Who Am I Without My Phone? Winter Teen Retreat
Through guidance, inquiry and activities built from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s new book, The Lost Art of Good Conversation, the Winter Teen Retreat at Karmé Chöling was an incredibly rich program. Seventeen out of twenty teenagers turned in their cell phones for the week while we practiced “Who am I?” “Who am I really?” and even, “Who am I without my phone?” Shastri Nick Kranz and Jade Kranz led a Simplicity retreat the same week with teachings also based upon The Lost Art of Good Conversation . After a few days of practicing what a “good” conversation might sound, look, and feel like, the Teen Retreat sat one-on-one in conversation with Simplicity participants and Karmê Chöling staff. No emoticons, no distractions, just eye contact and careful engagement for a twenty minute conversation with a stranger. Beautiful, brilliant, awkward, and genuine conversation emerged, with every single participant from both age groups feeling inspired and appreciated as a result. Teachings on