In Jackson Heights Queens, in the basement of a tall grey house with brown window panes, the Hindi woman wearing silken white robes asks us to please take our seats. The room is hot and chairs are set up in rows of four that go all the way to the back of the room. At the front there is a great point of light on the wall, a bouquet of fresh yellow roses and a candelabra that has statues of three women holding hands reaching up to guard the candles. The lights dim down and the point of light on the front wall lights up and we, which is only five of us, close our eyes.
"You are a point of light" a recording whispers. "You were born into this body, but you are not this body and you are not this mind." We breathe, some of us deeply, others as if we haven't taken a breath in years. Some of our breathing is light, other breath is heavy, many breaths are sad or joyful.
There is no right or wrong way to breathe, the same goes for meditation. The importance lies in the showing up. We have shown up.
Rumi once said "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." We sit and we seek those barriers. We breathe. The meditation goes on for thirty minutes. Some of us have fallen asleep. Some of us feel relaxed. Many of us are perplexed. We show up every week. We breathe.
At 7:00 p.m. after our meditation the Hindi woman in the white silken robes sits underneath the point of light at the front of the room. She does not speak until she is ready and she glows. It is not the light on the wall that makes her glow, but rather an inner light, an understanding, a breath.
She smiles a smile that reminds us of our mothers. A smile so sweet and sad and joyous all at once. She asks us how we are. "How are you?" she whispers. "Did you enjoy your meditation?" she asks.
One of us nods, one of us says yes, many of us are silent. "How are you?" she whispers again.
"Did you meditate? Did you sleep? Did you go farther than sleep? Deeper than sleep? Where did you go?" She smiles as if she has a secret. "Let's talk about the river" she says, "how it flows even over the sharp rocks. How in the face of tragedy it sings, it sleeps, it roars. Let's talk about the river."
We think of water. We think of how it cleanses, we think of swimming, sprinklers, bathtubs, showers we think of the river. Our thoughts are still. "We must be like the river" she says.
"Your task is not to seek for love..." We come back again and again to find our breath. Every week we walk down the narrow stairs at the back of the tall grey house with the brown window-panes. We are points of light learning to flow through our days and our situations, learning to fulfill our task and awaken that which we thought had vanished.

Fall Renewal Weekend 
Yoga & Meditation Retreat
with Evalena Leedy, Ariel Kiley
 & Genno Linda King

Friday, September 14th thru Sunday, September 16th 2012


Revive, reconnect and re-center at this inspiring yoga/meditation retreat held at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, a Zen monastery high in the Catskills. Take the opportunity to regain your own natural rhythm and reconnect with yourself and with nature. Immerse yourself in two daily yoga sessions, practice zen meditation, and pranayama. 
An introduction to zen meditation will be offered for those wish to attend. Refresh your spirit by taking a leisurely walk around the lake, or hike through 1,400 acres of unspoiled forest. 
Enjoy three delicious vegetarian meals,plus snacks, tea and coffee throughout the day.

Arrive Friday by 4pm for our opening Yoga Blend Restorative class and optional meditation. 
Depart Sunday 2pm and return home renewed, refreshed and revitalized.

Cost: $350pp includes all yoga/meditation,
shared accommodations for 2 nights and all meals
*Single Room add $50
*Single/Double Room w/private bath add $75 (limited availabilty)

To reserve your space or for more info contact:
evalena@yogasole.com 718 541-1382

Transportation options: Car Pool (expenses shared) or bus from NYC. 
For more information on the
practice and driving directions go to to
zenstudies.org/daibosatsuzendo