The most powerful aspect of Vipassana for me is the ability to verify what is right or wholesome and what is wrong or unwholesome within my own body. I didn't grow up in a religious household so while my brother and I were taught the importance of morality it was never exactly clear what was moral …
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.
Growing Out Of Hiding
The main difference between introverting and hiding is the smile on your face. Before my Dad got sick I was extroverted. After my Dad passed I was hiding. The first year I tried to take my practice seriously I was hiding. In the last few weeks I've started to introvert. In 2009 I was a …
Dreaming
I wonder if remembering dreams is correlated with how settled your conscious mind is. The only two times I consistently remember my dreams are when I'm at a Vipassana course and when I'm backpacking. When I'm at home I get wrapped up in my thoughts which might be distracting me from my sensations. When I'm on a course …
Risky Business
Taking risks has been a source of excitement for my life. When life gets to boring or stagnant I would create change in a spontaneous fashion. I once quit my job in Tennessee and while couch surfing up the east coast I convinced my friend to quit his job. We met in Cincinnati, drove cross-country to …
Meditating In A Results Based Society
Meditation results is almost an oxymoron. The moment your trying to achieve something through meditation, you're craving and therefore heading in the wrong direction. Meditation is about being present with this moment, regardless of whether it's good or bad, and accepting it. So how is a meditator supposed to function in this results based society? …
Speaking Out
I was taught not to be drowned out in a crowd. Sometimes you need to yell for your voice to be heard. If you don't speak up people are going to walk all over you. Having a voice ensures that you're not taken advantage of, taken for granted, or forgotten completely. I was taught to …
Crime And Poverty
It seems intuitive that crime and poverty are directly correlated and there are studies that support this claim, but can you have poverty without crime or other societal ailments like poor health, obesity, and violence? Our society is driven by the economy. It's argued that the free market is what drives people to work hard …
The Monk And The Homeless Man
Both the monk and the homeless man are starving and begging for food but their state of mind is very different. If you were in the same position which mind would you embody? To answer this question let's explain the difference. The homeless man has one thing on his mind. He's starving and he needs …
Selfish Service
Before Vipassana I looked at giving service as a selfless contribution. We live in a world of finite resources so in order to get something I needed to give up something else. In order to help the community I'm going to sacrifice some time and energy to work on this project. I'm going to work for a non-profit or …
Quality Of Life
What is my quality of life? How should I measure it? What choices should I make to improve it? These question have always been directly connected to my job choice. I want to make the most money I can while working as few hours as possible. But a job is more than just a financial exchange system. It …
Living Vipassana 