13 Jun 2011

April 2011



Monks from Plum Village came over and we all spent a long weekend together in an old convent in Co. Kildare.   The setting was lovely.

This was my first retreat.   I had done some mindfulness and other things around meditation.   But these retreats run by Mindfulness Ireland are connected to Thich Nhat Hanh, a monk who has a centre in France called Plum Village.

We got up at six, did some meditation, some movement and then had breakfast.   We had a talk afterwards and then lunch.   We had another talk in the afternoon or some mindful walking.   About eight we had evening meditation and then we were to stay in silence until after breakfast the next morning.  

The whole experience was interesting and when I treat it lightly, could let go and enjoy the silence.    I do not live this way at all at home.   I hate housework and get very tired a lot anyway.    It is not an ordered life.   But when I go for these weekends, I kind of fall into it.

Friendly french brother

I don't even sing





Thai brother


The tree


We did the Five Mindfulness Trainings for the first time in Ireland.   They are done every week in Plum Village.   It is a bit of a ceremony so it was special.   They are guidelines on how to live I suppose or at least things to aspire to.

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