Inspiration
Mirador Eco-Retreat was born in 2011 when my friend Cynthia came here for a silent meditation retreat over Labor Day weekend. She so enjoyed the forest and the gardens that she suggested, "This would be a great place for teachers to come for retreat!" And so she returned annually for several years, and each time the dream came closer to fruition. We offered our first retreat in summer of 2019, and planned on four more the following summer. But then first came Covid lockdown, followed shortly by Cancer. Cynthia outlived her initial prognosis of one year, continuing to teach, mentor, and shine her light for the next four years. After a sudden decline, she slipped gracefully from her body on June 13, 2024. Mirador as a mindfulness and meditation center would not exist without her inspiration, enthusiasm, and faith in both me and this magical place.
Cynthia L. Wilcox
April 23, 1959 - June 13, 2024
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Cynthia dedicated her life to guiding others toward living with ease of body and peace of mind. She was a clinical psychologist, a mentor and instructor for mindfulness meditation programs, and a retreat guide. She developed courses for therapists and bodyworkers on a spiritual path, and for spiritual teachers seeking embodiment. Cynthia’s work and life centered around living from embodied presence and listening to the wisdom of the body.
She believed, “We are all here to love as well as we can... each other, all beings on the earth, the earth itself. We are here to evolve so that the barriers to loving fall away, so throughout our lives we love more boldly, with more clarity, with a deeper knowing that we are all one.”
Those closest to Cynthia had the privilege of witnessing her living journey with cancer. She did not fight cancer, she did not believe in waging war. She did not resist, she lived with absolute acceptance of each stage along the way, better and worse, always optimistic and hopeful. She invited cancer to be a teacher, and formed a living, breathing, ever-changing relationship with this new visitor in her world. Handed a diagnosis of a rare, Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma with a dismal prognosis, she chose optimism, peace, and perseverance. She embarked on a journey to live well with cancer, day by day, ever hopeful that she might eventually be cancer-free. She researched clinical trials and tried new and non-standard treatments with some success. She loved well, spending time with family and close friends; she laughed a lot, pursued the work that she loved, and continued to teach and see clients, far outliving the initial prognosis.
Her legacy of love, connection, and embodied presence will continue to inspire and guide many. As she beautifully stated, “Be still. Be fully in this body. Be aware of the tenderness of your heart. All you need is already within you. You are made of love.”
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Guided Meditations from Cynthia Wilcox
More meditations can be found at cynthiawilcox.com and on Insight Timer