RETREAT with Yeshe Brost

Yeshe, you've been working as a meditation teacher for many years. Why does it play such a central role in your life?

For me, meditation is like coming home. The opportunity to look inward, to pause from what I’m doing, and to simply be is healing and deeply nourishing. In the midst of our busy everyday lives, the central nervous system can learn to wind down, to slow down and, at the same time, become more present. How can we actually get by without it in this world that’s becoming faster and crazier by the day? And “meditation on the cushion” is really just a practice ground for living everyday life—our whole life—with fresh eyes, more lovingly, more openly, more flexibly, and more connected. Moment by moment.

Have there been times in your life when meditation has “saved” you?

Every day. As an Aries, I tend to be impulsive and passionate. Because of my family background, I have a tendency to try to quickly get everything done in a flash—preferably 10 things at once—so that there’s time for the really important things… later… Just the classic “if… then” way of thinking. And of course, during life’s major storms, this practice has saved me from burnout and confusion, and from feeling isolated, lonely, and disconnected.

Why should we meditate, especially in this day and age?

Because our nervous system is so overloaded by constant screen time and by the challenges we face—whether it’s artificial intelligence, current wars and social injustices, or the changes brought about by climate change. Because we need a paradigm shift: away from patriarchal structures focused on economic growth and toward a “WE,” a more sustainable way of being. Above all, this includes the deepening realization that we are not separate from the world around us (nature): that there are so many resources around us and within us that we are not even coming close to utilizing.

Compassion and self-compassion play a major role in your classes. Why is this aspect so important to you?

Because there are large segments of our culture that overemphasize the wellness aspect and fail to see the beauty and opportunity that illnesses, the loss of loved ones or pets, etc., offer us. In other words, we need to turn our attention to the unpleasant in order to be able to be with it. When we cultivate compassion, we realize how much greater we are than we think and can approach life in a completely different way. This is especially necessary in an age of growing anxiety and overwhelming stress.

More and more people are exploring mindfulness, compassion, and meditation. Why do you think that is?

For one thing, the spirit of the times is shifting toward greater digital connectivity: in the past, there was hardly any literature on these topics, let alone the internet, local meditation groups, and so on. The more open-ended forms that have emerged in recent decades—which do not require belonging to a religion in order to practice—are very encouraging and liberating for many of us in the West. Furthermore, we all realize that we need a counterbalance to our ever-accelerating daily lives. And there seems to be a collective awakening to a greater awareness, as if our species were poised to take the next step in its evolution.

What exactly changes when we meditate regularly?

Ultimately, our entire perspective on ourselves, life, and the world changes. Even though it’s initially about self-regulation, as we continue to practice, we all move on to the stages of self-awareness and self-liberation. It feels as if we’re taking off a shoe that’s too tight or stepping out of a self-made prison that’s far too small: so much more spaciousness, love, openness, and freedom are possible—and always present!

If there were three reasons why guests at the Hubertus should attend your retreat, what would they be?

· Being able to expand your own toolkit to gain deeper access to your own resources.

· To feel a sense of community and, through that, a sense of connection, but also the freedom to be completely oneself.

· Time to pause, step back from our activities, and find moments of stillness.

THE RETREAT WITH YESHE BROST WILL TAKE PLACE
FROM AUGUST 25–28, 2024.