As I prepare for my 8th year of teaching high school science, I once again ponder the message I want to share with my students to inspire their dreams. Our communities continue to be divided, and without a vision to unite our efforts, it's difficult to get teenagers to invest in the future. We push …
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.
Converging Two Divergent Worlds Into One Life
I'm trying to unite my Vipassana and worldly lives and it feels a bit vulnerable. Before Vipassana, I lived a successful life but I hadn't found satisfactory answers to some of life's big questions. Twelve years ago, I sat my first 10-day Goenka course and learned a completely new lens to view life. For nine …
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Individualism is Causing Unhappiness
As part of an individualistic society, I'm wired to pursue my own success and happiness. When I'm having difficulty sorting through strong disorienting emotions, meditation is a fantastic tool that allows me to sort out my feelings and set a positive course forward. Conversely, when things are going well, I feel entitled to enjoy my …
Finding Stability and Balance Outside of Dhamma
Is meditating 2 hours a day the solution to all of my problems? Is it the solution to all the world’s problems? I had never meditated before my first Goenka 10 day in 2010, and it opened a new and amazing door where I could explore and grow as a person. From 2011 to 2018 …
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Social Justice From the Base of Vipassana Meditation as Taught by SN Goenka
https://insightmyanmar.org/complete-shows/2021/1/5/episode-29-racial-equity-training-in-the-vipassana-organization-of-sn-goenka This podcast interview with Clyde Ford via the Insight Myanmar Podcast strongly connects with me. Within the Goenka organization, my spiritual development reached a plateau that I'm happy with, but I've been stuck trying to figure out how to positively influence my world from this spiritual base. Working towards liberation by solely prioritizing practicing …
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Another School Year Begins!
The school year is starting; It’s time for us teachers to inspire another class of high school students! So what is the inspiring message for this year’s students? Let’s survive the pandemic together with masks and social distancing! Now that it’s abundantly clear that racism exists, let me explain why we continue to protect and …
Returning to School
I'm scared. I’m scared to return to work as a high school teacher with COVID looming, but there is something deeper. I’m scared to leave the safe bubble of my home where I’ve been hiding with my family since March because everything beyond these walls feels like chaos. I’m ready and willing to make sacrifices …
Making Connections for Future Generations
A global pandemic. Awareness of systemic racism. Calls for justice. Calls for order. How can a high school teacher support and encourage students as they’re receiving messages of division and marginalization during a social quarantine? I’m not sure, but I’m going to try to share some positive thoughts on inclusivity, unity, and hope and see …
Living Vipassana 