The one-day retreat on February 28 was my first time visiting DDMBASF, nearly a two-hour drive away. I had been feeling weighed down by a complex issue at work and, to be honest, rather cranky for several weeks. I didn’t mind the long drive because I desperately needed the time and space to reconnect with myself.
I still vividly remember the moments when a fresh breeze drifted through the open window and brushed across my face during meditation. I found myself thinking, What a beautiful day. How lucky I am to have found this place, meditating with a group of people brought together by unseen causes and conditions.
By the end of the retreat, I felt noticeably lighter. The tight knot I had been carrying began to loosen, and I regained a sense of clarity that had been missing. In that quiet space, I realized how much I need experiences like this, not as an escape, but as a reset. A chance to step away, to gently cut off the sources that feed my anxiety, and to return with a calmer, kinder heart.
By Jasmine Hsu
Photo By: C. Lue
