Nourishing our spirit

I would like to share a message I got a few days ago from a friend of mine. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do and that you find it inspiring. I will not post her email out of respect for her privacy but if I get her permission I will post the address.

September 13 at 2:44pm
Dear amazing beings,

This message is to let you know that I will be disactivating my FB account for some time (not sure how long) because I am voluntarily choosing to loosen up a little bit my attachments.. It's not easy to do that but I believe (and experienced) that inner calmness and long-lasting happiness comes from loving others (and the world) freely and without clinging. Desiring or needing specific pleasures in our life is what causes harm to our emotional being because when we don't get what we want, we usually suffer (or at least I do:).

As a result, I decided to leave NYC for some time and move to a meditation retreat center where I will volunteer, do some work practice, meditate a little bit, and just be.. mindful.. The program is initially for 3 months, afterwards let's see if we will extend my stay. That said, although Facebook is obviously a great way how to connect with people when you are away, it can also be quite distracting. And because I do feel weak from time to time about my own spiritual path, seeing you doing a lot of fun stuff might make me desire too much to be with you (wherever you are:)

Deciding to come to the center, there were two things that were difficult to give up - my life in NYC with all my friends and my plans for short-term future. However, I strongly feel that taking some time for "nourishing our spirit" is an investment for our whole life - establishing a foundation of mindfulness through our spiritual practice (whatever the path is) is something you will never loose or regret. Personally, mindfulness helps me to be aware of my emotions, thoughts, and.. the present moment!:) To quote one of my favorite authors, Thich Nhat Hahn:

“The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. Practicing conscious breathing, being aware of each thought or action, we are fully alive in the present moment. Channeling our energies toward being aware of what is going on in the present moment, we discover peace and happiness that are available right now. The well is within us.”

Honestly, sometimes it's not easy to "be mindful" and that's why I decided to surround myself with an environment that will help me strengthen this practice by allowing me to learn more about myself. Since I would like to focus my future career on helping others, I want to establish really healthy mental well-being to be able to serve the world in the best way I could.

Sooooo, the purpose of this long message is: to let you know what I'm doing with my life, why I'm leaving FB, and.. if you want to connect with me, to give you my email (if you don't have it already) so that I can hear also about your life, your journey, your desires, or your weaknesses:)

My email ***** so please write me, even if just a few lines, I will be happy that you are thinking of me:)I'm sending you a lot of love.. Let's pray together for clarity of mind in whatever we are doing..

K***