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March 21st

THE BEST RETREAT IS IN HERE, NOT OUT THERE

“People seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the sea, or in

the mountains. You are very much in the habit of yearning for

those same things. But this is entirely the trait of a base person,

when you can, at any moment, find such a retreat in yourself. For

nowhere can you find a more peaceful and less busy retreat than in

your own soul—especially if on close inspection it is filled with

ease, which I say is nothing more than being well-ordered. Treat

yourself often to this retreat and be renewed.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 4.3.1

o you have a vacation coming up? Are you looking forward to the
weekend so you can have some peace and quiet? Maybe, you think,
after things settle down or after I get this over with. But how often has that
ever actually worked?
The Zen meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn coined a famous expression:
“Wherever you go, there you are.” We can find a retreat at any time by
looking inward. We can sit with our eyes closed and feel our breath go in
and out. We can turn on some music and tune out the world. We can turn off
technology or shut off those rampant thoughts in our head. That will
provide us peace. Nothing else.