Dear Ones,

Yuhong and I had a wonderful time in Colorado! We learned how to paddle a canoe with the help of our friends Ryan and Forrest:

Friendship Reference Point

We have gone on a backpacking trip with Ryan and Forrest every year, since 2011.

My meditation teacher Gil Fronsdal often uses the term “reference point” to describe the purpose of mindfulness. The water in a clear mountain stream may seem placid and still, but if you place a stick in the water it will show that the water is flowing. The stick is the reference point, and mindfulness practice is the ability to establish this stick during life, so we can see when our minds are fluttered.

Our friendships with Ryan and Forrest are similar to such acts of mindfulness—our yearly trips become reference points for our lives as we evolve together in our unique ways.

We are already planning our next trip together, as we master the intrepid art of the outdoors, with new family members in tow.

I learned and highly recommend the Baby Baluga song by Raffi, as a melodic alternative to Baby Shark.

Messages Bankruptcy

I’m heading off to a weeklong silent meditation retreat next week, and it didn’t made much sense to “re-tox” after this period of digital disconnect. Hence…

Thank you all for your lovely messages on various platforms, I hereby declare digital messages bankruptcy.

Instead, I will spend the upcoming week updating my website to reflect my latest life goals, and continuing to write Debug Your Meditation. I will share a Twitter thread with more specific reflections about digital detox as well.

Warm Wishes,

Christin