So, it’s been nearly a year since my last post.
A lot has happened this year…
- I finished my 3rd year of Circling Europe’s SAS Leadership training, this year I was a teaching assistant.
- Led an amazing circling meditation intensive at the Monastic Academy with outside teachers including Mike Blas, Vincenzo, and Olivia. One of the most enjoyable and transformative circling experiences I’ve ever seen anywhere.
- I became a teacher at the Monastic Academy in Vermont. While Soryu went away for ~4 months, I took over all teaching responsibilities including daily interviews, dozen or more dharma talks/workshops, and more.
- Most of all, I finished my winter solitary retreat from February – May. It was probably the second most important experience of my life, only behind my first meditation retreat in college.
Given all the crazy busyness, I haven’t had much time to focus on anything outside of the monastery. My life is here.
Up until recently, I contemplated leaving once again. However, I was shaken awake in October around the likely and immediate global tremendous challenges on the horizon that threaten life on the planet and human civilization. It seemed very clear that we’re soon embarking on a massive transition stage whether we like it or not. And being at the monastery for now seems like the best place to train and prepare so that when things to shit, we will have “technologies” and models for this new world.
Between the cabin, becoming a teacher, and this new awakening of global deep challenge, my life and priorities has deepened and reoriented once again.
A lot has happened.
It seems more than ever, my vow is here and committed to awaken and serve. Not taking the common path of householder life with family, stable home, and career as my priorities. And with the likely systems radical collapse and reinvention, those old ways might not be even so attractive or feasible.
My piece in all the future work seems oriented around teaching meditation, circling, human development, and community. As I’ve expanded towards teaching, I’ve also begun actively offering coaching to select folks too.
I don’t expect I’ll be doing monthly reviews anymore. But I do plan on writing publicly much more often.
Let’s build a better future together.