Back into Retreat

My goodness.

I have been out of retreat for almost exactly a month. And what a month it's been.

In just these four short weeks I flew to the East Coast, saw family, saw friends, met Devon for the first time in a quarter year, flew to Colorado for a New Year's celebration at my old monastery, and then flew to Hawaii to do some teaching (while Devon did some teaching at Spirit Rock).

In this time, too, things started popping with the book.

We earned a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, which apparently is a big deal.

Our endorsements came in (see below).

Our dear publisher decided to make HOT MESS an audio book—and then invited Devon and me to be the readers of that audio book.

Meanwhile, Shambhala also ordered a first print run that was triple my personal expectations (though my brother informs me that my personal expectations "sell myself short").

Now I have moved into the third floor apartment above Kagyu Sukha Choling and I am settling into retreat this very evening, to be joined shortly by Devon for (just shy of) a three month retreat.

This retreat, though, will be a little less boundaried than our autumn adventures.

We'll be together, for one thing. And we'll be working one day a week, doing mentoring sessions locally and by phone and slowly-but-surely getting the word out about . . . yes, you guessed it, THE BOOK.

Speaking of the book, here's what Sharon Salzberg has to say about it:

For Devon and Craig Hase, a clear mind and wise choices are what enable us to define ourselves in a frenetic world. Writing with a combination of wit, refreshing honesty, and wisdom, they give us a guide to reclaiming our true selves from the definitions of the world, so that we can enjoy the happiness this brings.

If you're interested you can find out more here. And, of course, this is a perfect time to preorder.

At any rate, I’m back into retreat and looking forward to being (mostly) offline and (mostly) dedicated to meditation practice.

Sending many good wishes to all of you,
Craig