Greg led us through some interactive , social exercises that successfully broke the ice and set up a good mood , yet a serious intention , before we all entered into Noble Silence for the duration of the weekend ."
MEDITATION
Greg led us through some interactive , social exercises that successfully broke the ice and set up a good mood , yet a serious intention , before we all entered into Noble Silence for the duration of the weekend ."
erty was given by Laura Patterson , the owner of Vibe Yoga Studio , who once-upon-a-time lived on the property in the caretaker ’ s apartment , above the large garage ( what I assume was once the old carriage house ). Laura was an excellent guide and introduced me to the current owner , Michael . Together , they shared some of the rich history of this beautiful property as related above .
In the front wood-lined room , where I would be spending much of my weekend cross-legged on the floor , I met our meditation leader , Greg . He was busy moving furniture out of the way and arranging blankets and bolsters on the floor for the group of eight people to congregate . Greg Burdulis has an ageless quality about him . He has the bluest eyes imaginable that always seem to be full of laughter , and they would remain that way even if he were to cry .
Greg spent seven years as a Theravada Buddhist monk practicing meditation in monasteries and caves . His lectures about meditation and mindfulness have a deep well of experience to draw from , and he communicates with a native understanding of our American society , delving into problems we Americans face in attaining meaningful happiness : He was born in Madison , Wisconsin after all . no talking unless there was a specific purposeful reason for speech . Greg said we were allowed to speak something like “ please pass the salt ” to our companions , but that never happened — although I was tempted to ask for salt at the communal dinner table .
Speaking of dinner table , the vegetarian food , excellently prepared by our caterer Carl Meyers , was refreshing . My palate , no stranger to bloody red meats covered in cheese , was open to this vegetarian experience . I enjoyed the homemade hummus , baba ganoush , quinoa tabouli , dal , red lentil & squash polow , carrot-ginger soup , and a variety of fresh vegetables . I found myself initially self-conscious , eating without speech yet unable to eliminate the chewing , slurping and swallowing noises that are apparently necessary functions of these human bodies . I quickly got over myself . In the mornings before breakfast each day , I spent time on my yoga mat , in my room , preparing my body for the un-
All the other attendees were as pleasant , interesting and personable as one would expect to find at such a retreat . We did not begin our period of silence until later at night , after we had a chance to talk and get to know each other a tiny bit . Greg led us through some interactive , social exercises that successfully broke the ice and set up a good mood , yet a serious intention , before we all entered into Noble Silence for the duration of the weekend .
The Noble Silence and the Meditation
This Noble Silence was a new concept for we who were not monks . Everyone , with the exception of Greg , made a commitment to refrain from all social , frivolous communications . This meant no small talk and no conversations about the infinite thoughts running through our brains . Simply
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