"At this year's Avila, I had one of the deepest and most profound spiritual experiences of my life. I've begun taking a closer look at things, and I've begun a practice of daily meditation. I hope more people can get a taste of the Avila spirit."

-Heather Ballance, UNC student

The fourth annual SKS retreat at Avila was subtitled "The Still Point of the Turning World." It's a reference to a T.S. Eliot poem that contains the evocative phrase:

except for the point, the still point, there would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

It was surprising how this theme wove itself into the weekend. The comedy group The Transactors talked about finding the "still point" inside yourself before you can do improv. Bob Cergol, the guest speaker, spoke about the life-changing spiritual experience of finding the still point inside himself. Georg Buehler led a writing workshop in which he emphasized that we had to...well, you can probably see where this is going.

It was a time for short people to sing with strange giants in the background...

It was a time for pyramids to rise and fall...

It was a time for candid photographs of smiling girls.

Having been to every SKS Avila retreat since the first one, I guess I'm coming to understand that that's the secret. It's a relaxing, friendly athmosphere: one first-timer from State remarked that "It was extremely soothing, relaxing and just plain comfortable out there." The air of friendship and community is absolutely genuine. But somehow, in the middle of that "getting away from the daily grind" feeling, you let your guard down; and maybe, just occasionally, something unexpected slips in. A few comments from the post-retreat surveys are particularly revealing...

"Excellent! It moved me and focused me on what my life should be like."

"Very good for getting out of my head and into the moment."

"First time I really understood meditation and its purposes."

"[Avila gave me] an 'excuse' to be still and honest, [to have] late night conversations."

"It reminds me spiritual goal is the highest of all other goals."

Avila was like a breath of fresh air—a chance to take a few days away from tasklists and tests, and concentrate on the truly important things in life. It's a way to step back and ask the question "Is this how I want to be living?" --Andrea Oland, Duke student