Meditation has revealed to me how deluded my mind is, and happily, how sane. It's also shown how I can grow the sanity and set aside the craziness, little by little. Meditation is a kind of mental mirror. It requires a little personal courage, because like looking in a real mirror, we don't always like what we see. As we sit quietly with ourselves, we see with greater clarity our mental patterns, helpful and unhelpful. We witness the patterns of distracted attention, and over-thinking.

I often teach meditation practices when conducting a retreat, and yet, it's always good to know why you're doing anything - whether during a retreat or otherwise. When a therapist or teacher recommends meditation, it's important to know what the intention is- why is it "good" for you. This video lays out four basic intentions or purposes, of meditation and why it can be beneficial during a retreat and afterwards as a regular practice.

One of the greatest threats to your sense of self-control, self-regulation and general sanity is hiding in plain sight. You might even be reading this on it. 

It's increasingly clear that our smartphones and other devices are creating as many problems as they are solving. According to a recent article from the Harvard education department, “studies are beginning to show links between smartphone usage and increased levels of anxiety and depression, poor sleep quality, and increased risk of car injury or death.”

When college students have serious difficulty coping with school and social stress, or other mental health challenges, they may find themselves backed into a corner without a lot of good options. Often, the school counseling center isn't equipped to provide support beyond once-weekly appointments.  What other options are there? A personal, intensive counseling retreat can fill this gap in services.