A few common questions consistently surface as I chat with people about my retreat experience. Here are some of the “most frequently asked” questions.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: I.e., if I had to do it all over again, would I still make the choice to have this experience? Yes, absolutely. Not a single doubt in my mind. The experience was so much harder than I ever could have imagined (and really, I just could not have imagined what it would actually FEEL like to do it, to go through it, to live it); and it was truly, deeply painful at times; but the “returns” I received from having completed this experience absolutely made it all worthwhile. I would 100% go through it all over again, knowing what SIGNIFICANT benefits I would receive as a result.
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Q: WILL you do it again?
A: Ah, this one is a bit trickier. Would I willingly go through all of the crap AGAIN?
On the 10th day of the retreat, fellow students asked this question a lot of one another, and one of the “old students” drew similarities between this meditation experience and having a baby. While there is considerable discomfort, pain, and even tears in the delivery process, the amazing little human being that results makes it all 1000% worthwhile. Similarly, while this meditation process is riddled with pain, discomfort, and sometimes tears, the amazing little insights and goodnesses that are discovered make it all worthwhile.
That being said, nearly any new mom, while beyond delighted with the precious new life she (and her partner) created, is also not eager to do it all over again. She needs time to 1) get to know her little baby, and 2) forget about some of the pain and the trauma so that she is willing to try the whole process again. Similarly, nearly any student in this process would probably be best served by 1) getting to know more about (and becoming more comfortable with) the little insights that were revealed, and 2) putting a bit of distance between some of the more difficult parts of the experience so that s/he is willing to give it another go at some point in the future.
So – will *I* do it again? I never say “never”; but I also know that, as good as this was at the end, I am not overly eager to do it all again. I say give me 9 months, and then check in again and see where I’m at and how I’m feeling at that time. :)
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Q: Was it worth it?
A: Yes. Yes. Yes.
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So, there you have it. If you have a question you’d like to ask, feel free to post it via the comment section below, or contact me to ask directly. Thanks!
