There was a particular rhythm of silence and solitude that could only be discovered along a completely deserted coastline in Costa Rica with nothing but the sound of rain endlessly pouring down on my metal roof for companionship.
The words flowed effortlessly onto the pages of my weathered journal…
This morning I woke naturally at 5am as the light was already beginning to make its way through my window. Shortly after my morning walk along the shore I could begin to hear the gentle trickling of rain outside, then followed by a long, meditative stretch of heavily pounding showers on my metal roof to awaken the morning. There is no need for an alarm here. Nature herself simply woke me in accordance with my own natural rhythm.
Silence is not a practice exclusive to monks living alone high up in the mountains; Silence is our true nature and it is an anchor to discover and return to in the world in which we are now living.
It was the most effortless thing in the world for me to get up, place my pillow onto the hard floor in my tiny room, and sit in silent meditation. The ants seemed to join me. For many months prior to leaving Austin, I began to observe that my meditation practice all but fell apart, largely due to the level of stress I felt in my environment, the chaotic pace of daily life, busyness and consumption in America. I became quickly aware that my daily meditation practice had gotten out of sync. On this first attempt in Costa Rica, I could not even make it for thirty minutes.
Meditation or sitting is like any practice. It just takes time to get back into alignment.
This is why it is called a practice.
The morning sitting was followed by my first cup of Costa Rica coffee. After living in Kyoto for a year, this simple routine of making my freshly ground pour-over coffee became my morning mindfulness practice. My first cup turned out perfectly. At the market I had picked up what I misread to be cream the first day I was here. It turned out to be vanilla iced coffee. Likely some sugar in there. In any case, it was fantastic. I sat out on my porch amidst the tropical foliage and the gentle breeze and quietly sipped my coffee.
This was also a form of meditation.
Anything done with complete focus of the mind on nothing else can be a form of meditation.
The early morning rising already suits me well. Without my phone or being tied to a fixed schedule of any kind, the morning seems to be a rich, unfolding experience. So much seems to get accomplished and yet time here seems infinite.
After what seems to be half a day, I discover it is only 10am. This is Costa Rica time, Tico time as they call it. There is nothing hurried, no need to rush.
I took my morning walk on the beach. It was pure, majestic nature. Magic. There seemed to be very few people along this tranquil stretch of coastline in Guanacaste, especially as it is now coming into the low season, the rainy season. I did some exercises along the beach. My body and breathing seemed to effortlessly take on the flowing movement of the ocean and the gentle rhythm of the clouds. Internally, everything slows down.
I am mindfully adapting to this new rhythm, the rhythm of Costa Rica.
“You will always find an answer
in the sound of water.”
-Chuang TzuAnd now, I’m sharing it with others who may also be searching for a rhythm of silence and stillness in their own lives.
Introducing Silence — The Art of Stillness Course
🕊️ Final Week for Early Bird Price: $49
Designed for those seeking a slower, simpler way of life. In this course, you will explore the power of silence, meditation, and calmness to overcome the chaos of modern life. Discover the beauty of stillness and unlock the path to a peaceful mind.
This five-week course is the first in a year-long series I’m calling A Mindful Year. But it also stands alone — a foundational return to silence.
This isn’t about withdrawing from life. It’s about reconnecting with what’s most essential and real, beneath all of the noise. Through simple practices, daily rituals, and moments of quiet, this course invites you to slow down for just a moment and return to your own center.
In this course, you’ll receive:
5 weekly audio modules
A downloadable journal, weekly checklists & reflection sheets
Invitations to Sunday Evening Zen and Community
Lifetime access
Silence is the first monthly module that will be offered as part of a full Mindful Year Course. Each individual module can be taken as a stand along course or one can enroll in the year-long course and community for a single discounted price.
REPLY to this email for details and early enrollment in the Mindful Year Course.
In advance of the public launch of the course, I am offering and Early Bird Price of $49 to readers for the full course for the remainder of August.
🕊️ Early Bird Price: $49 - Available Now
🎯 Full Launch: August 31 — Price increases to $99
I look forward to connecting together in the silence.
Let this be your invitation —
Not to more, but to less.
Not to speed, but to stillness.
Not to improve, but to listen.
Field Notes
“They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of being, the voice of perpetual becoming.”
Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha
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Zen and Ink Journals represents hundreds of hours of writing over the past decade, sometimes from a train in remote China or a coffee shop in Kyoto, a hammock in Costa Rica or a simple cabin on a mountaintop in Boquete, Panama , Ciudad Colón or Cusco, Peru.
On these pages, I share my observations of kindness and beauty from my adventures in the world and invite you to listen quietly for the call within you to explore the places that beckon your soul.
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