Healthy Living

refuge,withthepracticesofinsightmeditationatthe heart of its programs. "Practicing insight meditation helps develop mindfulness (sati), the capacity to pay attention to each moment of life and to see clearly the truth of our experience," she says. Shah explains that studying the Dharma — the teachings of Buddhism — provides insights into the conditions that define and limit the way we experience life, as well as cultivating an attitude of loving kindness that allows us to be aware of what's true as well as what's difficult in our lives, with compassion for both ourselves and others. Thus, meditation becomes a part of the way practitioners live, allowing them to slow down and integrate mindfulness habits into their daily lives. "Ultimately, our relationship to life is transformed, as we learn to live more wisely and kindly," Shah says. Research from the Greater Good Center at the University of California at Berkeley showed that those who adopt the practices of meditation and mindfulness also experience substantial health benefits, with lowered blood pressure, an improved immune system response and a reduction in the cognitive decline that often comes with aging among them. In addition, a study that researchers at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California at Davis conducted at a one- month retreat at Spirit Rock, showed that meditation leads to the lengthening of telomeres — the stretches of DNA at the end of chromosomes — thereby improving health and slowing the effects of aging. For someone without experience who wants to try meditation, Shah explains that the pathway to practice can start with whatever he or she is ready for, perhaps by being silent and still for just five minutes. If people want to learn more, the center hosts a community welcome every Monday of the year from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., where they sit for a short amount of time and can ask questions. It leads into Monday Night Dharma Talk with Jack Kornfield & Friends, which also takes place weekly. "That's where Jack started 30 years ago," says Shah, explaining that Spirit Rock's teachers help people to continue their practice by providing the training that allows them to learn the habits that support wellbeing. "It's ease of mind. Not many things in life offer that," she says. Spirit Rock offers a variety of programs, including some for the elderly and others for children and families, which welcome anyone 4 years old or older. "It's a beautiful thing to see unfold," says Shah, describing how middle school boys arrive with high energy at first and then discover the simple joy of feeling serenity. Spirit Rock is a peaceful environment, where anyone who wishes, regardless of age, can walk the trails, see the wildlife and experience the healing and nourishment that nature provides. "It's really supportive to practice," says Shah. "Know the mind. Train the mind. Free the mind" through meditation is the tenet that is key to Spirit Rock's philosophy, and while inner peace is the goal, meditation is a practice that contributes to overall well-being too. That makes it good for everyone.n Developingmindfulness Clockwisefromleft: West Marin hills are home to Spirit Rock Residential Retreat Center where walking paths and serene places to mediate sur- round the building; a Monastic walking into the Residential Retreat Center; Oren Jay Sofer, a Teacher Council member, teaching a day retreat at Spirit Rock; view of the Residential Retreat Center; West Hall in the Community Meditation Center. – Photos provided by Spirit Rock AMarketingSupplementoftheMarinIndependentJournal | marinij.com HealthyLiving February3,2019 5

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