I’ve titled this chapter Day 0 instead of Day 1 because it wasn’t a full day on retreat. I arrived shortly after 2 p.m., and most of the afternoon was filled with the usual procedural steps: check-in, orientation, and easing into this new rhythm. This first installment offers a glimpse into my backstory and the state of mind I carried with me as I arrived.
Even amidst those ordinary transitions, something was already beginning to shift. In Part 2 of Day 0 (coming soon), I’ll share what unfolded just a few hours later.
Let’s just say: the profundity arrived early.
Day 0: Knowing Oneness; Sensing Separateness
(Remembering)
Illusion is as good a path to reality as any other. Illusions are merciful in that both the illusion and the person who held the illusion disappear, like magic, as soon as we see through them. Illusions show us the ultimate kindness by granting us new freedoms in the very act of their disappearance.
― David Whyte, Consolations II
Arrival
“Welcome!”
The parking lot attendant greeted my Lyft driver as we pulled into the retreat center.
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