My week spent at Spring Wind Farm allowed me to find joy in the present moment, in simple, yet life sustaining tasks. At home, in New York City, I found myself feeling stuck, finding ways to distract myself from what was in front of me. But being at Spring Wind Farm brought me back to my body, and the gift of the small things, like drinking coffee with friends, sitting with a cat, or pulling weeds for hours in the garden. Looking at a sunset, reminded me of the gift of my eyesight, and feeling the dew drops on my skin, the gift of feeling cool and wet. Being tired from the day, allowed me to appreciate moments of sleep, that I often avoid when I’m at home. Being surrounded by the sounds of the wind and birds in the trees and the running water of the creek, reminded me of the life that surrounds us in each moment. I found throughout the week, I experienced a presence of mind, a kind of stillness in whatever I was engaged in, that brought me a kind of aliveness at times I have forgotten I have. The farm was a reminder of this gift, to be awake each moment. Some things I appreciated along the way…108 prostrations each morning will make you more sore than a half marathon, chickens are very good at cleaning every last morsel from your pots and pans, Holy Basil makes excellent tea, dandelions must be removed from the root, roosters crow at all hours of the day, temple cats may very well sit next to you on the cushion, and skunks can be quite cute. I am forever grateful for the moments at Springwind and look forward to more to come. Thank you to Sanha, Osaek, Gagjeong, Zach, the retreatants, the animals, plants and all the life with whom I was fortunate enough to share space with.
-Catherine G
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