After returning from a week-long Dharma teacher training retreat in Wilton, NSW, with the Insight Meditation Institute Australia, I felt compelled to document my insights and share what is currently alive for me. You may not know this, but I have been attending Insight Retreats for over a decade and, more recently, sitting weekly with the Malvern East Sangha. Bob Stahl, a former monk and MBSR teacher from San Francisco, introduced me to the Dharma teachings, although I had previously studied Buddhism through the works of Shunryu Suzuki, Trungpa Rinpoche, and Thich Nhat Hanh.
Spending a week with other experienced meditators—many of whom are already actively sharing mindfulness or Buddhist teachings in their communities—was a real gift. The week passed quickly, with only one silent day in the middle. As I fully settle back home, I want to take the opportunity to organise my reflections and document the experience. Thank you for taking the time to explore this writing, and I hope you find value and benefit for your own mindfulness journey.
Insights from Mindfulness meditation & Retreat
Letting Go
It seems obvious that letting go would be a major theme of a Buddhist training retreat. However, the kind of letting go I am speaking about is not just a conceptual practice but a deep release of attachment to ingrained patterns of suffering. This can happen on a day-to-day basis or become an intentional practice where we recognise a pattern that causes suffering, allow the experience to be just as it is, and start investigating it with kindness, compassion, and non-identification. When we concentrate our focus on it, the object of our suffering begins to dissolve. This dissolution reveals that letting go can happen naturally, and the more it occurs, the less we cling to suffering.
Silence
This retreat allowed for only one full day of silence. Some of you might be wondering what I mean—I'm comparing this to retreats where the entire week is held in silence. The silence we had during that day, and through most evenings until after breakfast, gave us an incredible opportunity to process what we were learning. We live in a world of constant stimulation, and moments of silence allow us to see what is already present and to be more attuned to the unique unfolding of experience.
Wonder and Awe
After the extended period of silence, I found myself opening to a deep sense of awe and wonder—especially in connection with the natural world. As the mental noise settled, like ripples fading in a pond after a pebble lands, I felt an intensified aliveness in response to the living world around me. I remember sitting at breakfast, gazing at the trees and the fairy wrens, and being profoundly moved by their beauty and preciousness. I wept, overwhelmed by a deep sense of belonging to it all.
Compassion and Kindness
I have a strong compassion practice, but having the opportunity to sit with others, share our meditation journeys, and discuss what we were cultivating was deeply inspiring. The retreat conditions encouraged kindness and compassion, which in turn created a profound sense of safety and courage among us. I found myself stepping carefully around even the smallest creatures on the ground and extending my heartfelt appreciation to the beautiful staff at the centre.
Generosity
Inspired by the dana talk at the end of the retreat, I realised that generosity is not only a financial practice of giving in appreciation—it can also manifest in other ways, such as managing retreats, serving the community, volunteering, and generously sharing my voice. I tend to give in many areas of my life—motherhood, coaching, therapy, and volunteering—but I don’t always share my vulnerability so freely. This is an area I want to be more generous with and focus on as I continue my teacher training journey.
Love
They say love makes the world go round, and I have no doubt that love is the force that connects us to nature, the cosmos, and one another. Love, when unbound and impersonal, allows all beings to come together on common ground, transcending individual identities. We experienced this so beautifully on retreat—young and old connected through a warmth that glowed within our hearts and minds. Love is like a wave within the ocean, a recognition that we are all part of a unified field of awareness. It was expressed in countless ways throughout the retreat in dance, eye contact, being, through the teachers and with the food that nourished us.
Courage
Witnessing my Dharma friends share their vulnerabilities and deep struggles inspired me to cultivate greater courage within myself. I realised that there is no perfect time to face our fears and self-doubt. When we set the intention to release what holds us back, we fuel our growth and allow for natural change to take place. Honouring one another’s journey toward teaching the Dharma—whether in personal or professional roles—was an act of immense bravery.
Cosmos
The cosmic mystery of life will always be profoundly moving in a way that is difficult to put into words. I have experienced moments of awakening throughout my life—both sudden and subtle—that have left me with an undeniable connection to pure consciousness. The deep synchronicities and unfolding of magic in life are both wondrous and ordinary in their expression. Hearing others share their experiences of awakening reaffirmed the universality of this journey. This, I believe, is what the Buddha was pointing to when he spoke of enlightenment. It offers hope to all who are curious about the mindfulness path and seeking a deeper way of being in the world.
Thank you for taking the time to read my reflections from the Dharma teacher training retreat. I am so excited to bring these insights into my work, home, and community. I feel incredibly blessed to be supported by a vast community of passionate individuals who are willing to open their hearts and minds to a more mindful way of life. If you're interested in learning more about mindfulness meditation visit my website.
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