Loose Leaf Notes

Tofu tempura, miso soup, maki rolls, and salad were on the Easter meal menu on the last day of the Teen Meditation Retreat this weekend at Earthsong Farm. Wolf (teen who couldn’t make the full retreat but is part of this community of young meditaters) and I got lost three times driving from Floyd to Patrick County for this tasty macrobiotic meal. We burned up a lot of calories backtracking and trying to figure out where we were, so we were hungry when we arrived.

The retreat features Walking Meditation, Sitting Meditation, and Kitchen Meditation, practiced with loving skill by Jagadisha and Linda (pictured).

Noble Silence, Small Discussion Groups and Workshops are also part of the schedule. One of the workshops the teens participated in was the building of a thatched roof wigwam (outdoor sleeping quarters). My camera ran out of batteries before I could get a shot of that, or of the whimsical bed springs arbor that leads to resident caretakers Emily and Cameron’s home and gardens.

My husband Joe (one of the meditation teachers) and others at the farm had been working these past few weeks on getting the cabins ready for the event. They painted the Dharma Hall cabin – where sitting meditation, dharma talks, and a final day gratitude ceremony takes place – a “Tropical Essence” turquoise. Leah thought the cabins should be named, maybe by the paint colors. The girl’s cabin was “Heather Mist.”

Conversations were lively and the fellowship meaningful. Hugs were passed all around as teens, teachers, parents, and friends said their goodbyes, some promising to meet up again at the weeklong summer retreat in August. You can read more about Earthsong Organic Farm and Retreat HERE and MAYA (Mindful Awareness for Young Adults), the national organization that the Virginia branch of teen meditation retreats is part of, HERE.