Welcome to Santa Clara Meditation! ๐ฟ Summer vacation is the perfect time to recharge, but how often do we return from a trip feeling even more exhausted than before we left? If you are looking for a getaway that truly rejuvenates both your mind and body, a meditation retreat might be exactly what you need.
In this post, we explore a vivid, first-hand account of a summer spent awakening the five sensesโand ultimately, the sixth sense of true inspirationโat the Nonsan Ma-eum Su-ryun Main Center. Dive in to discover what a genuine “mind-cation” feels like, and how emptying your mind can completely transform the way you experience the world! ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ซ
August 2016. Half of the year has already flown by, and it is officially vacation season. โ๏ธ
Are you having a good summer vacation?
These days, even without traveling far, some people substitute their vacation with binge-watching dramas, while many others soothe their minds by marathoning the Youth Over Flowers series. ๐บ
When vacation season arrives at the Ma-eum Su-ryun Main Center, even more people visit than usual. Regardless of nationality or age, they are people looking for a slightly different kind of vacationโa vacation that doesn’t leave you exhausted even after it ends, and a vacation that awakens your inspiration. โ๏ธ๐ก
๐ A Meditation Trip That Awakens the Senses
Just like how experiencing, touching, chewing, and tasting things firsthand leaves a longer-lasting effect than merely looking with your eyes, a meditation trip is exactly the same.
Some people think that because meditation is quiet and still, it must be far removed from sensory satisfaction. However, it is perhaps the most direct way to awaken your dulled senses while simultaneously awakening your inspiration. ๐๏ธ
When you look back on yourself in the quiet time and clear away unnecessary emotions and distracting thoughts, the scenery you saw every day looks different, the food you ate every day tastes different, the daily movements of your waist, shoulders, knees, and feet feel different, and even the blades of grass you step on feel different. You can experience this amazing transformation right here at the Ma-eum Su-ryun Main Center! ๐ฑ
For everyone planning a vacation at the Main Center this summer, and for those currently spending their vacation here, I want you to spend this precious week fully satisfying your senses. So, I am going to share my personal top “moments my sixth sense awakened”โexperiencing the Main Center life through my eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and entire body.
(Note: These are personal opinions, so experiences may vary from person to person.) ๐
๐๏ธ #1 Sight | The Moment You Fall for Bright Smiles
To be completely honest, there aren’t many traditionally “pretty” women at the Main Center. (It’s best to come without high expectations… yes…) ๐
Because everyone is focused on meditation, most people wipe off their makeup, throw their hair into a messy bun, and walk around in comfortable sweatpants and slippers. ๐ฉด
However, even if it’s not a glamorous kind of prettiness, there is a beauty that you can truly feel. A comfortable expression completely free of tension. A smile that naturally leaks out even when just sitting still. ๐
There are people who become unrecognizably beautiful in just a few days as you briefly make eye contact and exchange greetings in passing. In fact, there are many people like that. The moment comes when your eyes open to that kind of beauty. You could say that is the moment my first senseโa new perspectiveโcomes alive. ๐
๐ #2 Smell | The Moment You Feel the Scent of the Wind on the Open Grass
A vast grass field you can step on to your heart’s content! ๐ณ
After sitting in the meditation room all day fighting a battle with yourself, the time you slowly step outside is dinner time. Walking across the expansive lawn while taking in the sunset with your whole body is a healing spot you will remember for a long time. ๐
When you lift your head, you see the open green fields with the foothills of Gyeryongsan Mountain in full view, and shadows growing endlessly long… The scent of the wind, carrying the fragrance of grass, is refreshing. After taking a deep breath in and letting it out, your mind feels just as light and free. ๐ฌ๏ธ๐
๐ #3 Taste | The Moment You Eat the Natural Cafeteria Food
My long-held personal opinion about the cafeteria food at the Main Center can be summarized as “half air, half rice.” Ahem… how should I put this…
First of all, it goes down so smoothly. Before you know it, your tray is completely empty. And it digests incredibly well. ๐
Even if you were crying, frowning, and reflecting during meditation time, the cafeteria food brings back the appetite you didn’t know you lost as soon as mealtime hits. (Why is it so delicious?) It is Nonsan’s premier restaurant, made with care using eco-friendly ingredients! It is the moment your eyes open to the taste of MSG-free, home-cooked meals. Haha. ๐ฅ๐ฅ
๐ #4 Hearing | The ‘Thank You’ That Sticks in Your Ears
“Thank you!” ringing out in a bright, high pitch. ๐ถ
When I think about the phrase I hear the most while at the Main Center, it is without a doubt, “Thank you.”
- #1 most heard phrase from helpers and instructors guiding the meditation method.
- #1 most heard phrase from the people meditating alongside you.
- #1 most heard phrase while eating. ๐
At first, I sometimes thought, “What are they so thankful for?” But as a person reflecting on their life looks back on their big and small mistakes and faults, they come to acknowledge themselves, break free from that self, and learn gratitude toward the world. ๐
The time comes when you realize, “That person must have a lot to be thankful for, just like me.” And eventually, the moment arrives when you find yourself constantly saying “thank you” without even realizing it. ๐
๐ #5 Touch | Dance Time to Let Go of Yourself
The exciting group dance three times a day: The Best Health Dance. ๐บ
At the Main Center, there is a full-body gymnastics time three times a dayโmorning, lunch, and dinner. It’s called the Best Health Dance (a dance that is super good for your health), and it has recently been widely shared on social media as a diet dance. ๐ต
Starting from the feet, moving to the knees, shoulders, head, and full body, this magical dance where you move “wildly and continuously” is so highly addictive that people say, “There are people who have never danced it, but no one who has danced it only once.” ๐
After dancing for a few days, your stiff joints loosen up, and the day comes when you find yourself no longer caring about the stares of others. It is the moment your body’s hidden senses awaken. โจ
๐ก #6 Inspiration | Meditation Time to Awaken My Infinite Potential
The very core that allows the five senses listed above to newly awaken is exactly my state of mind. Depending on what kind of mind I look through, the sixth sense awakens, allowing me to discover things I couldn’t see before, even when looking at the exact same scene. ๐
(Just like how, in a mystery movie, scenes you didn’t notice before suddenly catch your eye only after you know who the culprit is.) ๐ฌ
After living your whole life thinking only about your own body, your own belongings, and your own thoughts, the moment you boldly discard yourself over and over to take a step closer to the world’s perspective, your true inspiration and inner potential awaken. Isn’t this massive transformation of the mind the reason why so many people from all over the world visit the Ma-eum Su-ryun Main Center? ๐๐๏ธ
I don’t know exactly when or at what moment all these experiences will come to you. However, the “moment the sixth sense awakens” inevitably comes to anyone who empties their mind.
Not a vacation that flashes by only in the moment, not a vacation that leaves you exhausted afterward, but a vacation where you feel the change in your mind, a vacation where you pack yourself full of energy. I hope everyone who comes to the Ma-eum Su-ryun Main Center experiences these precious moments. ๐ป
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” โ Plutarch, Greek Philosopher ๐๏ธ
