Big Love

Your Attention called and it wants You back

Traffic. To-do lists. Mind spiraling. Summer camps. Beauty routines and weight loss. Bikini bodies. What to eat for dinner.

Noise in modern life can be non-stop and overwhelming. For those who commute during winter weather, working throughout the day, and then accomplishing all that is needed to stay alive; cooking, eating, sleeping, bathing, shopping, exercising – it is a lot.

“Reflect on what you do in a day. You may have never realized how some simple, harmless activities rob you of precious time.” — Vivek Naik

Then there are the releases I find myself turning to including social media, news, and other distractions. Funny how time can evaporate while I’m looking through Instagram, or when Netflix autoplays the next show in a series I wasn’t planning on binging but do.

This is where I find that taking a vacation from giving away my attention is beneficial. Cue the meditation retreat.

There are rare places on Earth that are available for humans to go to experience something beyond the mundane. These spiritual places, from churches to Zen retreat centers, provide a recourse to the everyday stress of survival. I eventually came to appreciate that these spaces exist to help people to know their innate spiritual self. Learning about the energy that sacred spaces hold was something that experiencing the place helped me to understand.

Vallecitos Mediation Center – One of the quietest, most beautiful places I have been to in northern New Mexico is a Zen Retreat Center. Vallecitos is only open seasonally, as snow prevents access for all but a caretaker. My first silent retreat was here, and the experience highlighted for me how little free attention I was giving myself in my life. The land was vast, beautiful, and had a calm to it unto its own. The animals there were not afraid of humans. Cell service was a distant memory that faded with each day. It was an incredible invitation to be present, in silence.

Vedanta Temple – In Los Angeles, the Vedanta Temple is an oasis in the city. A beautiful meditation hall and grounds encourage a pause from the everyday goings on. The Vedanta Temple is one of these special places, with a different vibration than say, one’s house.

Spirit Rock Zen Center – In Marin County, Sprit Rock is a beautiful center with many offerings. I’ve been longing to attend a retreat weekend at Spirit Rock. I did attend an evening of chanting with singer Jai Uttal that was memorable. They also provide opportunities for longer silent retreats or shorter virtual retreats. One day…

“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.” ― David Allen