Silence really is Golden

My time here at Omega really is flying by and we are all feeling it and trying to hang-on to every moment!  I will be heading out on Monday, October 8 to Virginia Beach to visit my brother and look forward to that.

I know most of you won't believe this, but I spent 3-1/2 days in total silence - not speaking or being spoken to!  Adyashanti was here for a 7-day silent retreat and his was the only retreat going on during that time so they had asked that the Omega staff be very quiet during that time period to help the participants have a much fuller experience.  I decided that I would join them for as many days as I could with my work schedule.  It was quite an experience and I so enjoyed the quiet and peacefulness of the campus.  There were over 500 people on campus when combining staff and participants and no one spoke.  It made our beautiful grounds even more beautiful without noise and mindless chatter.

Meal times were really fun to watch as people walked in silently,  got their food, ate and left without a  sound.  I so wanted to have a video camera on the ceiling so we could watch it again.  With my job in Reception I got to talk with many people on their way home and hear about their experience.  It was all very positive.  You really learn a lot about yourself.  If you would like to know more about Adyashanti you can checkout his website at www.adyashanti.org.  

Now we are back to normal and realize how much we missed the sound of laughter!  Breakfast continues to be my favorite meal here, not just because of the food, but the conversation.  We are such an eclectic group and it is wonderful to hear the interesting conversations that flow first thing each day.  I usually get there first and stay as long as I can.  This morning I was late because it was raining quite hard and I had the day off so thought I would eat later in the cafe.  Instead, I did make it there in the final half hour and they wondered what had happened to me and were trying to decide who was going to my tent to make sure I was O.K.   That is what is special about living in a community!

Once in a Blue Moon!

Sorry for the long delay in my updates.  Life has a funny way of catching us unaware.  I was on a good exercise program here with my long walks around the lake and climbing all the hills, plus yoga & strength training down by the lake.  It really felt good and I was glad to have finally worked off all the bread, cheese & wine that I consumed in France.  One moment I was reading & relaxing in a hammock down by the lake and the next moment I was crashing to the ground.  I'm fine with the exception of a bone fracture in my foot, which has prevented me from continuing my fitness program.  Life is full of surprises!  It has taught me to enjoy the downtime while icing my foot.  Also, how to accept the kindness of my fellow "Omegans".


It is such a delight to be here in this third work period (August 13-October 7).  The workshops are quite different with the Ecstatic Chant weekend and then Adyashanti's 7-night silent retreat among many others.  I'm loving the changing weather with the cooler nights & lovely sunny warm days.  As always, I continue to learn more about things I had never heard of before finding Omega.  Went to my first Kirtan, which is a musical chant that we can participate in or not.  We had a week long workshop with Bobby McFerrin of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" fame.  The participants who came for this workshop were some of the most delightful that I have had the pleasure of meeting.  I hope to someday attend this workshop.  They did a concert for the whole campus and we were all thrilled to be there.


On my day off the end of August I went into NYC with my friend, Judy.  She had never been there so it was fun for me to play tour guide.  We took the metro into Grand Central and then explored Chelsea, Greenwich Village, & South Street Seaport before stopping at Fraunces' Tavern for a cocktail.  Then to Oyster Bar for some clam chowder before catching the train back.  It was a fun-packed day and we can't wait to go again.  Next time we will explore the more northern neighborhoods.


Kim & John finally found time to come for a visit and that was wonderful and relaxing for all.  I was even able to get a cabin for them so they didn't have the "tent" experience.  Our weather was perfect and the moon was almost full by the time they left.  Speaking of this 8/31 full moon - I'm sure you all know this was a Blue Moon!  (Two full moons in the same month)  August was the only month this occurred in 2012 and it won't happen again until 2015!

"Face Your Fears & Do It Anyway"

This quote kept running through my mind after I last updated this blog.  I had agreed to speak before the Omega staff at a mandatory meeting about my experience at the Brian Weiss workshop last year.  When I said "yes", it was to be held in a small building on campus and I figured only a few people would attend.  As things go, everything changed  - the meeting was moved to the biggest building on campus and I would be speaking into a microphone and I would go first!!!  I kept trying not to think about it before hand, hah!  Somehow I managed not to faint & luckily had some good friends sitting in the audience so I could focus on them.   I got some positive feedback and was so happy to have conquered that fear.


Following that experience, I was chosen to participate in a trapeze class here on campus.  There is a professional trapeze company who come here every year and hold workshops for a few weeks.  Then to give back to our community, they do a drawing to let some staff members have the opportunity to try out the sport of trapeze.   They have found how amazing the transformations are as people climb the ladder to face their fears and swing through the air.  I had always said I wanted to try it, but was a bit afraid.  Well, here I was again facing my fears!  It was a Tuesday night and I had been the microphone runner for Brian Weiss' workshop all afternoon, which was great because I couldn't think about flying through the air.   After a very light dinner, we all met under the big-top and got our instructions.  My heart was beating so fast, but I just kept on focusing.  They put a harness around our middle - sort of like Scarlet O'Hara in her corset.  The idea is to climb this VERY tall ladder and stand on the platform with an instructor holding on to you while you grab onto the swing with one hand and lean out, bend your knees, and hop!  You hold on with both hands & swing way out & they call out instructions.  Lift legs up & over the bar & then let go with your hands to hang by your knees.  Then swing back & catch the swing with your hands again while getting your legs off the bar.  Then they call, "forward, back, forward" & you let go and grab your knees and fall into the net.  However, I did a back flip which really surprised me and them.  We each got three trys to do this.  This was one of the most exhilarating experiences ever!  I was so afraid that my legs wouldn't hold me while I was hanging upside down.  Luckily, it all went well and it was fabulous to watch each person take their turn and face their fears.  I do have a video & am happy to share it when I see you.  This was one of those experiences (like running a marathon or riding 500-miles on a bike) that remind me that anything is possible!



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Life at Omega

I've been thinking that some of you may be interested in what life is like here at Omega. I'm in my 4th week here and am finding a much more balanced life than last year. Last year I was so surprised and excited about the many classes that were available to staff, that I went to as many as I could. Consequently, I didn't have a lot of quiet time. This year I am only picking a few classes each week and spending much more time reading in a hammock by the lake. Delightful! Last night after dinner I was reading in a hammock and someone in a hammock near me began playing the guitar - how lovely was that! Each year at this time in the summer, we have a trapeze/circus artist here and the guests come to take his workshop during arts week. Then they put on a circus/trapeze show for the entire staff & guests. It is fabulous and amazing to see how quickly the participants learn. I'm trying to get up my courage to give it a try. We'll see. As many of you know, I am a big fan of Brian Weiss (author of Many Lives, Many Masters) and attended his workshop last year. Well, I'm doing it again and it begins this Friday. I'm curious to see how different the experience will be this time. My Life Skills Workshop this session is Yoga from the inside out and we meet twice a week for two hours each. It's a good workshop and my body needs it. Being here has exposed me to so many different types of yoga and I truly appreciate that. Finally, in closing I want to share a quote I heard from Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan (he was the one who had the original vision for Omega). "If you only knew what the potentials in your being are, you would realize that it is your ignorance of those potentials that limit you."

My sabbatical continues . . .

This sabbatical began as a one-year journey to do some things I wanted to do before I got too old to do them. But life takes funny turns and I found that I really like being a gypsy. Also, discovered that one 7-week work session at Omega was definitely not enough! Plus I have met so many other people living a similar lifestyle and making it work. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am back at the Omega Institute working in Reception and living in my beautiful new tent (thanks to my wonderful kids)! I arrived here on June 25 and will stay until October 8. I really wanted to see the fall in the Hudson River Valley, plus 7 weeks was way too short last year. This year I drove out so I could bring my bike. It is good to have it here and I have ridden twice. The hills are tough, so it will take awhile to get my strength up to ride longer. We haven't found any bike trails yet that aren't loaded with hills. Coming back to a place you love is always a concern because you know it will be different. I am happy to say that I love it here as much as ever. Maybe even more as now I know my way around and am more comfortable being here. There are many of the same people here, plus a whole batch of new faces. All the people from last year's Reception team have returned and we are so glad to all be working together again. Some of the activities I have done since arriving include canoeing, biking, yoga, gong meditation & comedy improv. Had two movie nights in Rhinebeck - hope everyone has seen, "The Exotic Marigold Hotel". There is something magical about being here. Maybe it's the peace and quiet or the kind friendly staff. We do believe you can feel the spiritual energy that makes you reflect on life. It is amazing to feel so connected to all forms of wild life here. The birds begin their morning chatter about 5:00 a.m. and I call it Omega's snooze alarm because then you know you can sleep for another hour or so. Perhaps it's realizing you need nothing more than a tent, few clothes, and a good book to make you happy. In reading a book in the library I came across this quote from Gandhi, "Live simply that others might simply live".

Living in France as a vegetarian

I've been asked how I did eating in France as a vegetarian and I found it quite a challenge. First thoughts when going to France is, "I could live on bread, cheese & wine"! Nice idea, but it gets old fast. I still love all those things, but need more. I have discovered that Pizza is a universal language - no matter where you go, they have pizza and it is spelled the same way so no doubt you know what you are getting. Consequently, I ate many marguerita pizzas. With my limited French, I do know most of the French words for meat items, plus I can say, "je suis vegetarienne". They did have fabulous farmer's markets in France and if I had the proper cooking utensils, I could have made some healthy meals. Like everything else in life, we learn as we go so I will be more prepared next time.

My Best Day in Paris!!!

O.K. You're thinking did I go to the Louvre, climb the Eiffel Tower, or fall in love with some amazing Frenchman. Hell no, I went to Roland Garros to see the French Open Tennis Tournament! This is one of those days to be remembered forever! Many many steps involved in the process - like getting an eticket & then finding an Internet cafe to print it. Then figuring out which metro trains get there & then which way to walk after leaving the train. I could only get a grounds ticket, which meant not sitting in the big three stadiums, but waiting in line for one that might have some good matches and it did! What was so cool was feeling as though I was at the United Nations and meeting people from all over this great world. Communicating & becoming friends when you can't even find a common language. There were moments when I would just pinch myself & say, "I'm at the French Open". I've been watching this tournament for years - you can ask Kim, since last year I dragged her to a bar (well I didn't really have to drag her), just to watch Nadal play Federer in the French Open! So, if you are a tennis fan, I would put this on your list of things not to miss. I would come back to Paris just to go to Roland Garros!