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Finding Joy and Walking with Monks

Finding Joy....and Walking With Monks



I recently spent time in the Dominican Republic and, as a follow up to that trip, I had this newsletter ready to send last week. But then an amazing experience shifted my perspective.

 While the weather in the Dominican Republic was amazing, and a great winter break, what stayed with me most were the PEOPLE. Again and again, we encountered warmth, kindness, and an unmistakable sense of joy. It was striking.

Curious, I asked a staff member named Tania what she thought contributed to this. Her answer was simple:

  • A strong sense of community

  • A focus on present moment awareness

  • A keen sense of gratitude

  • A relaxed approach to life

 

This seems easy enough but how do we cultivate more of this ourselves?

 

Community matters. Feeling connected helps regulate the nervous system and fosters resilience. Presence matters too. Meditation trains us to return to the only moment we ever truly have. Research shows that most of what we worry about never happens and that even a few minutes of daily practice can loosen that grip.

Gratitude has also been shown to significantly increase well-being; just look at how many books have been written about this! Shifting attention from what is missing to what is actually here changes our internal climate.

Meditation supports all of this. Over time, a consistent practice calms the mind, steadies emotions, and reduces reactivity. The Yoga Sutras remind us that cultivating kindness, compassion, joy, and understanding leads to clarity, ease, and peace of mind.

In Croatia, another recent travel destination, their casual greeting is, "Pomalo," which means “slow down.” This feels to me like timely advice.

 

These are stressful times. While we can’t control what’s happening around us, we do have influence over how we meet it. Practices that support calm and connection are not indulgences; they are essential skills.

 

Walking for Peace

 

The amazing experience mentioned above came late last week when I witnessed a group of monks on their walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC as part of their Walk for Peace. Their intention is simple: to raise awareness of inner peace and mindfulness.

What has struck me most about their journey is how unifying this message has been. At a time of widespread division, this quiet act has brought people together. We can be more united if we choose to be, and I think there are several places we can start:

 

  • Be selective about cable news consumption

  • Take breaks from political podcasts

  • Pay attention to what you’re absorbing on social media

Each of these can be divisive and what we allow into our minds matters.

 

A Brief Update

 

I have recently revamped both my YouTube channel and my Instagram profile. Daily (weekdays for now) I am doing a live 5 minute meditation and these are then posted not only on both platforms but also at the bottom of my home page on my website. This can be a super easy, and fairly brief, way to insert some calm into your daily life. Check it out! Five minutes. No preparation. A few moments of calm.

 

Looking Ahead

StayTunedYoga has four international retreats planned for 2026. The final trip—an October 31 departure for a bucket list adventure to the Galapagos Islands  still has some availability and promises to be a truly unique experience.

 

 

 If you’d like to talk about meditation, stress, or creating more ease in daily life, I’m always happy to connect. Just let me know.

Warmly,Hearon 

 


 
 
 

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