Islote Cojolyá

I believe most people are harder on themselves and less forgiving of our foibles than we are of others. We're also much better at dispensing advice and pearls of wisdom to others than we are of recognizing and applying appropriate course corrections to our own imperfect lives. I certainly am, but whenever I start slipping down this slope, of what might have been had I just done this or not done that, been more like this, or less like that, I zoom out and let the crazy, random wonderfulness of my teenage and adult life wash over me. It's been one heck of a ride, and had it not all happened the way that it did, I would not have met Gisela, and we would not have had all the mad adventures we've had, including our Vipassana journey together. https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/vipassana

This Vipassana journey brought us to France last September to give Dhamma Service on a 10-day course, and it was there I met Pierre, and after the course, his wife Simona who had sat the course (10-day Courses are both an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day, and recommended to take once a year if you continue on the Vipassana journey).

Pierre and Simona have very recently finished building their home in Santiago de Atitlan on the shores on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. It's a truly stunning place where their dream and vision were realized with the help of an incredible team of Guatemalans. Attached to this beautiful place is a lovely, one room apartment where my friend Beth and I stayed for five days. I had such a great time reconnecting with my Vipassana friends-enjoying good meals, meeting some of their friends, hiking with Pierre, kayaking with Pierre and Simona, meditated a couple of times (we even got Beth to do her very first Vipassana meditation session), had a very special musical and a capella jam, many, many good chats and tons of laughs. They are very special people.

Hasta la próxima amigos!Read more