This Will Also Change

I attended the 10-day silent Vipassana retreat last December in Shelburne Falls, MA. It was an incredibly hard and wonderful experience. If you don’t know about it, and would like to learn more, I recommend you visit their website at dhamma.org.

The meditation and Vipassana teachings are provided through recordings of the teacher S. N. Goenka. And one of the phrases he repeats and reminds us of, is that “This will also change”. Everything in life, or within us is impermanent.

Although there were many lessons, transformational experiences, and stories, the one I’m feeling most compelled to share is about nature.

We had a walking area in nature at the retreat, and we could walk there during the breaks. I went outside every day after lunch and before the next scheduled meditation. The scenery was beautiful. I’d feel the urge to take photos, but our phones were held from day zero to day 11. I took this post’s picture on day 11. I’d also imagine myself painting the scenery and tried to memorize some details. This is the painting I did after I got back.

Since the first day and walk, I felt mesmerized by the beauty in nature, by the whiteness of the snow, by the peace. I would contemplate on a tree for a minute and imagine that it wasn’t bothered by the heavy snow, by its branches almost touching the ground due to the extra weight, by the cold. It knew, this will also change. And as I appreciated the beauty of it all, I reminded myself that this will also change.

And it did. Each day, nature was different. One day, it was raining, and it was a new experience. The next day, the rain had turned into ice and formed a smooth layer on some branches. Stepping on the snow felt different as well, as if there was a layer of tiny ice on top of the snow. I imagine that if you ski, or live near nature and are used to snowstorms, I’m probably stating the obvious, but until I experienced it, I didn’t know. The following day, I could see tiny rainbows on the snow, formed by the broken ice that had fallen from the trees, and the sun’s reflection. Another day it was snowing, and it felt so peaceful. Nature was giving us examples of what we were learning, right there. It was touching and incredible. I laughed at my obvious realization – wow, snow in nature doesn’t turn gray like it does in New York City, how wonderful! 😊

What would mean for us all, if we walked around in peace with what is, in peace and in knowing that this will also change. In nature, there was no attachment, no regrets, no fear of the unknown. It was the experience in each moment, and the knowing that in the next moment that experience would be gone, but it didn’t matter. Because the next experience was equally as magical and profound as the previous one. Would I have been as present, and had the same experience, if I had my phone with me and was focused on taking pictures and/or selfies? I imagine it would be very unlikely.

It made me reconnect with my desire to spend more time in nature, being, observing, enjoying it.

The experience itself could be much deeper than simply hearing someone else share theirs. How about you find some time to spend in nature, and plan to do it a couple of days in a row, with no agenda, even with no cell phones or cameras, if you can do it, and simply observe and be present.

Some life reflections before the year ends:

• What is it that you hold on to that holds you back?
• What are the chains/thought patterns/behaviors that stop you from taking steps towards a goal/dream?
• What if you could face it all and remind yourself that this will also change?
• What if you turned off your phone every now and then, and practiced being present with what is for even just an hour?

Feel free to share if you go on a walk without your cell phone, and/or any experience you have when you start reminding yourself that – “this will also change”.

Happy Holidays!

Namaste,

Elisa

PS. Whatever feelings arose for you in reading this article, this will also change.