I have just come from a silent retreat in Surrey UK. We gathered at Ladywell Convent a sacred site that has been dedicated to “Mothering” for hundreds of years. I must say here that the practice of silence, the commune with natural surroundings, the sumptuous, vegetarian foods prepared with prayers and respect were not new concepts for me.
Reflecting on the last 20+ years of daily sadhanas, learned in layers. My relationship with food, to my reverence for it. My understanding of my breath being symbiotic with all plants, literally breathing together, my oxygen needs met by their exhale, their carbon dioxide from my exhale, an indication of our shared respiration, shared dharma. The vibration of each sound uttered, chanted, prayed, the profound effects of all utterance. The reprised benefits of a first step being, no harm, ahimsa, inner harmony, reverberation in the hallowed halls of this Franciscan retreat center.. These gifts of sadhana not lost on the soul who finds herself in retreat with the beautiful sisters at Ladywell Convent and my fellow humans that are moving toward conscious living.
The gifts still giving, Food. Breath and Sound……thank you Wise Earth School of Ayurveda, for providing an infrastructure to Maya Tiwari. This timeless wisdom is not part of my life. It is my life.
Jai Jai Maa