To be more present in modern life

"You should come to my retreat at Esalen, it's a beautiful place" said Dan when we were planning to catch up. I knew about Esalen from 'Mad Men'. I couldn't get enough of the last scene of the meditation-born revelation at the edge of the ocean. Now with this invitation, I felt doubly curious of the place and the meditation retreat.

The drive was long and I being no fan of winding roads, took time to reach after dark. As I entered the campus, the darkness, clear starry sky and loud sound of the crashing waves consumed me. Dan's class was in a big tent near the edge of the ocean. He gave an introduction to meditation, we did short 10 minutes practice followed by a walk along the forest to Esalen's hot springs under the night sky. I spent next two days observing, listening and spending quiet time meditating, reading books, walking through the campus and enjoying the gorgeous view. At each session, we learned simple ways to meditate, and spiritual teachings of Buddha. Dan did a good job keeping these teachings and practices simple and connected to our modern lives. As I drove back along the coast of Big Sur, I reflected upon the meaningful way I spent the weekend. I felt calm and clear. I also liked seeing my old colleague Dan, who seemed way more funny in his monk avatar than his work avatar. ??

If you are looking to learn how to be more meaningfully present in your modern lives, I would encourage you to explore Dan's books and his retreat at Esalen.