Vipassana & Nepal: The Real Story
Today I’d love to tell the story of how my love for meditation, healing, the Himalayas, altruism, Buddhism and travel all converged in this one epic opportunity!
So here is my story (and thank you for listening)….
Many of you know that I endeavored upon a challenge in July which was to sit for a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. I took a vow of silence for those 10 days and SUFFERED through 10 grueling days of being with myself in the deepest, most intimate way possible. No phone, no words, no meat, no alcohol, no social media…It was during those 11 hours of meditation every day that I got so clear and so dialed into my life’s purpose.
YOUR PURPOSE IS TO SERVE, TEACH, HEAL, SPREAD LOVE & LIGHT.
Ok, Got it. Loud and clear. 10-4 to the Universe, GOD, self….
When the 10 days were over, I felt soooooo good! So clear, so present, and so full of love!
When I got my phone back at the retreat center, the first message that popped up was from a dear friend that her cancer had returned.
Total gut punch.
And I heeded the call to serve. I decided at that moment that I would travel to Florida and spend 2 weeks serving her (and her 3 small children). It was humbling to be there with my friend during some of her darkest moments and to hold a space of absolute LOVE and LIGHT. And experience a big hurricane to boot!
I also received a special invitation that day to travel to Nepal with ParticipAid to serve villagers in Kathmandu and Karmidanda. Again, it was a total YES moment since I had just come off a 10-day meditation high and was so open to opportunities to serve humanity.
My real desire is to express how grateful I am for the opportunities that have presented since that 10-day silent meditation experience and share it with you, my community.
Giving to others not only feels good but is good for you.
When we give to others, it doesn’t stop with the person we’ve reached out to. Giving is infectious and can create a ripple effect of kindness and generosity. A UCSD and Harvard University study found that when one person acts charitably, it inspires others to perform their own generous acts of kindness. According to researchers of this study, “Each person in a network can influence dozens or even hundreds of people, some of whom he or she does not know and has not met.”
I want to ask you to come along on this journey with me. Through writing and photography, I will share this experience with you all. I have reached out to many supplement companies for donations and my greatest intention is to bring medical supplies, healing supplements, and money to Nepal.
My goal is to raise $2500 to match my contribution and support the people of Kamindanda, the efforts of ParticipAid and their partner non-profit, Share Nepal.
If this speaks to you, I have created a private fundraising page where you can offer up your support. You can find the details here.
You never know just how far lending a helping hand can go. When we reach out to others that are less fortunate, we help create a better world by connecting deeper to humanity and to those in need.
With Deep Gratitude and Love,
Dr. Marissa
