Do you know that feeling when you’ve been away from your normal routine for several days and then are suddenly thrust back into it?
That’s where I find myself right now — up against a deadline, yet still resting in the energy of Yogaville, of Mary Reed, and of the 27 beautiful souls who gathered for five days for a retreat called The Radiant One.
Yogaville is nestled in Virginia, just outside Charlottesville, and it is truly an amazing place to retreat. The ambiance is peaceful, the food nourishing and vegetarian, and the people unfailingly kind. The grounds are wooded, and with spring fully alive in Virginia, flowering bushes lined our paths. Most days hovered around a gentle 80 degrees, Saturday peaked at 91, and then—true to the mystery of nature—we awoke Sunday morning to a crisp 40 degrees.
The pace of the retreat was intentionally slow and spacious, offering generous time for reflection. We gathered as a group twice a day for about two hours, engaging in meditation, teachings, and heartfelt conversation. The Lotus Temple — formally known as the Light of Truth Universal Shrine—was opened to us at specific times, each visit an experience all its own. In the evenings, many of us made our way to the Temple of Kailash to watch the sun set, bathing the landscape (and us) in quiet reverence.
My intention in going was simple but sincere: to offer myself the opportunity for a reset. And that intention was met — perhaps even exceeded. I returned home feeling a lightness within me, a gentle yet profound shedding of layers of what Mary calls the “False I.”
Some of those layers included (but were certainly not limited to):
- The Doer — a role for which I could easily earn a gold medal;
- The Image — the sense that I need to look or act a certain way (even as that image has evolved over the years, it can still be active);
- and The Judge — more often directed toward myself than others, and thankfully one that has softened with time.
Needless to say, I was in the right place, with the right people, to fulfill my intention.
A heartfelt thank you to Rev. Matt Purinton for offering an inspiring message this past Sunday, and to all who make up Unity Center for Spiritual Growth for being the loving, welcoming community that it is.
Save the date: Mary Reed will be with us the last full weekend in August. While all the details are not yet finalized, the dates are — so mark your calendars.
And I warmly invite you to join me this coming Sunday as we begin a new series, Living by Sacred Agreement: A Path to Inner Freedom.
Together we will explore what it means to release old contracts with fear, striving, and self‑judgment, and to live from a deeper inner yes—one rooted in truth, compassion, and freedom. Whether you are seeking a reset, a remembering, or simply a place to breathe, you are welcome here.
You are a blessing in my life.
Rev. Patricia Bessey
