I’m going into my annual compassion retreat tomorrow, and will be offline for the next two weeks. You’ll still receive this blog everyday, but if you email or private message me directly I will be getting back to you on my return.

If you’ve read the QS book you will know quite a lot about the Chenrezig practice and what I will be experiencing whilst taking Tibetan Buddhist monastic vows each morning. The hardship of the fasting (no food or water or talking for one day, every other day), and the beauty of the practice make this a life-changing experience each year; I go deeper within, and learn more about myself as I keep giving away my own needs.

Tibetan New Year fell early this year and with the retreat beginning directly after the celebrations at the monastery, it’s set to be a very cold retreat which will add to the suffering (which is all part of the practice!).

It’s important to know the importance of taking time out for yourself. Making arrangements so that you can put aside your responsibilities and dive more fully into yourself. It’s simply not something we can do, certainly at length, at home; there is always something else that needs doing, the phone to pick up, front door to answer, or kids to be fed.

Who are we underneath all of this? 

I know that this question doesn’t get asked enough in my day to day life
And I do want to change that
Going into retreat is the first step
Opening up the space for this question to first be asked, and then answered

Who we are underneath is from where alignment is born
When we live from within we have the chance to capture magic and alchemise it into a life of ease, flow, and contentment.

If we don’t then life becomes stagnant, we feel lost and flail through what feels like a sea of struggle.

I’ve watched it time and time again
First with my own life (I’ve been going on retreat for the last 20 years)
Then with my clients and customers
Over and over again
Lives changing
Sometimes beyond recognition

This year
After a break in 2018
I’m excited about doing this powerful practice again
I felt myself align with Scotland a couple of weeks ago
Something moved into place
And the work began happening
I’ve talked about this before; when the energy shifts as soon as you book a retreat/make the commitment
And this is happening right in front of my eyes

My suitcase was packed days ago
Office/staff duties arranged
And email auto-responder set

I am ready
Like never before
To jump into the next chapter
The blogs you’ll receive everyday for the next two weeks have been pre-planned and scheduled, and the next ‘realtime’ blog will be in two Sunday’s time (24th Feb) as I reemerge from retreat. And you can bet that my writing will be different; as my inner world shifts so too the outer landscape HAS to change. See you on the other side…