I used to be very competitive. I would push myself to accomplish some future goal or the other. In particular, I would compete with myself when working out. I would run to get faster or practice sports to get better or do push ups to get stronger. After meditating for a while, these motivations just didn't …
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.
I’m The Root Of The Problem
Watching the news can be difficult with all of the violence in the world. One wonders, "What would drive someone to do that?" Most people feel helpless to the inertia of the world, but some start thinking, "How can I help?" For a long time I was one of these people. I was searching for …
Proud To Stop Harming Others
We're taught to push. To go do something. To build a resume. To accomplish a goal. If you want to help the world, go create something that helps. I had no idea how much harm I was doing in the process of trying to help. Vipassana has taught me to slow down to observe my …
Masturbation
While I read in one of Goenka's question and answer sessions that masturbation, or as he calls it, "self-sex", isn't breaking the sexual misconduct precept, I've started to wonder how healthy this really is. All of the precepts seem to have a sliding scale of strictness, and for sexual misconduct, that ranges for no rape or …
Prioritizing Precepts
It's no longer my meditation practice that makes me feel different. I was advised to take these two hours a day more as a private personal matter, and while I was resistant to hiding this part of my life, the reality is, nothing is more personal than sitting by yourself with your eyes closed. Accepting …
Leaving A Course Early
I want to give a bit of encouragement to anyone who has left a 10-day course early. These meditation courses are difficult, and sometimes on someones first or second course they get so overwhelmed that the leave. This was my experience, but I've moved on to complete a handful of courses and I've established a …
Walking The Right Path
Figuring out the proper way to live life has always been a strange combination of following my upbringing, thinking through things, listening to my intuition, and watching what the people around me are doing. It has never been clear exactly what is moral and what is not. Vipassana has simplified this complex issue and very clearly stated …
Goenka Vipassana Is Different
Besides committing to a daily practice, the biggest hurdle I've faced is accepting that Vipassana meditation taught by S N Goenka is different from other meditation techniques. It's even different from other Vipassana meditation techniques. The reason this is signficant is not because I'm an elitist snob who thinks my technique is the best. Quite the contrary. At …
Any Writers Out There?
The aspect of this blog that I've enjoyed the most is the opportunity to inspire new students to establish their daily practice. I thought this blog could provide more inspiration if a group of people from around the world with different backgrounds could share their personal experiences and thoughts about meditation instead of only hearing …
New Year’s Goals
Happy New Year's Day! Before I set new goals for this year, I want to reflect on my goals for last year. Last year I wanted to immerse myself in Vipassana meditation so I had a clear understanding of what it was, I wanted to establish my daily meditation practice, and I wanted to start …
Living Vipassana 