mindfulness as a practice of reconnection
You may know that I spent the last 10 days in a strict Vipassana course, observing noble silence and practising meditation for 14 hours a day. I am so amazingly overwhelmed by all the people inquiring about the experience and awaiting the insights. To preserve its emotional integrity and purity, I look forward to sharing the experience by integrating its wisdom into the upcoming Breathwork sessions and Reconnect Retreats. Stay tuned for the blog post and podcast on the topic as well. I will reflect on helpful techniques with everyday applications and more in-depth points to support you on your path.
The real excitement comes with the announcement of the dates for the next Reconnect Retreat in May! Immense gratitude for this oasis, providing a safe refuge for disconnecting from the business of life, with complete digital, mind and body detox.
A ray of happiness weaved into this message for you.
Happiness is an ephemeral concept that has turned the self-helping industry into a commercial vehicle. In 2023 alone, the self-help e-book market had an estimated market share of $972 million.
How many books have you started with an inquisitive mind? I personally always have a tall stack! The question is, what are we hoping to find in the books, podcasts, and blogs?
We all long for happiness, a state of mind and being without pain, suffering, shame, and self-doubt.
So many modalities and ancient techniques that provide support for stress relief and happiness discovery get diluted to generate revenue, losing their sacredness in mass publicized discourses or practices. Prime examples are yoga, cold plunging, native shamanism, and plant medicine. Having experienced all and worked on integrating each separately, I always encourage people to look beyond the fad and see how each modality and practice changes their emotional fabric and mind patterns. It has been 5 years since I embarked on a new life-long path after my burnout crisis, and the only lasting lessons come from within and are not intellectual.
The burnout economy has produced a sad and unhealthy life, and people are desperate to get relief from misery, illness and obsessive thoughts immediately. The COVID effects spread wide to also awaken many people to the fact that external and material means do not bring happiness. Nevertheless, there are no instructions on where to start and how to do it. The truth is that we get nudges from the universe all the time; it is painful to follow, takes time, and requires a sacrifice of lifestyle and status.
I am not condemning the wisdom that various content and practices provide to billions of people globally. Today’s message is about looking deeper into the innate wisdom of all your practice, from exercise to breathwork and accepting that happiness has to be experienced subtly from within, which takes commitment and practice.
This is why breathwork and mindfulness have such a monumental impact on people. Research shows repeatedly that the simple techniques create new patterns of behaviour and release blocked physical and emotional trauma. Experiencing happiness from within is the most profound and enlightened experience.