditation retreat or Yoga Immersion to deeply travel through the inner world as the outer world arises and passes around me. Therefore what i would like to share in this blog , is not the details of the places i have been, but the details of what i have learned about myself , the mind and meditation practice. Exploring the inner landscape instead of the outer. I am no travel writer and if you want to know about these countries I’m sure your time will be better spent reading someone else.
This is an extremely brief introduction, as there were many more details leading up to the start of this trip. Its good to set a little bit of context.
The proposed plan is :
5 Week Cultivating Emotional Balance Teacher Training , with Eve Ekman and Alan Wallace in Phuket Thailand
8 Week Shamatha and the 4 application of mindfulness retreat with Alan Wallace in Phuket Thailand
1 Month Lam Rim / Introduction to the Gelupa school of Tibetan Buddhism at the Kopan Monastery in Nepal
1 Month of Solitary retreat in a retreat house in Baktapur Nepal
10 Day Discovering Buddhism at the Root , Root Institute , Bodhgaya India
2 Weeks at the Kryia Yoga Research Institute / Ashram During the Kumbh Mela
2 Week Insight Meditation retreat Root Institute , Bodhgaya India
1 Month in Rishikesh , Staying ind an Ashram or finding an authentic yogi to study and practice with
3 Week Iyengar Intensive in Deradun India
1 Month of retreat at the Songsten Library in Deradun India
2 More months of retreat in Dharamsala / Tso Pema , India
I will give an update and summary on each retreat experience as i go along. I hope to provide some valuable insights that will be inspiration and helpful for your own practice.
May we all find Happiness and its causes , free from suffering and its causes. In order to do so it would be nice to know what are the causes ? Let see if i can find out and share 🙂