Page 14 - TA Magazine Winter 2022

A L OOK WITHIN

the energy of the day. But then, I’ll jump off. I’m not going DP: I think it’s interesting. It’s a mixture. I have things that I in the past, and you start reacting in ways that you did before. from the people I went to school with. They would all speak
to be there going through comments. I don’t personally have want to say. Whether they’re popular or not, I’ll put them out. But to be able to break that, and to totally embrace the present, multiple languages as well. But I felt pretty fortunate. It was
the capacity. If I’m going to focus on writing, I don’t have the But there are also themes I’ve noticed over the years. When I it takes time. It’s possible, it’s doable, but it requires patience difficult being an immigrant in the US, but being able to live in
capacity to go through all the comments, respond to everyone. first started writing back in 2015 and 2016, there were two and persistence. two cultures at once helped me appreciate differences.
I know some people who do, but for me, that would be quite major themes during that era of writers on social media: self-
draining. And don’t get me wrong: I’m so grateful to the people love and letting go. I remember noticing that and then asking TA: You’ve recently come out with a new book. What was it like TA: Did it shape the way you write?
who love the work that I’m doing and they get a lot from it. I’ll myself: What does self-love mean to me? What does letting writing a book about clarity and connection during the most DP: It did shape the way I write. I don’t think I ever realized this
look at a lot of beautiful emails from people, but it’s gotten to go mean to me? What can I add to this conversation that’s uncertain and disconnected of times? until literally right now. Between translating from English to
the point where I’m one person. I can only consume so much happening online? So there’s that part, where I generally know DP: Yeah, it was quite strange writing Clarity and Connection Spanish, being a translator for my parents and whatnot, I did
information. what people are thinking about and talking about. And those during some of the most anxious times that we’ve had in our learn how important it was to be clear, straightforward, and
trends continue: After 2018, a lot of people were talking about modern history. I was in NYC for the first wave of the pan- minimalistic to get the point across. That skill I developed as a
TA: It’s not just that you’re one person. One thing that really finding tools, doing the inner work after letting go. It was peo- demic. I like to remind people that during the first wave in child helped me bring minimalism to my writing.
resonated with me—when I first met you years ago—was that ple figuring out what doing the inner work looks like for them the city, around 20,000 people passed away in two months.
I remember you went away for a big chunk of time, after your personally. For some people, that’s seeing a therapist. For other My wife and I were there for that, we were living in the North TA: Most of your writings on Instagram are in the second per-
social media presence and your writings were being really people, that’s journaling. For me, that’s meditating. Then you Bronx. You felt the survival mode, we were all in it. But at son. Who is the “you” that you write to? Do you think about who
well-received. I found it to be so comforting to me because my shift to 2020, where a lot of people are talking about bound- the same time, my wife and I were at home. We were inside. will be reading your work when you’re writing?
practice takes a lot of research and time. I was already busy in aries. During that time, I realized a lot of people were talking It was that situation where we were leaving our homes every DP: I think the “you” is all of us. It’s you, it’s me. One thing
my practice before social media hit, and to be able to respond about boundaries, and what was coming up for me was re- two weeks to go to the supermarket. Occasionally, we’d go to I’ve learned from interacting with my audience over the years
to people…I try sometimes, I probably shouldn’t, but there’s no lationships. My wife and I reached a point where we learned the park for a walk. There was a lot of introspection in that is that “I” doesn’t resonate that much. Sometimes it seems
way I have to turn it off. Can you tell me a little bit about the a lot. Our relationship was a mess when we first started out period, where I asked myself: What has been working in my like I’m just talking about myself. So I rely on the word
times that you go away? together, and once we started meditating, we started harmo- relationship? What can I do to improve the harmony between “you.” That word opens up the possibility of them reading
22 DP: At least once a year, there’ll be 30 to 40 days when I’m nizing. My recent pieces come from conversations between my me and my wife? That inspired many of the pieces, in terms the piece, and connecting that to an instance in their life, 22
Y ANDERSON WINTER 20 wife’s little sister will be posting for me. She’s the person I trust That’s a gift. Things you say about healthy, adult relationships–I much more clarity about where you are, what you want, and TA: You’ve recently spoken at events such as the Wisdom2.0 Y ANDERSON WINTER 20
wife and I about what works, what doesn’t work, how we are
where they can actually reflect on it. I’m hoping that all the
of the connection part of the book. In the clarity part of the
totally offline. That always coincides with the meditation re-
going to support each other as we grow as individuals.
pieces that I write are points of reflection, where you can
treats that I go on. This year, for example, I’ll be gone from
book, I was asking myself: What happens when we go inward?
you! If you don’t, that’s fine!
45 days, I’ll be meditating. It’s the type of situation where I’ll
know yourself. But then when you come out and start living in
keep things running on the outside, I’ll set up posts and my
the world again, arising as the new version of you, you have so
12 mid-January all the way through to the end of February. For TA: I’m always in awe of how you say so much with so few words. When people do that deep inner work, you go in, you get to build self-awareness. If you connect with them, they’re for 13
always take the advice, and work to apply it. It’s something that
with my account when I’m gone. But then the moment I get to
how other people are behaving with you. So you’re able to ma-
systems have denatured us on. The way that you write is true
Summit and the Mindfulness in America Summit. What do you
neuver your own personal transformation, and your relation-
the retreat center, I give them my phone, and I’m totally offline
to the nature of who we are, but systems have made us afraid
hope to bring to these kinds of conversations, and do you have
DP: I think on that note, I try to keep my ear to the ground.
DP: In bigger conferences, there will be a lot of people who con-
ic. At the same time, in our little apartment in the Bronx back
sider themselves teachers. They’re widely-known, very famous
then, we created a little nook for ourselves, and I got to work.
Social media is weird. It’s a space where humanity is having a
TA: Does your wife go with you?
C for 45 days. No phone, no emails, nothing. of that. ships in a better way. It was difficult writing during a pandem- any upcoming events? C
TRA DP: Yes, she’s going to this retreat too. conversation with itself, where people will process topics to- people. The way I present my work and do my whole Yung TRA
gether as a collective. So I try to pay attention to that, but then TA: You were born in Ecuador and grew up in the United States. Pueblo thing, I just think of myself as an explorer. I’m trying to
TA: That’s got to be a great bonding experience, that’s very generally I think about what comes up for me naturally, and What was your relationship to languages growing up with two get a grasp of the human condition just like everybody else in
healthy. that’ll connect with people too. cultures? the world. I’m trying to maneuver this spectrum of emotions
DP: It is, but it’s interesting because we don’t sleep in the same DP: Oh, that’s a great question. I was born in Ecuador in a city we’re all going through, and how to not make my own life as
room. We’re totally apart. She’s on the women’s side and I’m TA: Your first collection of poetry and short prose Inward was all called Guayaquil. That’s the west coast of South America, so hard. When I go out there, I try to share what I’ve learned. But
on the men’s side. You’re basically a monk for 45 days. You’re about tapping into the wisdom that can be found within. What we lived in this hot city that’s right by the Pacific Ocean. Then it’s one perspective among many.
living this super solitary, introspective life, studying nature in- do you consider to be the biggest obstacles in the individual’s we moved to Boston, Massachusetts, which was a whole differ-
side of the body the entire time. Within the framework of the path towards healing, transformation, and freedom? ent world. It was just my mom, my dad, my brother, and my- TA: So you’re not the Mandalorian?!
body, you’ll get a piece of the entire universe in there. You’ll re- DP: I think one of the biggest obstacles…is that there’s no quick self. My little sister was born here. I arrived when I was about DP: [Laughs] I’m a student. I’m learning just like everybody else.
ally be able to understand the fundamental laws of how every- answer. We’ve been molded by this culture where everything is 41/2 years old, so I was pretty young. I hadn’t started any official I think in some ways, people might think that I’ve meditated a
thing functions. Within the systems of mind and matter, there is really fast—I can go on my phone, open an app, get a cab, get schooling in Ecuador yet. Then I got to the US, did one year of lot. I’ve only mediated for 9 years, and the people I look up to
this undercurrent of change that is happening. And a lot of the food. You can open an app and talk to a therapist now, learn bilingual kindergarten, then went right into learning English. have meditated for 50 years. I feel like a child in this world of
time, the mental struggles that we have is a rejection of change. some meditation. But, for it to really work, it’s not going to It was an interesting relationship where inside of my house, meditation, so I try to tread carefully.
But when we’re able to embrace that feeling of change, that be fast. It’s not going to happen in five minutes. It’s going to everything was in Spanish. Then, very quickly, my brother and
stress level in our lives decreases. We react less, we cause our- take time for you to do the re-molding of the patterns in your I learned English. My brother and I would communicate in TA: Who do you look up to in the meditation world?
selves less problems, and we take steps forward in our freedom. mind. People forget that the behavior patterns that you have English with each other, the four of us would talk in Spanish, DP: There are a few people who have never written books. I’m
For me, when I set up my year, the first thing I set up is what right now have been built over the entirety of your lifetime. and it was nice. It felt pretty normal and natural. Where I grew part of the Goenka tradition, and there’s one person in partic-
part of the year I’ll be offline to meditate. You’ve reacted so many times, and that has accumulated in the up in Boston, it was so diverse. There were immigrant fami- ular, Goenka’s teacher. His name is U Ba Khin. He’s a Burmese
subconscious of your mind. That has created these perceptions lies from Haiti, from Cape Verde, from Vietnam, from all over man who passed away in 1971. He wrote a few things, and
TA: Has the public reaction affected the way that you write? where you see something, and that reminds you of something Latin America. So the experience I was having wasn’t different man, this guy blows my mind. Anything he’s ever written—