I've struggled when attempting to explain the value of these meditation centers and their 10-day courses. People in my circles are starting to hear more frequently of the benefits of meditation, but it's extremely hard for them to relate to 9 days of silence and constant awareness and internal observation. It just doesn't make sense to most western minds that doing …
Author: Ryan Shelton
While my job description is to lead the science department and teach physics at Padua Academy in Wilmington, DE, my calling is to prepare teenagers to lead their communities towards a vibrant and healthy future. This purpose has lead to the creation of Loving Lives Delaware.
Before becoming a teacher, I explored many careers and had many adventures in search of the best way to make a difference in the world. I hiked over 1700 miles, traveled to 5 continents, managed a bakery, started a meditation center, counseled troubled teens, attended Duke, UNC, and Harvard, protected forests as a wildland firefighter, volunteered thousands of hours with Americorps, rafted the Grand Canyon, and SCUBA dived on the Great Barrier Reef.
My next adventure is starting a family with my beautiful wife in our Wilmington home. I'm sure there will be many mistakes along the way, but I hope we're able to create a loving household that's a beacon of support and clarity for others in our community. Thank you for all of your support throughout our journey.
Changing the Family Dynamic
My family just had one of the best holiday seasons we've had in a long time. It seemed like there was no drama and everyone enjoyed the loving atmosphere that was created by us coming together. It's hard for me to remember the last time the holidays were drama free. This experience got me wondering what role Vipassana …
Thank You
We recieved the $50 in donations that we needed to keep our web address and remove advertising. Thanks!
Helping Kids Find Answers
Kids are full of wonderful questions: Where do babies come from? Why do people go to war? What is the meaning of life? Why are some people so mean? Which religion is right? Why do people say one thing and do something else? Why do people use drugs if they're bad for you? What's the …
Am I Done Unpacking?
When I started meditating I was overconfident and at times arrogant. Meditating every day has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Instead of driving forward into a more loving and successful life, I've found myself to be simply unpacking all of the crap inside of me. I've been putting the brakes …
Confessions of a Serial Meditator
An anonymous old student left the following link as a comment on my blog. It is the wonderfully engaging tale of his first 10 day course and the period that followed. I highly recommend this entertaining read. http://self.gutenberg.org//eBooks/WPLBN0002828998-Vipassana---Confessions-of-a-Serial-Meditator---Tales-of-the-Minds-by-Anonymous.aspx I'm also going to start writing only once a week. I hope to share more posts from a …
An Urban Center
All of the Centers in North America so far are located in rural settings. Basically, they're all in the middle of nowhere about a one hour drive from civilization. This is great for a quiet 10-day retreat, but it's difficult to get support from the local community. What would it be like to have a Center …
A Different Way
A group of meditators in Georgia has started a living community. They want to live a simple life together in close proximity to a Vipassana Center. They want to live cheap, grow their own vegetables, and support each other and the Center with this practice. Many aspects of this lifestyle seem appealing. The strongest appeal is the …
Integrity
Has integrity lost its luster? I recently saw a statistic that one of the top 5 values for people over 75 is integrity. None of the younger generation valued integrity in the top 5. I started wondering, do I value integrity? Do I value it more in myself or others? I discovered that I evaluate …
Living Vipassana 