Student Blog: Summer in One Word by Alena Votinova

If I had to describe my summer in one word, I would use the word “patience”. Having finished my first year at KIBI, I was a bit apprehensive about coming back home for summer, because I was afraid of losing my habit of Dharma practice. But I had to work, so I went to the most beautiful city in Russia that is Saint-Petersburg. What I realized during the summer is that my fears were absolutely groundless. Being in conditions that are not favorable for meditation I started to see that the opportunity for practice could be found in every casual situation. And as I was living with my friends and their two adorable little boys, patience was the most urgent practice. I have to admit, these kids were brilliant teachers for me. I got to know myself more thanks to them. I realized what I need to work on to become a better person. And that’s one of my main objectives for the next year at KIBI.

Alena Votinova, 2^nd year student