Ever since I made the decision to only post work-related things on this blog, I find myself rarely using this blog at all. It’s certainly not that I’ve stopped working, but I think that when I’m feeling creative and in the mood to blog, I want to blog about things that are informal or personal and so they don’t end up here. Not sure that’s a great thing, but that’s where it stands for now.
This past Friday we had a work retreat. Most work retreats I’ve been on through the years have basically consisted of going to an outside location – typically a conference room or meeting location, and we’ve spent the day working on a specific project or focused on a specific goal. This past Friday, however, I was lucky enough to attend a retreat that truly felt like a retreat – at the O’an Zendo Center here in Julian, Pennsylvania. The O’an Zendo center is “devoted to the practice and teaching of Zen Buddhism” and it was a day to renew ourselves and our spirits and really take time to relax, refocus, and slow down. I think our entire team needed this retreat more than we’ve needed a lot of things lately, and I am so thankful that I had an entire day to spend there.
We spent the day relaxing, learning about each other in ways that some might think are odd (touching each others hands, walking around each other in a large room with hardwood floors and huge windows with a view of the trees outside), and really looking at ourselves. It was such a rare experience to have one day where you were told to do what you needed to do (including taking a nap if you felt you needed to) because that’s what your body needed. We had no technology, no pressures, no multi-tasking of things demanding our attention – just deep breaths, relaxation, and an awareness that we are all part of a bigger picture. It was a really moving experience for several team members, including myself, and I find myself attempting to meditate now, even if it’s just for a few minutes to bring myself back to center and regain perspectives and focus.
I am so grateful to have spent the day learning about buddhism and meditation and even more thankful to have been able to learn those things as part of my work.
