compassion

Here are three life lessons that I learned at a vipassana meditation retreat:

1. All in life is interconnected.
We live in an incredible web of connectedness. Everyone and everything exist in relation to each aspect of their individual life and each tier of collective life:

• Family and generational
• Social and community
• National and global

1. Hold up the Inner Mirror
Reflection through meditation holds the key to unlocking an individual's true potential. A sought-after skill on a spiritual seeker's resume, meditation is simple and easy to do, yet many journey through life not ever knowing or benefiting from its transformative powers. Here are some of the benefits of regular meditation:
• dramatically reduces stress

On Sunday, May 6, the Venerable Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh appeared on Super Soul Sunday on Oprah's OWN network. In a rare interview with Oprah herself, the inspirational monk and gentle spirit discussed his dedication to mindful meditation. Of the many things he talked about, his "four mantras" for relationship success were truly powerful.

I have often watched documentaries on retreats with the secret yearning of wanting to attend one of these myself one day. They show you the difficulties people have to overcome and the unbelievable transformations of peoples lives that can take place, it is simply amazing.