Monday, June 24th 2019
Nevada City, CA
I try to sleep in as late as I can, but still, end up out of bed by 8:30am. I walk to the dining hall to find fresh coffee and tell the kitchen attendant that I love her. I eat a small breakfast of boiled eggs and granola.
Today has no scheduled activities and most of my retreat group has already left. I plan to reflect on my experience before heading back to the city for work. I spend most of the morning sitting by the small pond near the front of the garden. My chair faces the Temple of Joy and the diffused morning light shining through the overgrown garden is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. Around 10am I start the 3 mile hike around the property. This time I do not miss any turns and have a newfound appreciation for the silence of the forest.
When I arrived back to the garden Alley is hula hooping and waves me over. We chat for a few minutes and then resolve to meditate together before lunch. I bring her to the root cellar, where we sit quietly for 20 minutes until the lunch bell rings.
We eat lunch together and then go separate ways for the afternoon. Alley works on a puzzle in the dining hall and I sit in the library reading the Findhorn Garden, a book strongly recommended by Charles, the gardener.
At 4pm I join a group session of yoga and meditation. Alley and I eat dinner together and then spend the evening drinking tea and working on a puzzle. I am feeling so relaxed and happy and can barely fathom the roller coaster of emotions that I experienced over the last two days.
When it starts to become dark I walk back to my tent to call it a night.
