Cell phones were turned off and placed in a basket for safekeeping. Next up was the list of prohibited items. We were told to avoid all eye contact and interactions with others, in order to remain alone with our own thoughts and feelings. Later in the weekend when we broke our silence, we would cut the string. These bracelets symbolized our vow to remain silent. In a special ceremony, we tied red strings around our wrists. After dinner, we entered the meditation hall for introductions, orientation and an evening meditation. While getting acquainted, we enjoyed a tasty and nutritious dinner sourced from the center’s organic garden. A stairway near Main Beach leads to Heisler Park– a picturesque walkway high above the oceanside cliffs. (Of note, the lifeguard tower is one of the most photographed landmarks in Southern California.) Main Beach also houses a boardwalk, playground, beach volleyball nets and basketball hoops– all facing out towards the Pacific Ocean. Main Beach, with its iconic lifeguard tower, is the centerpiece of this seaside town. I breathe in deeply, filling my lungs with invigorating salty air as life’s simple pleasures stretch out before me: kids play in the sand, dogs chase balls, couples walk hand in hand, waves crash upon the shore. During my morning run along the beach, I revel in the calm, the stillness. I am freer, lighter, unburdened I am my best self. You know you’re in a consummate beach town when the street names are Cliff Drive, Marine Lane and Wave Street. It is uniquely wonderful and reminiscent of a simpler time. Located in Orange County, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Laguna Beach is a perfect trifecta of surfer beach town, artist colony and hippie holdout culture. Laguna Beach, California, where I was fortunate to begin 2022, is an antidote to the winter blues. As winter rages on in the Northeast, an idyllic corner of the world beckons…
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