09/09/2025
❤️ This is a long read, but it’s straight from my heart…
I’ve just returned from an extraordinary 10-day Vipassana silence retreat — an experience of living and practicing as Buddha once did. This is the very technique he discovered and practiced to reach enlightenment, spending the last 30 years of his life in peace and harmony. Out of pure selflessness, he shared it with the world so that we too could learn.
I’ll be honest — it was inconvenient and uncomfortable. Hours each day sitting cross-legged on simple mats, in silence, in isolation, away from all comforts and distractions of the outside world. Meditating 10–12 hours a day was no easy feat. But that’s where growth always lives — in the inconvenient and uncomfortable. And in that space, I found deep shifts. I now carry with me a daily practice, a tool to keep evolving, purifying, and moving toward peace and enlightenment.
It was profound to share this journey with 60 strangers from around the world — from 18-year-olds to women in their 80s. For 10 days, not a word was spoken, and yet when we finally connected on the last day, there was such love, understanding, and shared humanity. Many return every year to immerse again, and I know I’ll be back — not only to participate but also to serve, because giving back is part of the path.
This year has been one of deep healing for me. My body had shut down into burnout, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia after years of pushing against systems, advocating through trauma, and carrying so much pain. I had to stop, seek out experts, reset my nervous system, and take ownership of my health. With the help of integrative doctors, travel, time with Matt, and immersions like this retreat, I’ve reclaimed my health, energy, and vitality. I feel alive, youthful, and free again — and so deeply grateful.
Through it all, I’ve shifted my focus. Instead of fighting broken systems, I now pour my energy into creating solutions. That’s where my Garden of Eden vision was born — a global movement to build spaces in nature where people from all walks of life can access healing, alternative medicines, and practices normally out of reach. A place where health is a right, not a privilege. I’ve attracted the right people and resources, and it’s already in motion.
So much of this drive comes from my own lived experiences. From Carson’s drowning incident — the moment that changed my life forever — to navigating negligence in hospitals with Bree and myself, to carrying karmic patterns of tragedy and trauma. And yet, each time, I’ve risen. I’ve refused to be a victim. I’ve turned my pain into purpose and wisdom to serve others, to help end suffering, and to leave legacies that matter.
I am fulfilled and proud of the life I’ve created, the lives I’ve touched, and the legacies already left. And still — there is more. That’s why this meditation practice matters so much. It’s another layer of freedom, of purification, of stepping into peace and grace — for me, for my family, for future generations.
🙏 Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for being part of this journey. And thank you for being here as I continue to rise, heal, and contribute.
With love,
Tammy 💋
Live the life you deserve & desire ..
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