December 28, 2020-April 15, 2021
On December 28, 2020, I began my sixth studio retreat, which continued until mid-April 2021. As with each of my previous retreats I was in solitude for many hours each day. This was a deeply nourishing time for me. During the last six years, I have seldom written much about my yearly retreats, five of which have been 100 days or more. I undertake these retreats under the guidance of my Buddhist teacher, the Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, and each retreat has had a unique practice focus. From 2016-2020, these retreats have included both meditation and art, especially creating art that relates directly to the meditation practice. This year was somewhat different: I focused more intensively on the meditation practice alone, and my capacity for sustained concentration deepened.