As usual, excellent content! It's really been informing how I'm starting my year.
I'm currently experimenting on having one set-in-stone-absolutely-cannot-skip reflection cycle of doing a 2 day silent retreat once a month. I've done 2 months of this so far.
It's had the most positively impactful boost of any self improvement attempt for my productivity and happiness so far. I've tried and failed for years to set up diary habits, and accountability buddy check ins, but focusing on this single cycle seems to have the dual function of being a point of deep reflection, and also training qualities I want to improve in! Two birds with one scone.
Most interesting to me is that with having such a deep meditation experience regularly, meditating daily for an hour comes with ease, as I am able to better remember the skill of how to actually meditate well, vs the (still worthwhile) practice of sitting for an hour lost in thought.
For the past 7 years I've done 10 day Vipassana retreats at least once a year with the same great effects, but that annual cycle had many drawbacks, including requiring a job that is chill with lots of unpaid leave, and being pretty expensive to travel to the center, and being too infrequent to get a feedback loop rolling.
I love this and probably should (probably will?) look at where I'm creating prolonged silent space on a regular basis. Currently I have a vague intention to spend a month every year or two away from the world, but nothing more frequently.
As usual, excellent content! It's really been informing how I'm starting my year.
I'm currently experimenting on having one set-in-stone-absolutely-cannot-skip reflection cycle of doing a 2 day silent retreat once a month. I've done 2 months of this so far.
It's had the most positively impactful boost of any self improvement attempt for my productivity and happiness so far. I've tried and failed for years to set up diary habits, and accountability buddy check ins, but focusing on this single cycle seems to have the dual function of being a point of deep reflection, and also training qualities I want to improve in! Two birds with one scone.
Most interesting to me is that with having such a deep meditation experience regularly, meditating daily for an hour comes with ease, as I am able to better remember the skill of how to actually meditate well, vs the (still worthwhile) practice of sitting for an hour lost in thought.
For the past 7 years I've done 10 day Vipassana retreats at least once a year with the same great effects, but that annual cycle had many drawbacks, including requiring a job that is chill with lots of unpaid leave, and being pretty expensive to travel to the center, and being too infrequent to get a feedback loop rolling.
I love this and probably should (probably will?) look at where I'm creating prolonged silent space on a regular basis. Currently I have a vague intention to spend a month every year or two away from the world, but nothing more frequently.
Have you seen Jarred's writing over on the Apollo Almanac on Space? It has a very similar flavour to your comment: https://theapolloalmanac.substack.com/p/space