Can I Read You a Poem? Lessons from a 10-Day Meditation Retreat
I just finished a super intense 10-day silent meditation retreat with my wife, Carrie.
And over those 10 days, I realized something important:
I really don’t like being in isolation — especially for days on end — with no phone, no friends, and barely any food.
It’s very uncomfortable for a guy like me.
In fact, if I were to design a party for myself, it would be the exact opposite of this: lots of people, lots of food.
But Carrie’s done several of these retreats, and she loves them...
So when the opportunity came, I decided to join her (fully anticipating an uncomfortable experience).
Because in spite of the pain, I wanted to better understand her experience.
And I don’t regret it at all...
Because from my discomfort, two wonderful things happened:
- First, I was able to connect with Carrie on a deeper level than I ever have before...
- And second, something about the isolation pushed me to access a totally different kind of creativity than when I’m in my normal routine.
That’s where the poem comes in.
After 6 or 7 days of silence, sitting in my little room, eating my bowl of grool, I wrote something. And I really want to share with you.
Ezra Firestone