My experience at a week-long Advanced Meditation Retreat with Dr. Joe Dispenza
It’s usually easier for me to articulate how I’m feeling with written words rather than verbally. The same is true with learning; I tend to learn better from reading my own notes I’ve transcribed than by just listening to the lecture. I’ve always been jealous of my friends that can just hear things and understand them the first time.
But with this meditation retreat, a piece of me has been avoiding even writing a blog because it’s so difficult to put into words the magnitude of the experience. It is hard to describe, and even more challenging to understand what you haven’t gone through firsthand.
Once you’ve experienced chronic illness, the part of you that judged other people (and “alternative” modalities) dissolves and what was once a fear transmutes into the wisdom of learned experience.
I think a piece of me hasn’t wanted to write this blog because it is so vulnerable.
A piece of me wants to stay safe and limited; to not to speak about spontaneous remissions, self-directed, and quantum healings, even though that’s where I am most passionate in my own life.
But an insight I had at this retreat was that I needed to use my voice (more) to share how I’m feeling. SO HERE I AM.
I don’t 100% believe any one diet, any one supplement or coach, or protocol will ever truly address the underlying imbalance (though they might provide temporary relief) – an imbalance that is written into our nervous systems in the first few years of life and cemented over with repeated traumas, programming, and various environmental toxic exposures as we grow older.
And that’s inevitably how I found Dr. Joe.
I was initially drawn to Dr. Joe because of how appealing his information was for both my left and right brain, the analytical and the creative mind, respectively. Dr. Joe Dispenza does an excellent job of weaving the scientific research (& conducting it himself*) with the philosophical and the metaphysical. He explains the mechanics of the breathwork, the specific mindfulness techniques, and the chemicals involved in emotional regulation. I was intrigued by his effortless weaving of the field of epigenetics with neuroendocrinology, metaphysics and quantum biology, electromagnetism, brain wave states, and neuroscience. Not to mention that he speaks from his own personal experience in overcoming “the impossible” and has a volume of testimonials of people doing the same.
This blog is really a blog about the power of possibility and my own beliefs that are changing around spirituality in medicine. I don’t need to defend Dr. Joe Dispenza – his research and testimonials speak for themselves. I need to articulate my own beliefs about healing.
Which are:
1. Healing is fantastically non-linear
2. Healing has to encompass mind, body, and spirit. Disregarding emotional health will cause you to only heal temporarily. In the same vein, regarding psychological health as separate from the mind and body is equally as problematic, and at worst, perpetuates that which it purports to resolve.
3. We hear and experience what we are ready to receive in life
4. There is immense power in community and connection
5. We are unlimited (though we often get in our own way)
6. Healing is always possible and in fact, your body is always healing
7. True healing looks like freedom
Here are some additional insights from the retreat:
We bond via love. And we have much more in common than we think.
Listening to someone’s story is powerful. There is a reason we use the term “moved” to describe an emotional experience. Energy is moving inside you when you are fully present for someone else’s authentic experience.
It’s essential to stay inspired
You create the life you want (& You are always creating). Literally – whether you’re present for it or not.
You are more than you think you are.
I’d rather be inspired by my future than living in the past.
People have healed themselves from everything. Labels are a distraction and limit who you are.
Spiritual hygiene is essential
In the documentary “Heal” you can find Dr. Kelly Turner, author of Radical remission, give a list of nine common healing attributes in radical remission of patients with cancer. All “radical remission” patients have the following in common.
1. Radically change your diet
2. Taking control of your health
3. Following your intuition
4. Using herbs and supplements
5. Releasing suppressed emotions
6. Increasing positive emotions
7. Embracing social support
8. Deepening your spiritual connection
9. Having strong reasons for living
You’ll notice that only two of these traits have to do with our physical health. So, mental-emotional health, having greater life meaning, and your general personality appear to have a LOT to do with illness.
In essence, at these weeklong Joe Dispenza retreats, you are sitting with YOURSELF for up to 6 hours a day. With this (albeit, very privileged) break from your day-to-day reality, you’re enabled to gain incredible insight into your Self and your behaviors.
I wish everyone could have this experience and I will 100% be back. And potentially, with consistent effort and a daily remembering of my intention, I will be sharing the details of my own healing – one that will be sure to light the way for others as they have done for me.
If you are healing, know you are not alone. Keep going – you are love and made for great things; your Soul knows this even if you have forgotten.
May we all know Peace. May we all remember who we Truly are.
If this resonates, know I am here for you! See link below to connect and see if we are a good fit.
Side note: I’m also honored to have been a part of the largest research study in history (!) on meditation at this conference. There were 1000 of us in November, and another 1000 from his Jan 2022 retreat. The variables tracked included:
blood/serum (immune health/protein markers)
Heart rate variability (HRV)
epigenetic/DNA changes (cheek swab)
urine (chemical metabolites)
stool (microbiome)
tears (more chemicals!)
standard vitals (blood pressure, height, weight, pulse, etc)
Stay tuned for ground-breaking research on how meditation and specific mindfulness techniques can support you. The research is ongoing and coming out of UCSD (see more here).